Organization background

Lifeline was founded in 2006 and is an international non-profit organization with its head office in Washington D.C and a local presence in Uganda. Lifeline’s team works with local communities to improve the quality of life of the underprivileged by exponentially expanding access to clean water and energy solutions. Lifeline works in the Energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sectors in both the development and humanitarian sectors. Within the Energy sector, Lifeline produces and sells household and institutional cookstoves. Lifeline is a leading actor in the fuel-efficient cookstoves sector, providing guidance to various UN agencies, and has worked in eight developing countries.

Summary

International Lifeline Fund (Lifeline) seeks a Lead Technical Engineer on a groundbreaking project to integrate the Babington Airtronic Burner into an institutional cookstove. The Lead Technical Engineer will develop a ceramic appliance that will house the Airtronic burner, which is able to utilize any liquid fuel, and use it as a heat source. This position will be responsible for designing the institutional stove in Uganda, communicate the design, and write reports as needed.

Project Details 

Some 3 billion people across the developing world, together with countless institutions and light industries, rely on solid biomass fuels to serve their cooking and other heating needs. The environmental, health and economic consequences of this dirty and inefficient means of power generation are devastating. This leads to deforestation, premature deaths from the carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions, and wastes money on the inefficient burning of firewood and charcoal.

Babington designs and produces burners that can burn any type of liquid fuel, from diesel to cooking oil, emits virtually no smoke, and has a near-perfect rate of combustion. Their technology has been widely used by the U.S. military and in numerous disaster relief settings.

Lifeline builds fuel-efficient institutional cookstoves, but they still rely on biomass. Lifeline and Babington want to design an institutional cookstove around the Babington burner that can be replicated in various institutions around Uganda. The Lead Technical Engineer will be responsible for the research and development of this cookstove, designing and testing it.

The Lead Technical Engineer will develop a ceramic appliance that will house the Babington burner and use it as a heat source. This position will be based in the Lifeline office and factory in Lira, Uganda and will include a week-long training on the burner technology at the Babington facilities in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA. The Lead Technical Engineer will report to the Deputy Director and the Country Director.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop a ceramic appliance that will house the Babington burner and use it as a heat   source.
• Perform installation and setup of customized cooking equipment, including liquid-fuel combustion burner and electrical components (battery, inverter, solar panels) and service as needed.
• Understand mechanical and electrical systems and components for equipment.
• Adapt and develop electrical systems (e.g., batteries, solar-recharging system, inverter)to  power Babington burner.
• Operate various testing tools and equipment, including digital multimeter, to diagnose and  troubleshoot power issues (i.e., measure voltage, current, continuity, resistance).
• Troubleshoot design and equipment when needed.
• Report work activities, progress, and findings verbally and in writing.
• Communicate and engage with Babington engineers remotely.
• Perform complete technical systems health audits. Report the results and provide   recommendations to the team.
• Cultivate positive relationships with other technicians.

Required experience and skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years’ work experience in mechanical and electrical engineering, including field work.
• Technical knowledge of electrical generator systems and related engine mechanical failures a plus.
• Excellent technical and non-technical verbal and written communication skills, including report writing.
• Strong ability to review, analyze, and interpret data.
• Aptitude to independently troubleshoot and problem solve.
• Experience working cross-culturally, preferably in a development context.
• Ability to work both within a project team and independently.
• Management experience a plus.
• Willing to do what it takes to produce successful results.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office.

HOW TO APPLY

Please provide the following documents:

Apply here (online) or email your cover letter and resume with the subject line of “Lead Technical Engineer”

In your submission, tell us what makes you unique as an individual and team member. The deadline for submission is 11th November 2022. 

Only applications with the two required documents will be considered and only successful candidates will be contacted. Salary is commensurate with experience.  Any kind of lobbying will lead to automatic disqualification. 

Lifeline provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Lifeline complies with all applicable local laws governing non-discrimination in employment.

Working at Lifeline- Lifeline offers a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from, and contribute to, an internal and global network of experts.For more information on our work, please visit our website www.lifelinefund.org