icipe is a pan-African and non-profit Centre of Excellence for research and development and capacity building in insect science and its applications. Its mission is to help alleviate poverty, ensure food and nutritional security and improve the overall health status of peoples of the tropics by developing and extending management tools and strategies for harmful and useful arthropods, while preserving the natural resource base through research and capacity building. Since its establishment in 1970, icipe has become a significant contributor to science and innovation required to meet the health and food security challenges of sub-Saharan Africa.
The Centre has achieved this status by developing alternative and environmentally friendly pest and vector management technologies and products that are effective, selective, non-polluting, non-resistance inducing, and are affordable to resource-limited rural and urban communities. icipe is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with offices in Ethiopia and Uganda, a major station on the shores of Lake Victoria, and several other field stations in Kenya. Employing close to 500 international and national staff, icipe also has approximately 150 graduate students who contribute to its research portfolio annually. The Centre currently has operations in more than 40 African countries, and thriving partnerships with universities and research organizations across the world. (www.icipe.org)Please also download icipe’s
Vision and Strategy 2021–2025: http://www.icipe.org/system/files_force/about/corporate_publications_files/icipe_Vision_and_Strategy_2021- 2025.pdf
icipe seeks to recruit a Senior Business Support
Officer II (Facilities and Assets Manager) in the Facilities and
Assets Unit. The position is tenable at icipe’s Duduville
Campus. This is a two-year contract, renewable subject to continued project
needs, funding for the position, and performance of the staff member. This is a
nationally recruited position. A competitive compensation package will be
offered to the right candidate. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Overall Purpose of the Job
The position holder will:
- Manage icipe facilities,
plants and equipment, ensuring that the facilities are fully operational
and all utility supplies functioning
- Perform
maintenance, safety and management tasks that promote a clean and safe
working environment for
- Develop
and maintain a full life cycle asset planning that ensures first-class
state of facilities through systematised processes and proper management
of a team of in-house staff and a group of outsourced service
- Sustain
continuous improvement in, and provision of, efficient, economic and
effective services to the end
- Identify,
appraise, and manage construction and refurbishment of facilities and
physical infrastructure, including road pavements, yards and farms (for
both restricted and core projects) by clearly defining project objectives,
evaluating delivery options and making appropriate delivery
recommendations to icipe
- Ensure
high standards of maintenance in both processes and work
Specific Duties
A) Maintenance management
- Develop
and implement asset care and maintenance plans for all facilities,
including delivery of optimal and efficient space, equipment, plant,
buildings, roads, grounds and other infrastructure; continuously review
and ensure the desired balance between internal execution and
- Plan
and oversee office cleaning and fumigation activities by ensuring
development of clear protocols and deployment of appropriate tools and
- Manage
laboratory cleaning and disinfection, and disposal of
- Ensure
proper care and maintenance of existing greenhouses and experimental plots
in liaison with users and plan for future
- Supervise
the design, landscaping and upkeep of the
- Develop
framework contacts for outsourced maintenance service providers and manage
their
- Coordinate
maintenance of equipment with service
- Ensure
preparation and review of maintenance, schedules, checklists, and
replacement
- Manage
service level agreements (SLAs) between engineering, labs, grounds and
other
B) Project management
- Review
design drawings, specifications and other documents to ensure alignment
with scope of work, icipe standards
and finishing requirements, as well as compliance with government
regulations, and with environmental, health, security and safety
requirements for both outsourced and internally scoped
- Ensure
clear project planning by assembling a project management team (technical
and oversight), and developing and documenting quality control
- Effectively
manage the project implementation cycle by ensuring the delivery and
execution of projects is in line with the scope of works, acceptable
engineering quality standards, budget and timeframes, and that any scope
changes meet the industry and icipe’s approval
process and
- Manage
efficient project closures by reviewing ‘as built’ information and other
documentation as required for future maintenance
- Work
closely with project principal investigators to develop fit-for-purpose
designs, build on internal cost estimates of all infrastructure-related
assets, and manage their implementation to ensure quality and compliance to
- Manage
the outsourcing of contracted service providers for civil works, building
projects, equipment supplies and
- Evaluate
project risks and manage their
C) Financial management
- Prepare
annual budgets, monitoring performance and controlling costs to ensure
budgets are not
- Ensure
cost-effectiveness, quality and timely delivery of all services in line
with icipe’s
- Optimise
space utilisation within Plan and coordinate office alterations,
refurbishments and/or moves as dictated by business needs.
- Ensure
proper use of the Centre’s assets under his/her control and efficient use
of resources (people, materials and equipment)
- Provide
support to supply chain through provision of accurate internal cost
estimates for projects and other
- Actively
participate in price negotiation with suppliers and other service
- Review
supplier invoices against goods and services received and forward for
D) Greening of icipe
- Ensure
sustainability of green environmental activities under the following key
areas:
- Solar
photovoltaic (PV) use and maintenance – Plan, manage and continuously
review maintenance of installed solar PV systems that include solar
panels, inverters, control panels, batteries and
- Energy
savings – Plan, manage and continuously review maintenance of the
installed energy efficiency improvement works that include solar thermal
systems, electrical switch gear, energy efficient laboratory and guest
centre equipment, among
- Water
harvesting and conservation – Plan, manage and continuously review
maintenance of water conservation initiatives, which include infrared
taps and urinals, lawn irrigation systems, distillation equipment, water
harvesting accessories and storage tanks, among Manage resources to
ensure value for money.
- Oversee
collection and analysis of other green-related initiatives data such as
vehicle mileage, airmiles, printing paper usage, waste disposal etc. and
act as secretary to the Environmental Management Committee (EMC).
E) Customer service
- Ensure
customer requirements are met
- Resolve
customer queries and
- Manage
customer complaint tracking procedures and make use of surveys and
analysis to improve customer
F) People management
- Supervise
multi-disciplinary teams of staff and manage day-to-day matters, including
resolving conflicts, listening, representing and showing respect to
- Hold
regular meetings with staff and receive direct
- Train,
develop, empower and motivate staff to deliver their maximum
G) Supplier/Stakeholder relations
- Ensure
good supplier relations are maintained, resolve conflicts, solve any
problems noted by supervisors, and display
- Ensure
win-win negotiations are carried out with suppliers to ensure sustainable
mutual gains for both icipe and
the supplier organisations.
H) Performance reporting
- Track
engineering, facility and project key performance indicators (KPIs) such
as project schedules, estimates to project completions and utilisation of
resource allocations, and regularly submit performance
- Carry
out tracking of continuous improvement
I) Mbita and other field stations
- Provide
technical support to the Mbita facilities team through guidance on
maintenance works, scoping of works and implementation to ensure quality
standards and proper utilisation of
- Develop,
plan and implement asset care strategies that include repairs, maintenance
and capital replacements of all icipe facilities
and equipment as found at our field stations (Nguruman and Muhaka), as
well as the Riverside Drive and Arboretum properties
Requirements/Qualifications
- Bachelor’s
degree in engineering or related
- Minimum
10 years’ experience in building maintenance roles. He/she shall
demonstrate a track record of experience in integrated facilities
management with over 5 years of leadership experience
- Appropriate
training in financial and business
- Conversant
with Microsoft packages and MS
Core Competencies
- The
ideal candidate would have a background in engineering but have progressed
into management from where they have gained business acumen in
problem-solving, decision-making and good
Other Desirable Attributes
- High
degree of organisation, adaptability and
- Track
record of exemplary leadership qualities is
Reporting
This position reports to
the Director of Finance and Administration as the first supervisor and to the
Director General as the second Supervisor.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications will be accepted up to 2nd July
2021. Interested applicants should submit: (a) a
confidential cover letter;
(b) detailed CV with
names and addresses of 3 referees, including e-mail addresses; and (c) a
statement illustrating suitability against the listed
qualifications/competencies/ abilities, and skills.
Candidates are required
to apply online through: http://recruit.icipe.org or by Email: recruitment@icipe.org
icipe is an equal
opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values
gender equity, teamwork, and respect for diversity.
