Hydraulics/Water Resource Engineer Professor/lecturer, Ethiopia

Placements in Universities in Ethiopia, 24 month volunteer placements.

There is a serious shortage of engineering teachers and trained educators in universities in Ethiopia. You can help urgently to fill the gap by volunteering today with VSO. We are looking for engineers across all sectors to volunteer as lecturers in the top universities in Ethiopia. Sharing your skills and time with people most in need will enrich your life and give your career a boost. Thousands of professionals say volunteering with VSO is a life changing experience. Be one of them.

Background Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country and is also one of the poorest. Ethiopia is currently engaged in a highly ambitious effort to realign its higher education system in order to contribute more directly to its national strategy for economic growth and poverty reduction. Its achievements over the past five years have been little short of extraordinary. The reforms have targeted all levels: the overall system, institutions and the academic programmes. We have roles in a number of education institutions that require trained and skilled Hydraulics/Water Resource Engineers with teaching experience who can make a difference to their programmes.

What does the role involve? You will work within an education institution to develop their programme and build the capacity of staff. To do this you will:

• participate in all aspects of teaching including delivering courses, seminars, examinations and supervision of theses and research projects
• initiate and undertake scientific and applied research with particular focus as directed by the institution
• develop research-funding proposals to appropriate bodies, associations, public and private organisations etc.
• contribute to further develop the department's post-graduate programme
• participate in engineering education reform and support the implementation process of new curriculum and governance structures
• mentor Ethiopian colleagues to transfer knowledge in the technical field and in teaching methods
• collaborate with governmental agencies, NGO's, industry, international partners, national and international associations and funding organisations as well as internally with institution departments.

Skills, qualifications and experience required You'll have a PhD in Hydraulics/Water Resource Engineering as well as experience teaching and training in a higher education context. You will also have professional experience working in a related field. You'll need to be a flexible, proactive and positive person who is able to work with limited resources with patience and confidence. You'll be an excellent communicator with the ability to build good relationships with a wide range of people. You'll be open and hardworking with a commitment to capacity building. Flexibility and a sense of humour are essential in this type of work.

And the rest.... These voluntary roles are based within education institutions in Ethiopia. We'll ask you to commit 12-24 months to make a sustainable contribution to development goals and in return we'll provide you with invaluable training before your placement, a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation and insurance. When you return to your home country we'll help you resettle and we'll invite you to stay involved with us through campaigning, development awareness raising and fundraising.