Associate Fellow, Energy Engineering (Solar)

Role Title:

Associate Fellow, Energy Engineering (Solar)

Role Type:

6-12 months initial fellowship, with potential for future full time employment

Location:

Arusha, Tanzania

Company Description:

Off.Grid:Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electricity provider. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy (M-POWER) to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell basic electrical services to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all.  It is headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania and founded by a team of world-class, venture-backed entrepreneurs.

Fellowship Program Description:

As Off.Grid:Electric expands,  we are seeking highly motivated, mission driven individuals with the skills, drive and passion to contribute directly to the success of lighting millions of homes with solar power. 

The purpose of the fellowship is to provide exceptionally bright and motivate individuals the opportunity to contribute to positive social change while gaining valuable hands on experience in an rapidly growing organisation.

As an Off.Grid:Electric Fellow, you will be based in Tanzania working with the team on critical projects with real and immediate impact to the company. You will receive a living stipend, and housing stipend. Fellows may also help to co-design projects with leadership based on their background, interests, and career aspirations. Each fellow will be expected to work collaboratively with various departments to achieve company goals, but will be responsible for working independently with minimal supervision at times.

Candidates who perform exceptionally well may be considered for full-time employment with the company as availability  and compatibility allow.

Position Description:

The Engineering Fellow is a multi-functional role. Fellows will work with the Tanzania operations team, reporting to the engineering department. This may be a remote working environment, requiring flexible hours to communicate with US based engineers as well as Asian counterparts.  The Fellow will contribute to several key areas of the companies activities: These include new product technical testing, evaluation and troubleshooting, training and support of regional technician/trainers, and ongoing development of processes to support the companies activities. This is a role that requires excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the technical abilities required of a trained engineer.

Key Responsibilities:

·       M-POWER Product testing, troubleshooting and repair

o   Report to the product development and engineering group, working remotely at OGE’s lab in Tanzania. Act as a local point of contact regarding M-POWER system performance, troubleshooting system technical issues and quality assurance.

o   Set up and perform field testing, data collection and reporting on hardware products and appliances, both in development and currently in production

o   Provide in country training development support for new product introduction.

o   Work with off-site engineering team to identify and communicate technical problems, set up and conduct tests to perform Root Cause Analysis. This includes field observations, controlled lab testing, datalogging of results and compilation of technical memos or reports.

o   Identify new technical issues with MPOWER Systems, and support the development of SOP’s for any repair or evaluation activities

o   Write project reports and provide daily/weekly task logs as required.

o   Act as an ambassador for the products group, supporting internal knowledge of MPOWER solar products.

·       Technical Workshop Activities

o   Become proficient at standard repair and refurbishment procedures, and contribute to development of new SOP’s.

o   Support Warehouse and distribution manager in conducting regular acceptance testing, proper care of in-situ products, and training new technicians as needed on SOP’s.

o   Proactively communicate up to engineering team any technical, quality of repair or other system performance issues.

o   Set an example as a role model for professionalism, efficiency, organization and positive team culture.

·        

·       Training and Instruction

o   On occasion, train regional and junior technicians in the areas including but not limited to:

1.    Repair and refurbishment of systems

2.    Site analysis and system installation

3.    Tool use/techniques

4.    Safety best practices

5.    Organization and work efficiency

·       Other

o   Special projects as assigned.

Required Skills & Experiences:

·       Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical or relevant engineering area of focus (not civil engineering)

·       One year minimum work experience in the design, installation or technical evaluation of electrical systems

·       Ability and drive to work independently

·       Highly motivated, willing to go the extra mile to accomplish goals

·       Excellent English skills (verbal, and written)

·       Proficiency in Microsoft Office software, web browsers, Google Services/Apps. Experience with Apple products a plus

Highly Desired Skills & Experiences:

·       Additional technical training and certification

·       Leadership experience

·       Education and/or work experience in solar energy, or power electronics

·       circuit design/analysis

·       Swahili language

·       Experience working/traveling in emerging markets or in Africa.

OGE’s Core Values:

1.    Deliver more. Our customers deserve the very best. We obsess over exceeding our customers’ expectations.

2.    Expect more.  ‘This is Africa’ doesn’t fly with us.  We hold ourselves and our partners to a higher standard.

3.    Think big. We have an audacious goal that will be impossible unless every member of the organization thinks bigger than the average employee.

4.    Create value, rather than extract it.  Build local management capacity, support small businesses and improve customers’ lives.

5.    Pursue personal growth.  We invest in ourselves, our employees and our partners more than anyone else. We teach each other how to be better than we think we are.

6.    Speak up.  All of our employee’s opinions are valuable and we give them tools to express themselves.  

7.    Integrity above all else.  Integrity drives trust and builds the company’s reputation.

8.    Build a community you want to be a part of. Like a family, a company builds strong bonds through intentional time together; fun times, challenging times and time spent helping each other. Throughout our organization we encourage teams to treat each other like family.

9.    More than just a customer: Our customers are long term partners in our success, and we in theirs. We reward their loyalty continually.

Do you possess the qualities and experience we look for, can you live up to our expectations and want to become a part of an international and fast growing start-up? Please click on the link below and fill out the required information. Deadline July 9^th, 2014. https://docs.google.com/a/offgrid-electric.com/forms/d/1xWc8vVgmy51mKlLztdrsULax7GUh6_EM0qTY6EW1F3E/edit