International Development Engineer
Job description
As an International Development Engineer you will be responsible for assisting the team in the successful delivery of our (10) current projects, building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders and preparing reporting and other necessary administrative documentation for our funders.
You would also have the opportunity to assist the wider team with other activities, such as online research, preparing funding applications, organising travel etc.
About you
We are keen to recruit an engineer or other technically and practically minded individual with a keen interest in development and communities to help us with our project work on the ground in implementation countries, as well as with more general research, administrative, project management and analytical duties. You might be a recent graduate or placement year student, someone looking for an internship, or looking to return from a career break. The work is extremely varied: you might be in a field in Tanzania assisting with wiring an inverter and installing solar panels one day, and then another day designing and costing a solar energy system to power a rural petrol station, performing desk-based research of the characteristics of boreholes and water pumps, holding a focus group in a rural village, chasing a shipment of batteries, working out what bricks are best to use to build a coldstore, holding remote meetings with in-country partners, creating presentations and reports on progress for our funders, or helping write an application for funding for a new project.
To succeed, individuals will require cultural sensitivity, gravitas, curiosity, self-motivation, extraordinary self-organisation skills, practicality and common sense, a willingness to think outside the box and operate, research and innovate outside their comfort zones. A willingness to travel extensively, work remotely, and ability to influence and be diplomatic will also be essential.
Working within a small, dynamic team, the contribution by each and every person has a huge impact on a project’s direction and its success. You will be expected to take responsibility for tasks and subprojects assigned to you, and may be required to juggle administrative tasks across multiple projects.
The details
The role will be a full-time position until end July 2026, but with potential to extend if the company wins more projects and funding. We are open to discussion if a candidate would prefer a part-time contract.
There is a probation period of 6 months, during which there will be regular professional development check-in calls. If after 6 months it turns out we are not suitable for each other, the position will not be continued.
Working hours are reasonably flexible but should average out to at least 37.5 hours per week. A significant amount of time is likely to be spent on-site in the countries that we work in; for current employees in this role, about 10-30% of the year is spent abroad, for 1-3 weeks at a time on a regular basis, though the exact travel requirements vary depending on the person and project requirements. Depending on our schedule and that of our partners, we often work weekends and sometimes evenings as well when we are in the field. Conversely, when back in the UK, although working during normal daytime hours will be useful (since colleagues and our partners are likely to be working at the same time) we adopt a flexible hours policy, should you occasionally wish to walk the dog, go shopping, or see friends for the afternoon and make up the time outside normal working hours.
Annual leave is 31 days including bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year, and should it be necessary to work during weekends when overseas, days off in lieu may be taken. You will receive holiday allowance proportional to the length of your contract. We operate a statutory employer pension scheme, administered through NEST. The employee contribution is 5% of your salary, the employer’s contribution is 3%. You may opt out of this scheme if you wish.
Remote work from your home location takes up a large proportion of the working hours for this role. It is therefore essential that you have the skills and self-discipline necessary to motivate yourself to work outside of an office environment without constant contact with colleagues. This remote work can be done either from your home or – if you wish, and at your own cost – from a co-working location. Hence you will be expected to have access to essential work resources such as a good working laptop and a broadband connection. But don’t bother buying a suit or a season ticket to get to the office! While travelling abroad for work, all work-related expenses will be covered by the company (transport, accommodation, food etc.).
Required qualities & skills
- Cultural sensitivity, personal gravitas, curiosity, self-motivation, practicality and common sense.
- High self-organisation skills
- Comfort with independent/remote working is essential, confidence to contact remote colleagues with questions or uncertainties.
- General technical skills and interests, both within and beyond engineering. A basic understanding of voltage, current, power and energy, and an ability to learn from manuals and datasheets would be especially useful.
- Willingness to think outside the box and operate, research and innovate outside your comfort zones.
- A willingness and flexibility to travel extensively, work remotely and independently.
- Ability to communicate, influence and be diplomatic. People skills.
- Willingness to learn and an interest in international development and cross-cultural working.
- Interest and engagement with the communities in which we work.
- Personal experience of independent travel would be an asset.
Salary
To be discussed, dependent on prior experience.
Start Date and Duration
Start date ASAP
Your contract will be issued on a fixed-term basis until end July 2026, in line with our current funding, but would have the potential to extend depending on performance/funding availability.
Location
Remote with international travel required.
It is a requirement of our funders that we employ people in the UK under PAYE. You must therefore have the right to live and work in the UK. We are not in a position to sponsor visas.
Application procedure
In order to apply to this role, please send the following to natasha@svrg.world:
- CV (no more than 2 pages)
- A short video telling us why this job interests you, and what you would bring to the role (〜2 mins)
- A short video explaining why you would be a good person to travel and spend a week stuck in a remote village with! (〜2 mins)
Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
If you have any questions please contact natasha@svrg.world