Published: Jan. 9, 2015

Job Description

Title:              Lead Engineer, Jibu

Location:       Kampala, Uganda or Kigali, Rwanda

Reports to:     Country Director and Regional Developer

Date:               Start date: February 2015

Jibu L3C.

Ninety percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to affordable, clean drinking water and one half of all safe water projects fail within two years mostly because of a lack of local ownership. Jibu is addressing this problem by developing a network of locally-owned “business-in-a-box” drinking water franchises strategically located in retail stores that profitably filter, bottle and sell water at ultra-low prices. Jibu’s goal over the next five years is to launch hundreds of franchises providing clean, safe drinking water to millions of people, creating thousands of jobs, and hundreds of new business owners in sub-Saharan Africa. Jibu Uganda anticipates launching 72 franchises in Kampala in 2015 and 2016. Each franchise should produce and sell approximately 1 million liters of water and generate at least $50,000 in revenue each year.

 

The Successful Candidate:

Jibu is looking for a talented engineer-of-all-trades wishing to commit a minimum of two years to experience a unique adventure and contribute to a rapidly growing company making a meaningful social difference. A successful candidate will be a water or materials engineer who is willing to roll his/her sleeves up.

He or she will be:

-An inventor, a big picture problem-solver who is excited to build/design from the ground up using a diverse set of semi-industrial technologies and systems.

-Able to design and implement quality control processes and training.

-Knowledgeable about water treatment systems, basic chemistry, and solar equipment.

-Able to assist in developing vendor relationships and maturing supply chain and procurement management.

-Able to lead and manage new product development, including distribution, water treatment, solar, and water bottle technology/designs. 

 

The Position:                                                                           

The position will be based in Kampala, Uganda and work directly with Jibu’s Country Director and Regional Developer. The lead engineer will be responsibility for developing and enforcing water treatment quality controls. This requires maintaining solar-powered water treatment systems, working with local manufacturers and suppliers, developing training curriculum / programs for local staff, and developing new technologies /innovations that improve production efficiency and quality. Primary responsibilities will vary and require hands-on persistence and agility to respond to the challenges/needs that arise day to day.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Establish quality control processes and training local staff accordingly (40%)
  2. Installation, maintenance and trouble-shooting of solar-powered water treatment systems (30%)
  3. New product/technology development and design (15%)
  4. Supply chain and vendor relationship development (15%)

 

Qualifications:

  • At least a B.Eng or equivalent
  • Cultural knowledge and experience working in an emerging market context preferable
  • A team player with a sense of adventure wanting to make a difference.
  • Near perfect English language skills. Luganda helpful but not necessary.

 

Compensation:

The successful candidate will be provided travel compensation, accommodation (or a housing allowance), a salary sufficient to live comfortably in Kampala or Kigali