Job Summary

We are seeking a highly trained and qualified individual to join our South Africa team as a Field Water Engineer in our Mbombela office, located in Mpumalanga. This position works under the supervision of the Senior Engineer, Regional Manager and Country Manager, and is responsible for overseeing iA’s solar water pumping systems, technical implementation, liaison with local contractor and in-house engineers, as well as providing technical support in all sites post completion. The Field Water Engineer will also be responsible for all iA field activities, including identifying and selecting the beneficiaries of our projects, actively engaging in community mobilization and sensitization, establishing, and maintaining regular communication with the communities we serve, implementing project-related activities, providing regular reports and ongoing monitoring of the projects. Candidates should expect frequent travel to the field to identify new projects, oversee the construction and implementation of ongoing projects, and monitor completed projects. 

Responsibilities

● Oversee all field operations related to solar and water projects, including prospective project search, project construction/implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

● Work closely with the local contractor to plan and design all solar water pumping systems.

● Oversee technical implementation of all water systems and serve as technical point person for all system designs.

● Manage on-site work during all stages of the system construction and installation.

● Independently assess needs for maintenance work (post-installation) in projects where a malfunction exists.

● Community technical trainings and sensitization

● Track the progress of ongoing field installation and maintenance activities.

● Maintain regular contact with Innovation: Africa’s engineers in HQ to successfully implement and monitor new solar technologies and remote monitoring systems.

● Appropriately sensitize the communities we work with, including establishing project steering committees and small solar-related businesses to maintain the project.

● Support the Senior Engineer and Regional Manager to manage relationships with municipal officers, local leaders, and international stakeholders.

● Send daily updates and regular progress reports to the international management team regarding prospective projects, construction, and implementation of current projects, and monitor existing projects.