Principal Engineer

About KOKO Networks

KOKO Networks is a venture-backed climate technology company with a team of 1,000+ staff across East Africa, India, and the United Kingdom. Our mission is to imagine and deliver technology that improves life in the world's fastest growing markets. Our core lines of business are: KOKO Fuel, a clean, affordable, and renewable bioethanol household cooking solution delivered via a network of smart fuel ATMs and leveraging existing downstream liquid fuels infrastructure; and KOKO Climate, which retails the certified emissions reductions that are generated by transitioning households from deforestation-based charcoal and other dirty fuels to KOKO Fuel. In 2021, KOKO was selected as the world's leading emerging markets climate technology solution by the Financial Times and the IFC, and, in 2022, KOKO received the Keeling Curve Prize for climate impact.

As a Principal Engineer at KOKO, you'll be the technical and strategic leader for the mechanical design of our consumer hardware, defining the technical roadmap and vision for the team. You will personally drive the technical development of multiple products across various project teams. This role requires you to mentor and manage a team of engineers while serving as the final technical authority on all design matters. You will leverage your expertise in advanced engineering and cross-functional collaboration to ensure our products are innovative, robust, scalable, and aligned with our long-term business goals.

• Lead the Design Strategy: You will be responsible for setting the technical direction for all mechanical design initiatives, ensuring the team's work aligns with KOKO's long-term business goals.
• Team Leadership and Mentorship: You will manage and mentor a team of engineers, including the Senior Design Engineers, Technicians, and Researchers, providing technical guidance, overseeing project execution, and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.
• Technical Authority: You will serve as the final technical authority on all mechanical design matters, providing expertise on advanced engineering calculations, simulations (CFD and FEA), and the selection of materials and manufacturing processes.
• Advanced Innovation: You will drive new initiatives and best practices, researching and integrating cutting-edge technologies to address critical challenges in efficiency, durability, and cost.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: You will act as the primary liaison between the mechanical engineering team and other departments, including product, operations, and executive leadership, to ensure a smooth transition from design to mass production.
• Standardization and Process Improvement: You will establish and maintain rigorous design, documentation, and quality standards for the team

• Education: Bachelor of Engineering / Master of Engineering in Mechanical
• Experience: 10+ years of hands-on experience in design engineering of mechanical products, with at least 3 years in a technical leadership or management role. You should have a strong track record of developing and delivering significant hardware products through to production.
• Technical Mastery: A deep understanding and practical expertise in materials (particularly steel sheet metal and plastics) and mass/batch manufacturing processes.
• Strategic Design Skills: Exceptional skills in designing for testability, reliability, maintainability, and cost-effectiveness at a strategic level.
• Advanced Tool Proficiency: Expertise in using 3D CAD tools (like Solidworks) and advanced simulation software (CFD and FEA) to optimize designs.
• Industry Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of national and international standards and guidelines for a wide range of mechanical products.

• Leadership and Communication: Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage and mentor a team, along with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

• Nice to Haves

• Proven experience in engineering and managing the development of consumer hardware products.
• Expertise in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and combustion, with a history of applying this knowledge to optimize product performance.
• Proven experience in leading engineering teams through the full product lifecycle, from ideation to mass production.
• Experience in managing engineering budgets and resource allocation.

We believe that our people are critical for our ambitious growth plans in Kenya and beyond. We want to build an organization where people thrive, feel included, grow professionally, and enjoy having a high impact through their work.

• Competitive salary plus a quarterly cash bonus
• Annual compensation reviews - we reward great work
• Discounted health insurance with no-cost financing for you and your dependents (in Kenya)
• 21 days of annual leave plus public holidays plus examination leave
• Ongoing investment in you and your skills, incl. full access to over 5,000 online courses
• The right equipment for the job - a choice of MacBook, Windows, or Linux laptop