Tupande Electrical Maintenance Engineer / Specialist (Fixed-Term)

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa's farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

Our Kenya program, founded in 2006, operates under the local brand Tupande. Close to 500 staff in our Kakamega headquarters support 1,747 field staff and serve more than 1 million farmers. In Nairobi, around 50 staff support global functions like procurement, recruitment, government relations, and communications

About the Role

Seeking an exceptional Electrical Engineer with 3-5 years experience to execute electrical maintenance, automation troubleshooting, and instrumentation repairs across all Tupande Soko factories and reduce operational downtime for our processing operations.

Responsibilities

Hands-on Electrical Maintenance & Troubleshooting

• Execute hands-on electrical repairs and wiring calibrations on critical processing machinery to ensure operational continuity across all plants.
• Troubleshoot complex electrical faults, control panel failures, and circuitry issues directly, providing on-the-spot technical interventions when needed.
• Diagnose, maintain, and program automated control loops, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), sensors, PLC inputs/outputs, and instrumentation.

Preventive Maintenance & Instrumentation Care

• Physically execute electrical preventative maintenance schedules and calibration routines generated via the CMMS system.
• Test distribution boards, manage load balancing, check safety relays, and inspect heating element arrays or electrical burners.
• Maintain precise logs of electrical component changes, system modifications, and power quality metrics to share with the Lead Engineer.

Machinery Focus & Technical Verification

• Diagnose and execute specialized electrical repairs on electrical systems embedded in Soko factory machinery.
• Maintain electrical components on industrial dehydrators, complex macadamia sorting lines, and biochar manufacturing controls, etc.
• Ensure correct electrical specifications (voltages, current ratings, IP ratings, phase requirements) are listed for machines, spare parts, and consumables requested.

Workforce Mentorship & Electrical Safety

• Mentor and model safe electrical repair and testing techniques during direct floor interaction with factory operators and maintenance staff
• Assist in delivering training to machine operators on basic autonomous maintenance checks focusing on electrical controls, emergency stops, and warning indicators.

Ensure safety and food safety compliance

• Ensure all maintenance activities comply with safe systems of work: permit to work, LOTO, confined space, and relevant Kenyan regulatory requirements (KEBS, DOSH, NEMA)
• Maintain HACCP-required equipment records for food-contact assets; lead the maintenance function's contribution to food safety audits
• Champion a zero-harm safety culture; conduct regular safety walks and close out hazard reports

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You'll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You'll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

Technical skills:

• Degree or Higher Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, or Mechatronics engineering field.
• Active technical registration or licensing to perform electrical works in Kenya (EPRA/DOSH alignment preferred).
• Direct hands-on electrical fault-finding and root cause analysis on industrial plant equipment.
• Experience troubleshooting automated components, electrical heaters, industrial dehydrators, and macadamia processing controls preferred.
• Ability to utilize CMMS software to close out work orders and update electrical device logs.
• CMMS operation and administration (SAP PM, Maximo, Limble, or equivalent).
• Expert proficiency in interpreting industrial electrical schematics, wiring single/three-phase motors, and configuring instrumentation parameters.

Knowledge:

• Food safety management systems and HACCP requirements as applied to plant maintenance.
• Kenyan electrical and occupational health and safety laws (OSHA, DOSH electrical standards).
• TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) or World Class Manufacturing principles
• Kenyan regulatory environment for food manufacturing (KEBS, relevant standards)

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Rukanga, Kenya

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off

Contract Duration

2 years

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Kenya.

Application Deadline

20 November 2026. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @ address. Please report any suspicious communication here (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization's mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.