Mechanisation Specialist

Full Job Description

Location: Nairobi Kenya — field-based across clusters (Kaptagat, Laikipia, Ol Joro Orok, Ol Kalou, Kilgoris/Meru–Timau and new clusters), frequent farm travel.

Reports to: Head of Agronomy & Operations (within the Agronomy & Operations team).

Works closely with: Procurement Manager, Field Officers, REP Program, Finance & Controls, Tech & Data.

Role purpose

FinAgra delivers mechanised field operations — land preparation, planting, crop protection, spreading and harvesting — through contracted service providers on REP and leased land. Operation quality directly drives crop establishment, yield and cost.

The Mechanisation Specialist is the technical owner of machinery standards. The role ensures every contracted machine meets the specification in the SOP and service contract for each activity, assesses and certifies completed work, builds the vetted per-cluster service-provider list with Field Officers, and trains Field Officers to enforce the SOPs and checklists. It sits at the intersection of agronomy, operations and procurement.

Key responsibilities

• Machinery specification & standards

• Own and maintain the required machinery specifications for each activity (below among others), aligned to the SOPs and contracts; translate agronomic requirements into verifiable equipment/operating specs for RFQs and SLAs.

• Equipment inspection & verification (pre-work)

• Inspect contracted tractors/implements against the Equipment Inspection Checklist before mobilisation; certify or reject; share requirements with providers in advance to avoid wasted mobilisation cost.

• Verify equipment meets spec in field conditions (working depth, calibration) before work starts; technically assess and approve any scope/spec change before it is issued.

• Work assessment & Work Completion Certificate (post-work)

• Assess completed work against the contracted spec and quality standards (depth, coverage, uniformity, ridge geometry, calibration, acreage, finish).

• Issue / sign off the Work Completion Certificate (WCC) only for compliant work — the trigger for balance payment; withhold it and require zero-cost rework for substandard work.

• Provide the technical basis for KPI reviews at each WCC; enforce mobilisation (48 hr) and breakdown-backup (24 hr) terms; investigate incidents and drive preventive action.

• Service-provider mapping & qualification (with Field Officers & Procurement)

• Work hand in hand with Field Officers to build a per-cluster list of service providers — their equipment and the activities they offer.

• Assess each provider's machinery against the required specs; compile the assessed, cluster-by-cluster qualified list and share it with Procurement for the internal procurement process; keep it current.

• Training, procurement support & documentation

• Train Field Officers to inspect machinery, assess work and enforce SOP/checklist adherence; coach providers to lift network quality.

• Give the Procurement Manager the technical specs for RFQs/SLAs, the assessed provider lists, and technical evaluations; advise on machinery selection, capacity and seasonal needs.

• Maintain equipment, provider-assessment, inspection and WCC records in the ERP and farm management system; report machinery performance and risk to leadership (Excel, Slack).

What “great” looks like

• Unsuitable machines are caught before mobilisation; WCCs are issued only for compliant work, so payment follows verified quality.

• Each cluster has an assessed, ready pool of qualified providers handed to Procurement; each activity has a clear standard consistently met.

• Field Officers inspect machinery and assess work confidently without the specialist on every site; disputes, rework and downtime fall.

Required skills & experience

Education & experience:

• Degree/Diploma in Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Mechanization, Farm Power & Machinery, Mechanical Engineering (agricultural application) or related.

• Experience with farm-machinery operations, specifications, calibration and maintenance (commercial/contracted mechanization ideal), across tillage, seeding/planting, spraying and spreading.

• Familiarity with Kenyan service providers and field conditions is an advantage.

Technical skills:

• Strong command of machine operations and the optimal standard per activity (depth, speed, rate/spacing, calibration, ridge geometry, finish); able to assess both machinery specs and completed-work quality against the standard.

• Equipment inspection, calibration and basic troubleshooting.

• Tech-savvy with a farm management system, ERP (equipment master, inspection, WCC), Excel, Slack and digital checklists; drone/precision-ag and GPS/RTK an advantage.

• Able to write SOPs, checklists and training materials; aware of chemical safe-use and KCAA drone compliance.

Personal attributes:

• Trainer/mentor who builds Field-Officer and provider capability;

• Firm on standards with integrity — assesses work objectively and resists pressure to certify substandard work; field-ready (most time on farms; driving an advantage)

• Fluent in English and Kiswahili with clear records and training; organised and self-directed across multiple clusters.

Employment type

Full-time. Sits within the Agronomy & Operations team, field-based across FinAgra's clusters with frequent travel.

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