Ruzizi III Energy Limited (REL) is a special purpose vehicle that has been established and registered in Rwanda to develop the Ruzizi III Regional Hydroelectric project (Project). It is a key development project and will be one of the largest infrastructure projects in the region comprising Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo. It is the first privately financed project in sub-Saharan Africa that will utilise a common regional water resource to generate power that will be shared equally between three countries.

Job Description – Technical Assistant (GIS and Surveying)

Ruzizi III Energy Ltd (REL) is responsible for developing, constructing, and operating the Ruzizi III Regional Hydropower Project. The Project is a Public-Private Partnership between the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the Republic of Rwanda on the public side, and Industrial Promotion Services of Kenya and SN Power of Norway on the private side. The Project will be a 206 MW hydroelectric power plant on the Ruzizi River, which forms the natural boundary between DRC and Rwanda.

OBJECTIVES

The Technical Assistant, covering GIS and Surveying, will support the day-to-day activities related to the implementation of the Ruzizi III project activities during project land acquisition, Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) implementation, and construction of the project.

REPORTING LINES AND RELATIONS

• Direct Report: Environmental and Social (E&S) Manager
• External: Peoples and organizations impacted by the implementation of the project (landowner, land users, etc.) owners, contractors, and consultants

MAIN DUTIES

The Technical Assistant will work in the E&S team, reporting to the E&S Manager. The primary duties include the following:

• Provide technical support on GIS, surveying, technical drawings, and related matters;
• Design, develop, customize, and maintain discipline specific GIS (maps, tables, etc.);
• Undertake spatial analyses and create information products from the GIS related software (ArcGIS Pro) and systems to meet census specific needs;
• Review and make routine interpretations of data sources and use GIS software functions to enter, edit and update GIS spatial data, including points, lines and polygons, and attribute data into databases or layers, following standard procedures;
• Provide quality control with regard to data capture, evaluation of data acquired from census data collectors and develop database;
• Carry out research on standard source documents such as track maps, parcel maps, cadastral maps, legal descriptions, permits, as-built drawings and other records to verify the accuracy and completeness of data prior to input; uses standard scripts and queries to search for and correct missing, incomplete or inaccurate spatial and attribute data;
• Assist in the preparation of base maps for the project features (reservoirs, power house, camps, roads, transmission lines) and undertake digitization, geo-referencing, ground verification, etc.;
• Work closely with REL team in collating spatial and non-spatial information with respect to plot boundaries, network of basic infrastructure such as roads, drainage and water lines, transmissions lines etc.;
• Provide support to REL staff regarding GIS, surveying, and topography information, such as asset locations, reservoir information, and related needs;
• Manage the project database and related information;
• Undertake topographical surveys within the project area, experience using latest surveying equipment, and produce topographical maps;
• Provide support on engineering drawings, create and modify drawings using AutoCAD and ideally Civil 3D;
• Any other task as assigned by the E&S Manager.

DURATION AND NATURE OF APPOINTMENT

This Technical Assistant position will be permanent. The officer will be primarily based at the project site in Rwanda, with regular travel in the Region. Priority will be given to nationals originating from Burundi, DRC, or Rwanda. Women candidates are encouraged to apply.

COMPETENCIES / REQUIREMENTS

The Technical Assistant, will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Advanced knowledge and working experience of ArcGIS and AutoCAD
• Advanced knowledge and working experience of land surveying, mapping, and using latest surveying equipment (total stations or similar)
• Knowledgeable in geographical data management and utilization, familiarity with coordinate geometry, data conversion and validation, spatial analysis and visualization
• Knowledge about data processing, evaluation and organizing the collection, storage, usage of geographic data and visualization
• Ability to solve GIS-specific problems and convey GIS information to non-GIS people
• A minimum of 3 years’ working experience, including projects with (i) direct experience using ArcGIS (ii) direct experience surveying and mapping, and (iii) direct experience using AutoCAD
• Good interpersonal communication and coordination skills
• Ability to adhere to deadlines, detail oriented and flexible
• Experience working on a site environment
• Fluent in English and preferably French

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and your curriculum vitae (CV) in English and PDF format, to jobs@ruzizienergy.com no later than 08 February 2025.