Turkey: Senior Mechanical Engineer & Program Manager

Rescue Technology Lab

Senior Mechanical Engineer & Program Manager

About the Rescue Tech Lab

The mission of the lab is to develop technologies and social enterprises that save lives and improve access to essential goods in war zones and areas hit by natural disasters. The team will work from an existing co-working space / maker lab in Istanbul for the first year.

When the lab is opened, it will have the following:

· Co-Working Space: Co-location and cooperation with rescue workers to facilitate informal knowledge exchange and accelerate innovation and impact

· Equipment: Access to advanced manufacturing equipment and conventional tools for rapidly prototyping solutions

· Expertise: Resident experts in search & rescue, design, entrepreneurship, engineering and creative fields

· Advanced Training: Training of rescue workers on building solutions for humanitarian work, including fire-fighting and search & rescue

· Co-Creation: User-centered design with and for rescue workers operating in disaster relief contexts

About Field Ready

Field Ready is a US-based non-governmental organization that is dedicated to bringing innovation to international disaster relief. Our vision is to meet humanitarian need by transforming logistics through technology, innovative design and engaging people in new ways. The impact of this will be dramatically improving efficiency aid delivery by meeting people’s needs where they experience them. The Senior Mechanical Engineer & Program Manager will be a contractor of Field Ready.

About Refugee Open Ware

Refugee Open Ware (ROW) is a catalyst for moonshot humanitarian innovation. Our vision is to harness advanced technology, co-creation and open innovation to reduce suffering, fulfill basic needs, and accelerate inclusive development in fragile and conflict-affected areas. ROW is spearheading the development of this lab, as well as several other innovation labs for humanitarian relief.

Position Summary

The technical aspects of the role will include: 1) leading the design of items identified by beneficiaries, partners and other team members, and 2) training and capacity building for beneficiaries and partners.

The management aspects of the role will include: 1) overseeing day-to-day operations, 2) stakeholder management with beneficiaries, partners and others, 3) operations, logistics and financials, and 4) communications. Secondary tasks include ensuring sound program design and quality, contributing to resource mobilization and organizational representation. Field Ready, ROW and our partners will provide senior management support for all management functions, allowing the focus of the role to be on technology development. Moreover, our partners will have additional staff providing operational support.

An effective Senior Mechanical Engineer & Program Manager will combine relevant technical know-how with excellent people skills and an ability to get things done under challenging conditions. This is a special opportunity for someone who wants to apply the latest technologies, including those just becoming operational, to improve people’s lives.

Responsibilities

· Oversee all technical aspects of the lab including, but not limited to, design, manufacturing, electronics, software, and equipment maintenance

· Execute pilots to prove plausibility of technology innovation and prioritize items that will make a definitive impact on the ground

· Ensure that the needs of implementing partners are met

· Manage the end-to-end innovation/ideas process

· Help maintain tight connection with stakeholders including all aspects of training and mentoring

· Manage the budget, make payments and keep accurate accounting records

· Work with Field Ready management to define the strategy of the lab

· Carry out essential logistics to ensure the effective operation for the lab, including basic procurement and maintenance of accurate paperwork

· Provide representation, as directed, including taking care of local connections and bureaucracy on an as-needed basis

· Regularly report on all aspects of the above

· Any additional duties assigned

Desired Qualifications and Characteristics

· Track record of extraordinary achievement in hardware hacking / making – i.e., evidence of having made innovative products or solutions that solve meaningful, real-world problems

· Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and mechatronics strongly preferred, but accomplishments as a maker supersede academic credentials

· Strong connections in the maker community a definitive asset and ability to use those connections for the furtherance of the lab’s mandate

· Good analytical, writing and presentation skills

· Consummate self-starter but also a good listener and team player

· Excellent project management experience

· Able to see connections that leave others stumped and problem-solve in very practical and tangible ways

· Prior training delivery experience preferred

· Must be organized, able to act independently, and able to switch rapidly between different projects in a fast-paced environment

· Proven ability to document requirements and manage multiple products and projects simultaneously

· Able to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences

· Languages: English, Turkish and Arabic

Submit a brief cover letter that describes your qualifications, reasons for applying and understanding of the requirements outlined above. Provide ideas for the design and execution of the project, understanding that this is about creating innovative technological solutions that save lives in humanitarian crises. Please submit this cover letter along with your CV to: Mark (dot ) Mellors (at) fieldready.org. The title “**Senior Mechanical Engineer & Program Manager**” must be included in the subject line.