Job TitleIRATA – 3 / SPRAT - Rope Access Specialist
Reference Number Hiring Manager Construction - H&S Manager
About EACOP EACOP is a 1,443km crude oil export pipeline that will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Kabaale – Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.

Job Description Overview
The IRATA Level 3 / SPRAT Rope Access Specialist shall be mobilized on an 8-weeks-on / 2-weeks-off rotation, based in the field and deployed across Lot 1, Lot 2, Lot 3, MTT, and Jetty sites as required.
The Rope Access Specialist shall functionally report to the Construction H&S Manager. While deployed on site, he/she shall support and assist the Construction teams to ensure that all rope access activities related to the pipeline, AGIs, EITS, and associated facilities are planned and executed in full compliance with:
•IRATA / SPRAT internationally recognized rope access standards,
•Applicable national and international legislation and standards, and
•EACOP HSE policies, procedures, and requirements.
The role includes providing technical rope access expertise, oversight, and assurance to ensure that rope access operations are conducted safely, competently, and in accordance with approved methods and best industry practices.

Duties and Responsibilities•Act as the Project Rope Access Technical Authority, providing expert oversight and governance of all rope access activities executed by CONTRACTORS across the project.
•Establish, implement, and maintain rope access management systems, ensuring CONTRACTORS have adequate procedures, controls, and resources aligned with IRATA / SPRAT standards and EACOP requirements.
•Define and communicate minimum technical and safety requirements for rope access works, including:
-competency and certification requirements,
-equipment standards and inspection regimes, and
-rescue and emergency response expectations.
•Review, assess, and approve (or recommend approval of) CONTRACTOR rope access frameworks, including method statements, risk assessments, rescue philosophies, and competency matrices.
•Provide technical assurance that rope access systems implemented by CONTRACTORS are effective, compliant, and consistently applied across all work fronts.
•Conduct periodic field assurance visits, audits, and reviews to verify that rope access activities are executed in accordance with approved systems and international standards, recognizing that continuous on‑site supervision is not the intent of the role.
•Manage and coordinate CONTRACTOR rope access performance, including:
-monitoring compliance trends,
-identifying systemic gaps or recurring weaknesses, and
-driving corrective and preventive actions.
•Serve as the technical escalation point for complex, high‑risk, or non‑standard rope access activities and deviations from approved practices.
•Provide technical guidance and advice to Construction, HSE, and CONTRACTOR management teams on rope access planning, risk control, and best practices.
•Verify that CONTRACTORS maintain effective equipment management systems, including certification, inspection, traceability, retirement, and storage of rope access equipment.
•Ensure that rescue capabilities and arrangements are adequately defined, resourced, and tested within CONTRACTOR systems, in line with IRATA / SPRAT requirements.
•Exercise technical stop‑work authority where systemic non‑compliance, unsafe rope access practices, or breakdowns in control are identified.
•Support incident and near‑miss investigations related to rope access activities, focusing on root causes at system and management level, not only individual behaviour.
•Provide periodic technical reports and assurance feedback to the Construction H&S Manager on rope access compliance, risks, and improvement opportunities.

Qualifications / Experience Required•Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline OR, in lieu of a degree, a relevant internationally recognized technical certification combined with an additional five (5) years of field‑based experience.
•Minimum 10 years’ relevant experience in construction, preferably on onshore oil & gas pipelines and associated facilities
•(15 years total where no degree is held).
•IRATA Level 3 and/or SPRAT Level III certification (or equivalent).
•Proven experience in technical assurance and contractor management for rope access and work‑at‑height systems.
•Working knowledge of work‑at‑height and scaffold standards (OSHA 29 CFR 1926, EN 12811‑1, or equivalent).

Required Competencies•Experience working within large, multi‑contractor construction projects delivering complex scopes.
•Internationally certified in scaffold erection and dismantling, with competence in Scaffolding and Rope Access assurance aligned to project HSE requirements.
•Strong capability in technical and HSE assurance, including interpretation of plans, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
•Proficient in project and industry systems (Aconex, Power BI, SharePoint, MS Office).
•Clear and effective English communication with multi‑disciplinary, multi‑cultural teams; able to produce concise daily reports.
•Competent in HSE risk analysis, RCA, and data‑driven reporting.
•Physically fit for field inspections; self‑motivated, adaptable, and effective in engaging field crews and management.