Industrial Engineer - Biomass Cookstoves

About the role

Onja, a social enterprise that trains underprivileged youth into software developers, is looking for an Industrial Engineer to lead the design, development and scale-up of improved biomass cookstoves for its clean-cooking carbon offset project. The role takes the stove from early prototype through testing, iteration and production, working with the Onja Carbon team, local suppliers and testing laboratories to build models that can be produced reliably and affordably at scale and that meet the requirements to generate carbon credits.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of improved wood and, where relevant, charcoal cookstove prototypes based on existing models and international examples.
• Build, test and refine prototypes, analysing test results and user feedback to improve performance.
• Balance fuel efficiency, emissions, durability, safety, usability, cost and manufacturability with practical realities.
• Lead carbon-project planning: work with the team to understand carbon-credit requirements and design the stove to satisfy them.
• Develop designs suitable for manufacture at scale, including material selection, components, tools and equipment, assembly methods and quality control.
• Identify and evaluate materials, components and equipment locally, working with suppliers to secure a steady, high-quality, cost-efficient supply for 50,000 stoves.
• Set up a quality control system with inspection criteria and testing.
• Prepare stove samples for testing with independent laboratories and the Onja Carbon team.
• Support field distribution by addressing technical failures and user issues, and provide technical input for reporting requirements.

Required profile

• Technical background in engineering or manufacturing; professional or concrete experience from studies or an internship is an asset.
• Comfortable working in a workshop, building prototypes from scratch, conducting tests and troubleshooting.
• Attention to detail with measurements, specifications and test results.
• Persistent problem solver willing to go through many rounds of design and testing.
• Ability to manage several workflows at once and to stay motivated in an early-stage project.
• Twelve-month commitment, with potential to renew or extend.