Civil and Structural Engineering Intern - Field Operations

About the role

Synnefa builds Smart Solar Dryers, greenhouses and drying beds for African farmers, using engineering combined with IoT monitoring. This six-month internship is with the hardware team, supporting the civil works behind every installation: foundations, drainage, anchorage and access. You will spend real time on site in places such as Kericho, Nyandarua, Makueni and Kisumu, helping standardise drawings, bills of quantities, site quality control and as-built records.

You will not carry unsupervised design responsibility: structural member sizing, load and wind assumptions, foundation design and changes to approved designs are reviewed and signed off before fabrication, site or client.

Key responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain engineering drawings for the standard product range under version control
• Prepare civil site-preparation packages: foundation slabs, drainage, anchor bolt layouts, access roads and loading aprons
• Detail frames, drying beds, racks and tensile structures, and produce reinforcement detailing and bar bending schedules
• Carry out site setting-out, levels and foundation inspection, and assess ground conditions and coordinate geotechnical inputs where needed
• Produce quantity take-offs and bills of quantities from approved designs, and prepare buildable technical packages for fabrication and construction partners
• Inspect sites against quality control checklists, verify materials on delivery, and prepare as-built documentation and closeout packages
• Submit a written weekly report on your sites on the agreed day

Required profile

• Recent graduate with a BSc in Civil Engineering completed within the last two years; candidates awaiting conferment may apply with a transcript
• Willing to travel to rural field sites at short notice
• Clear written English, since much of the work is documentation others rely on
• Someone who shows their working and who learns by finding out answers
• Genuine interest in agriculture and farmers doing better

Required skills

• AutoCAD
• Civil 3D, Revit or structural analysis software such as Robot, ETABS or Prokon (a plus)
• Excel for take-offs, schedules and data

What we offer

• A monthly stipend of KES 20,000 gross (net figure confirmed in the offer)
• Six months of real engineering work with honest feedback and clear goals
• Field travel and related costs on company business covered
• A certificate of internship and a reference on successful completion

Applications are made through the company's online application system with a CV, academic transcript and one example of technical work. Shortlisted candidates meet the CEO and complete a take-home technical assignment. The posting closes once a hire is made.