Tupande Mechanical Maintenance Officer (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

Executes hands-on mechanical maintenance work across production lines under the direction of the Production Coordinators and Production Supervisors.

Responsibilities

Mechanical Maintenance

• Monitor the assigned pyrolysis line throughout the shift for signs of mechanical faults, unusual sounds, or abnormal conditions
• Respond immediately to any equipment breakdown; diagnose the fault, carry out repairs, and restore production as fast as possible
• Perform all scheduled preventive maintenance tasks during the shift as directed by the Production Coordinators (Lead Engineers)
• Execute thorough cleaning of the production line, including unclogging of all blockages, at every equipment stoppage to maximise uptime on restart
• Participate fully in the planned maintenance window: carry out assigned tasks under the direction of the Production Coordinators
• Record all faults, repairs, parts used, and time-to-repair in the maintenance log after every intervention
• Communicate all open or ongoing maintenance issues clearly during shift handover
• Strictly follow lockout/tagout (LOTO) and all electrical safety procedures before working on any equipment
• Notify the Production Coordinators of recurring faults, parts shortages, or maintenance risks requiring planning attention

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:

Skills and Knowledge

• Certificate or diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent trade qualification
• Minimum 2 years experience in hands-on maintenance in an industrial, manufacturing, or processing environment
• Experience with high-temperature processing equipment, conveyors, combustion systems, or biomass machinery is a strong advantage
• Practical skills in mechanical fault diagnosis; skills in electrical fault diagnosis is also preferred
• Familiarity with lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and electrical safety standards

Other

• Shift availability: Willingness and ability to work rotating 9-hour shifts, including night shifts, on a rotation cycle
• Physically capable of working in a hot, dusty industrial environment throughout the shift, including conducting walkthroughs of the production line at regular intervals
• Physically fit and comfortable working in hot, dusty industrial conditions

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Rukanga, Kenya

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off

Contract Duration

3 months

Eligibility

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

Application Deadline

08 October 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 @oneacrefund.org 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.