General Construction Foreman

Company Overview

The Pharo Foundation (the ‘’Foundation”) is a privately funded entrepreneurial organisation that runs philanthropic programmes as well as a for-profit arm, Pharo Ventures. The Vision of the Foundation is an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. The Mission is to achieve the Vision by investing in the human  and physical capital of Africa, with a strong focus on job creation.

Established in 2011, The Foundation has been implementing numerous programmes in Ethiopia and  Somaliland and is in the process of expanding into Rwanda and Kenya. The strategic pillars of the Foundation are education, health, water, and agriculture. One such example is the large scale water  project starting to be implemented in Somaliland with the aim of bringing water to 6,000 households and their livestock. In 2020, the Foundation also established Pharo Ventures, its wholly owned social enterprise arm, with the objectives of economic value and job creation in East Africa. Pharo Ventures has already embarked on a series of ambitious businesses in Somaliland and Ethiopia in the construction and agro processing sectors and is about to launch its first Kenyan venture.

The Foundation has a programme office in Assosa, the regional capital of Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz Regional State (BGRS), with plans to expand operations in the country. Since its establishment in 2016, the Foundation’s programme office has been working on an integrated livelihood development programme that covers agriculture, water, health, and education. The Foundation is in the process of establishing an internal ”Pharo Construction Unit (PCU)” whose scope is limited to managing constructions of the Foundation’s own projects. This approach would provide efficient, effective and timely managed construction projects that meet the expected quality requirements by having greater and closer control over resources and execution. Cost savings, quality of materials and craftsmanship, avoidance of contract management setbacks, timely completion of projects, creation of job opportunities and skill and knowledge transfer are some of the immediate benefits believed to be generated through handling construction works in-house.

Headquartered in London, the Foundation has an operational head office in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa and Assosa), Somaliland (Hargeisa), and Rwanda (Kigali) with further expansion plans in Africa.

Position Summary

The position holder is in charge of ensuring the execution of construction work according to the design, required quality standard & work schedule for the projects under PCU. The unit will contribute to achieving the Foundation vision by providing efficient, effective and timely managed construction projects that meet the expected quality requirements by having greater and closer control over resources and execution. The Foundation is seeking a capable and dedicated General Construction Foreman who is enthusiastic about their work and eager to make a difference.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure the facilitation of processes that lead to the commencement & execution of construction works.
• Prepare on-site execution action plan based on the master construction work schedule.
• Ensure that the construction works are executed as planned, keeping the standard quality and according to the design & specification.
•  Coordinate tasks according to priorities and plans.
•  Assign day-to-day responsibilities.
• Ensure that each & every item of construction is ordered by the standard check-list and gets approval by work permit format from the supervisor before execution.
•  Ensure available manpower and resources are adequate & monitor attendance of crew.
•  Record designs specifications and bill of quantities of construction projects for planning & immediate implementation as deemed necessary.
•  Take all data of materials as well as executed construction works and evaluate their outputs with respect to the standards.
•  Submit properly filled site diary & daily reports on the status of construction projects to the Site Engineer.
•  Distribute the construction materials to sub-contractors and daily workers at construction sites and keep their records properly in an auditable way.
• Prepare a take-off sheet for daily executed works and submit it to the Site Engineer.
•  Receive the verified construction materials from the logistic department as per the store issue and order of the Site Engineer and stock them in a proper way at site stores.
• Ensure all safety precautions and quality standards are met.
• Supervise & ensure the proper use of machineries and equipment.
•  Any other related duties assigned.

Role: General Construction Foreman, Pharo Construction Unit

Location: Assosa, BGRS

Employment Duration: 6 months with the possibility of an extension

Reporting to: Site Engineer of Guest House & Office Buildings, Pharo Construction Unit

Functional Relationship: N/A

• Diploma (10+3) in construction technology and/or building technology or a similar discipline & 6 years of experience in building construction.
• Certificate (10+2) in construction technology and/or building technology or a similar discipline & 8 years of experience in building construction.
• Certificate in building construction from a recognized learning center & 10 years of experience in Construction Technology and/or building construction or related fields.
• Work experience with construction companies/contractors/ is preferable.
• Ability to easily understand/interpret drawings/designs.
•  Good oral & written communication skills.

Personal Attributes

• Great attention to detail and a flexible approach to work.
•  High professional and ethical standards.
• Structured and process-oriented.
• Excellent time and project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities.
•  Motivated to learn and perform and not afraid to ask questions.
• Willing to challenge the status quo and add value by introducing positive change.
•  Excellent communicator and comfortable to work in a team environment.
• Positive outlook and outgoing personality with solid leadership, interpersonal and diplomatic skills.