Main Location of Assignment: SAYeTech Company Ltd, Plot 18, Block 7, New Ampabame, Ejisu-Konongo Road, Ghana, GPS code: AE-0492-4335, Ashanti Region

Associate Location: Department of Mechanical Engineering, KNUST Campus, Kumasi.

Salary: Up to £1,379.29 (gross) per month depending on experience, and with up to £4000 additional support for professional and personal development for the duration of the project

Contract Type: Fixed Term (24 months)

Basis: Full Time

Release Date: 11th October, 2023

Closing Date: 31st October, 2023

Interview Date: 7th November, 2023

Start date: 01 December, 2023

Reference: KNUST/ME/KTP/ST/C2

This role is an exciting opportunity for a MSc graduate with a background in Engineering Design / Mathematical Modelling or Simulation techniques. Ideally with some relevant industrial experience. Some understanding of agriculture in Ghana, would be an advantage.

This African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnership (AAKTP) project aims to deliver reliable cocoa production throughout the year using an optimized cocoa-pod breaker with intelligent design processes, IoT (Internet of Things) control and optimized monitoring systems. This will enable farmers to adopt new technologies and intensify agricultural productivity.

The outcomes will have significant environmental and socio-economic benefits, both at farm and national level. Product automation and the development of a digital platform for design automation and optimization will uplift cocoa cultivation in Africa and significantly reduce post-harvest losses of cocoa.

Candidate Profile: MSc graduate with a background in Engineering Design / Mathematical Modelling or Simulation techniques. Ideally with some relevant industrial experience.

Key Skills/ Experience Required Include:

• Engineering Design
• SolidWorks or similar CAD Software
• MATLAB or similar modelling software
• Modular design concepts

The Associate should also have:

• Interest in new technologies, specifically IoT installation and fault detection.
• Some project Management skills to ensure the AAKTP progresses in a timely and efficient manner, and that key performance indicators are achieved. To facilitate that the training and mentoring will be provided.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills to be able to transfer knowledge to the company and work closely with supervisors, colleagues and other stakeholders to ensure project objectives are achieved.
• Capability to prepare accurate reports and financial expenditure justifications.
• Be able to take a pragmatic approach, balancing effective and safe design with cost and optimised performance.

Personal Attributes:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (English and Native)
• Work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders in a multidisciplinary project team.
• Strong organisational skills to take project ownership, co-ordinate work-streams and achieve agreed objectives.
• Work independently on own initiative as and when required. Credibility to ask questions and constructively challenge.
• Self-motivated with good negotiation skills.

Interested Persons can apply via: Here!

This is an African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnership (AAKTP) funded by Innovate UK. It is essential you understand how KTP works and the vital role you will play if you secure this position. To learn more please click here.

The Company: SAYeTECH is a Ghanaian agricultural technology company that combines the benefits of hardware and Internet of Things (IoT) embedded systems with the primary goal of increasing productivity of smallholder farmers and providing jobs for young people by producing smart post-harvest agricultural machines. Find out more: here

AAKTP Team: You will work in a project team with Dr Richard Opoku, Prof George Yaw Obeng and Dr Henry Nunoo Mensah at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); Dr Tabbi Awotwe and Dr Muhammad Imran at Aston University, and the Senior Management Team at SAYeTECH with the support of the IUK-KTN’s Knowledge Transfer Adviser. 

Location: You will be based predominantly at SAYeTECH just outside Kumasi but will also have access to facilities at KNUST, and remote access to facilities at Aston University in the UK. Some travel to key clients may also be required, as well as travel to the United Kingdom for training purposes.

For enquiries about this role please contact:

Dr Richard Opoku,

ropoku.coe@knust.edu.gh /richard.opoku.richardopoku@gmail.com

Department of Mechanical Engineering, KNUST