Advert Details

Advert Number: 163/2025

Organisation Advertising:

State Department for Roads

Designation:

Secretary - Materials

Job Scale:

CSG 4

Area of Study:

Engineering

Minimum Award Requirement:

Masters

Number of Vacancies:

1

Terms of Service:

P&P

Experience required?

Yes

Years of Experience Required:

15

For Serving Officers Only?

Yes

Requirements for Appointment:

For appointment to this grade, an officer must have:-

• cumulative service period of fifteen (15) years three (3) years of which should have been in the grade of Senior Principal Engineer Materials, CSG 6 and above or in a comparable and relevant position in the public service;
• a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering or its equivalent and relevant qualification from a university recognized in Kenya;
• a Masters Degree in any of the following disciplines: Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management or its equivalent qualification from a university recognized in Kenya;
• registration by Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) as a Professional Engineer;
• registration as a Corporate Member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK);
• valid annual practicing License from the Engineers Board of Kenya;
• a Certificate in Strategic Leadership Development programme from a recognized institution;
• demonstrated high degree of professional competence and administrative capability required for effective planning, direction, control and coordination of the engineering (roads) function; and
• thorough understanding of national goals, policies and objectives and ability to relate them to engineering (roads) function and aspirations of vision 2030.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Chief Engineer (Materials) will be responsible to the Principal Secretary for providing strategic leadership and direction in the implementation and management of the Engineering (Materials) Function.

• overseeing formulation, implementation and review of policies, legislation, regulations, strategies, standards, manuals, guidelines, procedure and frameworks pertaining to testing and research on roads and other construction materials and delivery methods;
• overseeing establishment, expansion and maintenance of materials testing and investigations laboratories and advising on their usage;
• overseeing provision of laboratory and testing facilities for investigation and testing of materials and advise on usage;
• overseeing prospection, mapping and testing of roads and other construction materials;
• facilitating development of specifications and provision of oversight on quality control and assurance in roads construction and maintenance;
• spearheading geotechnical investigations of foundation designs for highways and other structures;
• overseeing monitoring and evaluation of functional and structural performance of completed roads and other infrastructure;
• overseeing planning, designing, construction and maintenance of pavement structure for roads and other infrastructure;
• overseeing provision of consultancy, capacity building, technical support and advisory services to ministries, departments, counties and agencies (mdcas) on roads and other construction materials testing and research and delivery methods;
• facilitating research innovation, best practices and application of new technologies in roads and other construction materials testing and delivery methods;
• approving road design manuals, construction standards, consultants’ designs, payment certificate and fee notes;
• ensuring compliance with environmental, occupational health and safety regulations in the provision of laboratory services;
• facilitating preparation and implementation of disposal plans for laboratory waste in liaison with the relevant government agencies;
• facilitating certification of engineering technicians and administration of craft grade/test examination in liaison with other government agencies,
• facilitating designing, implementation and review of relevant professional development, graduate internship and industrial attachment programs in consultation with other key stakeholders;
• ensuring maintenance of up to date information, laboratory records, test reports stores and inventory pertaining to construction materials testing and research;
• preparing and submitting annual reports on roads and other construction materials testing and research, and cabinet memo & responses to parliamentary queries on matter relating thereto;
• managing and ensuring prudent utilization of roads and other construction materials testing and research assets and resources;
• overseeing preparation of strategic/ work plans, procurement plans, budgets for materials engineering services; and
• building capacity and managing performance.

• overseeing formulation, implementation and review of policies, legislation, regulations, strategies, standards, manuals, guidelines, procedure and frameworks pertaining to testing and research on roads and other construction materials and delivery methods;
• overseeing establishment, expansion and maintenance of materials testing and investigations laboratories and advising on their usage;
• overseeing provision of laboratory and testing facilities for investigation and testing of materials and advise on usage;
• overseeing prospection, mapping and testing of roads and other construction materials;
• facilitating development of specifications and provision of oversight on quality control and assurance in roads construction and maintenance;
• spearheading geotechnical investigations of foundation designs for highways and other structures;
• overseeing monitoring and evaluation of functional and structural performance of completed roads and other infrastructure;
• overseeing planning, designing, construction and maintenance of pavement structure for roads and other infrastructure;
• overseeing provision of consultancy, capacity building, technical support and advisory services to ministries, departments, counties and agencies (mdcas) on roads and other construction materials testing and research and delivery methods;
• facilitating research innovation, best practices and application of new technologies in roads and other construction materials testing and delivery methods;
• approving road design manuals, construction standards, consultants’ designs, payment certificate and fee notes;
• ensuring compliance with environmental, occupational health and safety regulations in the provision of laboratory services;
• facilitating preparation and implementation of disposal plans for laboratory waste in liaison with the relevant government agencies;
• facilitating certification of engineering technicians and administration of craft grade/test examination in liaison with other government agencies,
• facilitating designing, implementation and review of relevant professional development, graduate internship and industrial attachment programs in consultation with other key stakeholders;
• ensuring maintenance of up to date information, laboratory records, test reports stores and inventory pertaining to construction materials testing and research;
• preparing and submitting annual reports on roads and other construction materials testing and research, and cabinet memo & responses to parliamentary queries on matter relating thereto;
• managing and ensuring prudent utilization of roads and other construction materials testing and research assets and resources;
• overseeing preparation of strategic/ work plans, procurement plans, budgets for materials engineering services; and
• building capacity and managing performance.

• Demonstrated high degree of professional competence and administrative capability required for effective planning, direction, control and coordination of the engineering (roads) function.
• Thorough understanding of national goals, policies and objectives and ability to relate them to engineering (roads) function and aspirations of vision 2030.

• cumulative service period of fifteen (15) years three (3) years of which should have been in the grade of Senior Principal Engineer Materials, CSG 6 and above or in a comparable and relevant position in the public service;
• a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering or its equivalent and relevant qualification from a university recognized in Kenya;
• a Masters Degree in any of the following disciplines: Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management or its equivalent qualification from a university recognized in Kenya;
• registration by Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) as a Professional Engineer;
• registration as a Corporate Member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK);
• valid annual practicing License from the Engineers Board of Kenya;
• a Certificate in Strategic Leadership Development programme from a recognized institution;