Position: Associate - Engineering and Research
Deadline to Apply: 6th March 2014
Start Date: 1st April 2014
Location: Nairobi.
About Innovations for Poverty Action: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a non-profit research organization that creates and evaluates approaches to solving development problems and disseminates information about what works and what does not to policymakers, practitioners, investors and donors around the world.
About Evidence Action: Evidence Action is assuming management and growth responsibility for two programs tested and incubated at Innovations for Poverty Action that are currently making a difference in the lives of millions of people in Africa and Asia: the Deworm the World Initiative (DTW) and Dispensers for Safe Water Initiative (DSW). Evidence Action scales proven development interventions and crafts resilient business models for long run success.
About Dispensers for Safe Water: Each year, over 1.8 million children under the age of five die from diarrhea, a leading cause of which is unsafe drinking water. DSW is an entrepreneurial team tasked with scaling the Chlorine Dispenser System (CDS) – a proven innovation for dramatically expanding access to water treatment at extremely low cost.
DSW’s work is growing rapidly – we currently serve over 1 million people in Kenya, our primary country of operations, and plan to reach 25 million in the next 5 years. Our program has ambitious plans to expand in 2-3 countries in the coming 2 years.
Our work is based on strong proof of Chlorine Dispenser impact – a randomized controlled trial in Western Kenya demonstrated a six-fold increase in the number of households treating their water with chlorine. Such a dramatic expansion in safe water usage will prevent over 1.4 million cases of diarrhea and 1,300 child deaths each year once we reach our Kenya target of 5 million people served.
About the Hardware: The chlorine dispenser hardware is designed to deliver a metered dose of dilute chlorine at communal water sources, where the reminder to treat is most salient and where the visibility of dosing promotes social norm formation.
The hardware itself consists of a blow-molded HDPE tank filled with 1.25% sodium hypochlorite, a ball valve that delivers the appropriate dose of chlorine for a standard water collection container, and an injection-molded casing that is mounted on a concrete base near the water point using a standard PVC pipe.
The current design is a simple, affordable, user-friendly product that shifts water treatment activity from the point of use to the point of collection while also protecting household drinking water against recontamination during storage.
The dispenser itself is just one component of the complete Chlorine Dispenser System: ensuring a quality product also involves a commitment to community education and participation, and the development of a strong chlorine supply chain in rural areas.
About the Position: Reporting to the Product Engineering Manager the Associate, Engineering and Research is a key leadership role for the DSW.
The Associate will be part of the program’s technical team, playing an important role in leading dispenser supply and logistics management at Nairobi, supporting product development activities and
contributing to the overall chlorine dispenser safe water intervention in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Malawi
Hardware Design
Support the Manager: Engineering and Research to finalize the design of the Generation 3.5 Liquid Chlorine dispenser.
This includes but is not limited to:
- Leading the identification of injection mold manufacturers
- Leading the identification of necessary injection mold changes
- Responsible for the delivery of a modified injection mold and supervising the contracting of the manufacturer
Support the Manager: Engineering and Research to develop the next generation Chlorine dispenser.
Activities include but are not limited to:
- Leading the communication with field programs to develop design requirements
- Carry out specific design tasks in relation to injection and blow molding
- Generate CAD drawings as necessary
Dispenser Workshop Management
- Responsible for overall management of the chlorine dispenser assembly workshop
- Coordinate assembly of chlorine dispenser hardware within quality standards, including management of workshop staff
- Manage workshop finances – including management of petty cash, quarterly budget projections, and internal financial management and billing for chlorine dispenser hardware
- Responsible for managing workshop inventory and maintaining appropriate security
- Mentor junior staff to ensure focus on efficiency and quality
- Act as a liaison between management and staff to make sure priorities are aligned and objectives are achieved
Program Support
- Managing relationships with local suppliers, including production timelines, quality control and general process improvements
- Manage field trials of new dispenser prototypes
Hardware Maintenance
- Monitor hardware in field sites
- Responsible for the collection of hardware failure rates
- Make design improvement to ensure a robust product in the field
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
- Experience in manufacture, assembly
- 3-5 years work experience
- A Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or Product Design
- Experience with injection molding (desired)
- Contacts within and knowledge of the manufacturing industries in Kenya
- Experience taking a project through different stages in the product lifecycle, from concept to large-scale production and distribution
- Experience developing design specifications, supervising quality control, and conducting field tests of product prototypes
Desired Attitude
- Independent, proactive and willing to take initiative
- Enthusiastic to take on a role with significant responsibility while developing personally and professionally
- Keen to quickly step into a position in a fast-paced, rapidly-growing program
- Motivated by the program's high potential for widespread impact on global health
- Interested in a work environment that is flexible, creative, and constantly changing
- Demonstrations of enthusiasm and commitment in the discharge supply and logistics duties
To apply:
Please send a cover letter and detailed CV, 3 references, daytime phone number(s), and email address.
Your CV should include details about your academic qualifications and any relevant work experience
Applications can be submitted to any of our branch offices,
or by email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org ,
or by post office using P.O Box 373, Busia area code 50400 Kenya.
If you submit by email, please ensure that the subject line reads: “Associate: Engineering and Research” REF NO: Evidence Action -2014-02-05.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted by phone and email for an interview.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a ROLLING BASIS
Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Associate: Engineering and Research. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org.
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