Costa Rica — Construction Coordinator Assistant

Title: Construction coordinator assistant
Location: Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica, National Office, San Jose
Term of Service: 12 months (beginning as soon as possible)

Assignment summary
Under the direct supervision of the construction coordinator, the volunteer is responsible for interacting with contractors, vendors and suppliers and regional and national office staff members.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative assistance to aid the construction process, such as collecting and organizing construction information and integral department processes that are directly related to the execution of construction projects.
• Create a construction database in order to generate reports related to project statistics, costs and durations.
• Assist in the creation or improvement of administrative procedures for construction projects and individual houses.
• Systematize and execute procedures for payment to contractors and suppliers.
• Assist in administering pay requests, managing construction projects, project closing, noting lessons learned, etc.
• Provide general assistance in current project administration.
• Offer general administrative assistance for project manager and construction coordinator.
• Assist in implementing improvements in the security of construction processes and programs to educate families regarding proper home maintenance.

Requirements

• English and Spanish fluency, both written and oral.
• Strong verbal communication skills.
• Excellent people skills.
• Ability to problem-solve and think creatively.
• Proficiency with Microsoft programs (i.e., Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Internet usage.
• Experience working in multicultural environments is strongly preferred.
• Ability to work across a broad spectrum of private, corporate, religious, government and noprofit organizations.
• Experience in construction administration is highly preferred.

Support from the host organization
Work-related transportation costs will be covered and office-related hardware, including a computer, will be supplied. A monthly allowance of $200 will be provided.

Volunteer budget
Volunteer will be responsible for all other costs associated with living in the host country.

An estimate for a single individual is given below. (All figures are in U.S. dollars.)

*Please contact the nearest Costa Rican consulate for more details on visa requirements.
**Utilities and food included in homestay cost.

Assignment location information
The volunteer will live in the north central part of Costa Rica, about three hours from the Central Valley area. The zone is tropical, with a lot of rainforests. The climate is hot and humid, with rain nearly year-round. Volunteer should pack knowing that the climate will be hot, humid and rainy. A special emphasis should be placed on bringing appropriate clothing, umbrellas, rubber boots, bug spray and sunscreen.

The project is located in the small, very rural town of Abanico, part of the Chachagua district in San Ramón County, which belongs to the Alajuela province. The main office for Habitat for Humanity’s Latin America and Caribbean region and Costa Rica national program is located in San José. The Abanico project was started with the goal of providing housing to people in the area living in extreme poverty. The construction coordinator assistant, however, would serve exclusively at the project site. The closest city for banks, ATMS, internet and tourist activities is the tourist town of La Fortuna, located about 30 minutes from Abanico. The Arenal volcano is close by.

Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica
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