Construction & Project Manager

Our client, in the agricultural business, runs a plantation operating in a remote and operationally demanding environment in Sierra Leone. The plantation is approximately 18,000 hectares.

Over the past year, the construction and project function has expanded significantly and now covers all construction, infrastructure and maintenance activities on site, including an ambitious workers’ housing development programme.

The role is created following the departure of the current Construction Manager and comes at a time when several structural challenges must be addressed:

Purpose of the role

To lead and coordinate all civil construction and infrastructure projects on site (new builds, renovations and maintenance), ensuring technical quality, adherence to schedule, sound planning and reliable reporting, while strengthening internal supervisory capability and managing external subcontractors. The head of this department supervises approximately 70 employees.

Main responsibilities

Construction and infrastructure:

• Supervise all construction works on site, including new builds and renovation, generally executed by subcontractors
• Lead delivery of the housing programme (14 housing blocks per year), as determined by the Housing Master Plan
• Oversee completion of key ongoing projects, including the Head office building

Technical infrastructure:

• Manage electrical distribution across the site
• Manage water distribution systems
• Manage the transition of the management-camp solar installation

Facilities & maintenance:

• Oversee local maintenance of buildings and infrastructure
• Manage air-conditioning systems across the site

Project studies and turnkey delivery:

• Scope and design projects in collaboration with other departments
• Safeguard of practical, turnkey solutions (e.g. weighbridge project)
• Ensure technical feasibility, cost & budget awareness, as well as operational integration

Workshop management:

• Supervise the on-site workshop, including carpentry/joinery and metal fabrication/welding
• Ensure quality, productivity and alignment with project needs, based on EH&S requirements
• Supervise the on-site hydroform brick production unit, whose bricks are used for all houses and office buildings

Systems, planning & reporting:

• Maintain the structured system to track departments’ intervention requests
• Improve planning, prioritisation and follow-up of works
• Provide clear and regular reporting to management and HQ (weekly & monthly)

Team & contractor management:

• Supervise internal teams and providers
• Manage subcontractors

Profile

A civil engineer but a versatile “all-rounder” able to move across civil, electrical, mechanical and project-management domains. The role calls for someone with solid industrial-sector experience and discipline, comfortable operating in a plantation environment with limited local supervising and subcontractor support.

The ideal profile combines hands-on experience as a Site Manager with genuine managerial ability and strong people skills, since the role is precisely a blend of these three dimensions.

Experience & soft skills:

• Minimum 10 years’ relevant experience in construction, infrastructure or industrial project management
• Strong technical engineering ability across construction and infrastructure
• Ability to assess and enforce quality standards for works delivered
• Solid project planning and organisational skills (managing multiple concurrent activities)
• Clear and structured reporting
• Strong team supervision and contractors companies management capabilities. (20 pax ~)
• Working knowledge of CAD (AutoCAD or equivalent) — ability to read, adapt and produce drawings
• Basic site analysis and construction feasibility
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality, thorough operational follow-up
• Exposure to EH&S requirements norms
• Fluent in English (spoken and written), advanced French (spoken and written)