USAID ERA looks for BCP Еquіpment Specialist for Rail

Since 2018, USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) has focused its activities on eastern Ukraine. In 2022, it expanded its geography of cooperation to other regions due to Russia’s full-scale invasion and occupation of part of Ukraine. In 2023, given the military and political circumstances and challenges, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) changed ERA’s priorities.

ERA is one of the implementers of the U.S. Government’s Interagency Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI – Ukraine), which aims to support Ukrainian agricultural production and exports and help address the global food crisis exacerbated by Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine. USAID supports the Government of Ukraine, including working with the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI) and the State Customs Service, through ERA, to modernize border crossing points to improve grain trade and exports, passenger traffic, and perceptions of Ukraine. ERA is also implementing the Economic Stability and Recovery Initiative (ESRI), which focuses on job retention and creation and assists small and medium-sized enterprises.

USAID ERA prioritizes work on AGRI and rehabilitating EU-facing border crossing points (BCPs). The AGRI component is extending its technical assistance to Ukrainian Agri-traders and logistics companies supporting them in increasing capacity and potential of grain export logistics. The BCP component includes complex construction management and procurement of equipment and service for BCPs to become more efficient in processing big cargos of grain and other commodities through the border.

About the job

The Equipment Specialist for Rail at the USAID Economic Resilience Activity will be responsible for the technical oversight as it relates to trains/railways and BCP (Border Crossing Points) Upgrades of the rail system. The ideal candidate will have experience in analyzing rail systems customs regulations of the rail system, and in addition, s/he must understand rail operations and equipment. A solid understanding of the rail transport network is a must, with the ability to forecast potential cargo bases and bottlenecks at various rail checkpoints. The Equipment Specialist for Rail reports to the Senior Manager for BCP Upgrades and is based in the in Kyiv, Odesa, or preferably in the Lviv office of USAID ERA.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Analyze and provide detailed information on Ukrainian train and rail networks and to be able to access their capacities to transport goods and services through border crossing points.
• Forecast cargo flow through Ukrainian rail systems and transshipment capacities utilization to recommend upgrades. Provide thoughtful solutions to solve bottlenecks;.
• Communicate effectively with government and rail authorities and have knowledge of relevant representatives;
• Liaise with contacts in the rail industry to assess various rail capacities and needs;
• Responsible for being the technical point of contact for all facets of the railway system and customs and border crossing points as it relates to trains and rail transportation;
• Assess the operations of pneumatics, hydraulics, and general mechanics of rail systems when performing field assessments;
• Assess how rail equipment is upgraded;
• Assess the safety measures for upgrading rail and train transport systems as they relate to BCP upgrades;
• Strengthen the technical capacity of engineers in contracts administration, infrastructure maintenance, and quality control to facilitate service delivery improvements across ERA municipalities;
• As needed, support the procurement and grants teams to procure necessary materials and equipment to repair and equip BCPs and facilities;
• Join and closely follow the efforts of the BCP Upgrade team in promoting, reconstructing, and repairing various border crossing points.
• Having knowledge of operations and technical specifications of the fixed scanner, surveillance system, dynamic and static weighing scales, and bogie exchange operations.

Reporting:

• Prepare accurate and timely field reports and other documentation as required.
• Monitor and report on the progress of the Ukrainian rail systems development in terms of expanding and improving their border crossing points.
• Support the MEL and grants teams with their deliverables, as it relates to rail systems, rail infrastructure and BCP upgrades.

About you

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Logistics, Supply Chain Management and/or a related field or relevant professional certification as it relates to rail equipment.
• At least 5 years of experience in rail operations as it relates to rail equipment, rail construction, logistics, supply chain management, and/or customs and border checks.
• Strong knowledge of the rail industry, including maintenance, logistics and/or supply chain management.
• The ability to prioritize competing tasks, set realistic deadlines, and manage time efficiently.
• Experience working with USAID or other international development organizations is a plus but not required.
• Strong networks in the Ukrainian rail industry.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Fluent English and Ukrainian is required.

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension.

Benefits: all benefits envisaged by the Labor Code of Ukraine, corporate medical insurance for employees and immediate family members.

Start date: October 2023

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to [email protected]

Closing date for applications: October 11, 2023.

For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website era-ukraine.org.ua.