Position Overview

The Construction Lead will provide implementation technical support and oversight for major construction projects at Partners In Health (PIH)-supported health facilities worldwide, including a hospital expansion project in Rwanda and a new pharmacy and operations warehouse build in Liberia. The Construction Lead will ensure the safety, quality, and functionality of new facilities across PIH’s infrastructure portfolio and bring deep technical expertise and experience in construction management to the PIH team.

The ideal candidate has at least eight years of direct implementation experience managing construction projects in limited resource/humanitarian settings, preferably in sub-Saharan Africa. They have demonstrated success: managing construction contractors; creating and reviewing designs and bills of quantities; coordinating civil, structural, and mechanical, engineering, and plumbing (MEP) works; and resolving technical issues on site. This role requires a background in civil or structural engineering, architecture, or construction management.

The Construction Lead will collaborate closely with PIH’s infrastructure, clinical, operations, and finance teams to deliver durable, context-appropriate infrastructure. The role requires a proactive, organized professional who can balance technical rigor with flexibility and appropriate communication in complex environments. This role will be part of PIH’s International Operations team but collaborate closely with colleagues on PIH’s care delivery site teams as well as other stakeholders at Ministries of Health, other partners, and construction contractors.

Responsibilities:

50% Project Management

• Manage major PIH capital projects (>$2 million USD) such as hospital, warehouse, or health center construction. Support country teams in developing construction scopes of work, drawings, bills of quantities, budgets, and procurement documentation.
• Assist with contract drafting and negotiation, construction contractor prequalification, bid/tender technical and financial analysis, and supplier vetting for building materials and construction equipment.
• Organize and lead meetings with key project stakeholders—e.g., PIH country and global teams, Ministry of Health colleagues, and other partners. Drive progress, accountability, and coordination across teams.
• Provide frequent on-site supervision and support from mobilization through handover.
• Maintain alignment, communication, and trust among all project participants.
• Create regular quality, progress, and budget reports for senior management.

25% Technical Mentorship

• Train and mentor site engineers, supervisors, and facilities staff in construction supervision, quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC), and safety practices.
• Build local team capacity in contractor management, engineering, drafting, and documentation.
• Provide limited support to site project managers for lower-risk projects to ensure quality, safety, and schedule adherence across civil, structural, and MEP works.

25% Technical Assistance

• Provide technical leadership for design, engineering, construction, and rehabilitation of PIH-supported health facilities in Africa, Haiti, and Latin America.
• Develop PIH global construction standards and QA/QC systems.
• Troubleshoot technical issues and coordinate with Facilities Engineering, clinical, and biomedical teams to ensure integrated systems and compliant designs.
• Participate in emergency response and disaster recovery efforts as needed.

Key Deliverables (First year of employment):

90 days: Conduct a baseline assessment of upcoming major capital projects across PIH and establish a global construction plan.

6 months: Implement a global construction project process (i.e., feasibility/scope development, planning, design, procurement/contractor selection, contractor management, operations and maintenance planning, handover/closeout).

1 year: Standardize construction documentation and QA/QC processes across sites and provide direct management support for at least one major capital project >$2 million USD. Build sustained local capacity for capital project delivery. Create or finalize full as-built packages for all PIH Core Infrastructure program facilities (site plan, civil, electrical, plumbing, life safety).

Qualifications, Experience, and Skills:

Required:

• 8+ years of experience in construction management, with direct field experience delivering large-scale projects ($2 million +) in limited resource/humanitarian settings, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Experience delivering healthcare infrastructure projects strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Structural or Civil Engineering or Architecture. An advanced degree and/or professional licensure e.g. Professional Engineer, Chartered Architect, or the local equivalent will be an asset.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam Revu, SketchUp, or similar design and construction software, with the ability to create, review, and interpret drawings, site layouts, and bills of quantities. Matterport and/or CMMS experience a plus.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to civil, structural, and MEP works in complex environments.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; demonstrated experience working with remote teams in non-hierarchical organizations.
• Ability and motivation to travel frequently and work for extended periods at remote construction sites in the Global South.

Preferred:

Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and tools.

Fluency in English required; working proficiency in other languages spoken at PIH sites a plus, particularly Kinyarwanda or French.

Core Values and Competencies:

Demonstrates the organization’s core values of: Commitment, Humility, Integrity and Pragmatic Solidarity/Accompaniment

Accountability – Able to accept responsibility for one’s actions, outcomes, and those of their team.

Achieving results – Able to set realistic goals, put plans into action, monitor progress, evaluate outcomes, and apply lessons learned.

Adaptability – Able to adapt to change, to balance multiple demands, consider new approaches, and persist towards solutions in changing circumstances.

Teamwork – Able to work well with others to achieve common goals. Exemplary interpersonal skills; ability to collaborate effectively with staff across departments and countries.

Leading + Supervising – Able to build effective teams, direct and develop staff, and manage others to meaningful outcomes.

• Manage major PIH capital projects (>$2 million USD) such as hospital, warehouse, or health center construction. Support country teams in developing construction scopes of work, drawings, bills of quantities, budgets, and procurement documentation.
• Assist with contract drafting and negotiation, construction contractor prequalification, bid/tender technical and financial analysis, and supplier vetting for building materials and construction equipment.
• Organize and lead meetings with key project stakeholders—e.g., PIH country and global teams, Ministry of Health colleagues, and other partners. Drive progress, accountability, and coordination across teams.
• Provide frequent on-site supervision and support from mobilization through handover.
• Maintain alignment, communication, and trust among all project participants.
• Create regular quality, progress, and budget reports for senior management.
• Train and mentor site engineers, supervisors, and facilities staff in construction supervision, quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC), and safety practices.
• Build local team capacity in contractor management, engineering, drafting, and documentation.
• Provide limited support to site project managers for lower-risk projects to ensure quality, safety, and schedule adherence across civil, structural, and MEP works.
• Provide technical leadership for design, engineering, construction, and rehabilitation of PIH-supported health facilities in Africa, Haiti, and Latin America.
• Develop PIH global construction standards and QA/QC systems.
• Troubleshoot technical issues and coordinate with Facilities Engineering, clinical, and biomedical teams to ensure integrated systems and compliant designs.
• Participate in emergency response and disaster recovery efforts as needed.

• Construction management
• Contractor management
• Design and bill of quantities creation/review
• Coordination of civil, structural, and MEP works
• Technical issue resolution
• AutoCAD
• Revit
• Bluebeam Revu
• SketchUp
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Working with remote teams
• GIS software (preferred)
• Kinyarwanda (preferred)
• French (preferred)

• 8+ years of experience in construction management, with direct field experience delivering large-scale projects ($2 million +) in limited resource/humanitarian settings, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Experience delivering healthcare infrastructure projects strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Structural or Civil Engineering or Architecture. An advanced degree and/or professional licensure e.g. Professional Engineer, Chartered Architect, or the local equivalent will be an asset.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam Revu, SketchUp, or similar design and construction software, with the ability to create, review, and interpret drawings, site layouts, and bills of quantities. Matterport and/or CMMS experience a plus.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to civil, structural, and MEP works in complex environments.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; demonstrated experience working with remote teams in non-hierarchical organizations.
• Ability and motivation to travel frequently and work for extended periods at remote construction sites in the Global South.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and tools (preferred).
• Fluency in English required; working proficiency in other languages spoken at PIH sites a plus, particularly Kinyarwanda or French.