Position: Field Manager
Location: Githunguri, Kiambu
Company: Takamoto Biogas
Website: www.takamotobiogas.com

 

Takamoto Biogas (www.takamotobiogas.com) is a rapidly growing renewable energy company in Nairobi providing biogas systems to small farmers in rural Kenya.

Building on two years of market research and installation experience, we have developed a new business model and technology that will bring the many benefits of biogas energy to the masses in Kenya by eliminating the main hurdle to its adoption – the high upfront cost.

Our new technology overcomes the biggest hurdle in biogas implementation, reducing the initial cost to consumers from KES 100,000 per unit by approximately 90%.  In Kenya alone, there are two million farmers with at least one cow who are potential clients.  We have piloted the new technology in Githunguri, installing over 70 systems in less than 4 months.  Having proven the demand, we are now preparing to scale up our operations in the second half of the year.

On its way to this goal, Takamoto Biogas is looking for a motivated, proactive and energetic Field Manager to manage our installations and maintenance.

This is a rare opportunity to be part of a rapidly growing company developing and scaling a new technology and an innovative business model to bring energy to the millions at the base of the pyramid in Kenya

• Site visits and meeting with clients. You will be responsible for traveling to client’s homes and making assessments based on your visits with them as to whether they will be good clients for Pay-as-you-go biogas. You will also be planning the systems out with the client.
• Managing both day and contractual labor. You will be responsible for the workers being on time, quality of work and ability to accomplish the goals that are set out for them.
• Problem solving. There are always new issues coming to light with new technology as well as recurring issues. You will be responsible for finding good solutions for those problems by thinking critically and observing the many facets of your work.
• Quality control for the work that is done by your subordinates and possibly other members of the team.
• Inventory management oversight, making sure that the amount of inventory is adequate at the beginning of each week for that week and that ordering for new materials occurs on time.
• Installation oversight and planning. Each installation will need to be inspected and reviewed by you with the installation team. It will also be necessary for you to go over the plan of each installation that you created on the site visit with the technicians in order to assure the system is installed the way the client and you have agreed.
• Field tours. You will be responsible for meeting with people who are interested in our systems for various reasons from investment and technical to logistics and sales.
• Manage diagnostics and repairs. You will be responsible for sending repair teams to diagnose and fix issues and you will keep track of repair status.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Technical skills necessary for assembling meters, digester, stoves, etc.
• Working knowledge of tools required for installing biogas (Drill, PPR Welder and Cutters, Jigsaws)
• Experience managing casual workers and employees
• Basic bookkeeping skills and the ability to keep track of payments for field staff
• Experience co-ordinating the logistics associated with working in rural Kenya

In addition, the ideal candidate will be:

• Able to make sound judgements in the field
• Able to co-ordinate up to 10 people at a time
• Hardworking and able to work 60 hours per week when necessary
• Computer literate (basic typing skills, basic excel skills, email skills)
• Able to drive a motorbike in adverse weather
• A High School Graduate (preferably college or university graduate)
• Be fluent in Kikuyu, Swahili and English
• Keen to work in a small, entrepreneurial organization