Civil and Structural Engineering Intern – Field Operations

Synnefa is an agriculture technology company founded in 2014, focused on addressing post-harvest losses for African farmers through engineering solutions such as Smart Solar Dryers and greenhouses. The company operates in Nairobi, Kenya, and has 11-50 employees.

Post-harvest losses cost African farmers a share of everything they grow. That is an engineering problem, and it is the problem this role exists to work on. We are a small, fast paced, innovative team. What we design is fabricated, installed and judged in the field within weeks, not years. You will spend real time on site in places like Kericho, Nyandarua, Makueni and Kisumu, and your work will directly determine whether what we install stands up and performs for the farmer. If you want your engineering to be used rather than filed, this is that role.

1. Prepare and maintain engineering drawings for our standard product range, under proper version control
2. Prepare civil site-preparation packages: foundation slabs, drainage, anchor bolt layouts, access roads and loading aprons
3. Detail frames, drying beds, racks and tensile structures
4. Produce reinforcement detailing and bar bending schedules
5. Carry out site setting-out, levels and foundation inspection
6. Assess ground conditions and coordinate geotechnical inputs where required
7. Produce accurate quantity take-offs and bills of quantities from approved designs
8. Prepare clear, buildable technical packages for our fabrication and construction partners
9. Inspect sites against written quality control checklists, and record and close out defects
10. Verify materials on delivery against specification
11. Prepare as-built documentation and closeout packages for every deployment
12. Submit a written weekly report on your sites, on the agreed day, without being asked

1. A recent graduate — BSc in Civil Engineering, completed within the last two years. Candidates awaiting conferment may apply with a transcript
2. Competent in AutoCAD. Civil 3D, Revit or structural analysis software such as Robot, ETABS or Prokon is a plus
3. Comfortable in Excel for take-offs, schedules and data
4. Willing to travel to rural field sites at short notice
5. Clear written English — a large part of this job is documentation other people rely on
6. Someone who shows their working. When you give us a number, you can tell us where it came from
7. Someone who says “I don’t know yet” and then goes and finds out
8. Genuinely interested in agriculture and in farmers doing better