Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Special Achievements
Relevant Skills
Languages
Interests
Timeline
Hi, I’m

J K

Athi River

Overview

6
years of professional experience

Work History

Sanergy Ltd
Kilifi, KE

Installation and Commissioning Lead
03.2020 - 11.2021

Job overview

  • Developed the Quality acceptance criteria for equipment and support facilities to be installed for a black soldier fly breeding facility.
  • Successfully installed and commissioned a black soldier fly-rearing facility worth $300,000, complete with breeding equipment, feed handling plant, production structures and an LV switchboard.
  • Developed standard operating guidelines (SOPs) and established an early equipment management framework for the plant.
  • Carried out targeted stress tests on different sub-processes to establish production bottlenecks and initiated short-term to medium-term de-bottlenecking initiatives.
  • Deployed an equipment redundancy strategy across the facility during the stabilization period to ensure sustained plant uptime.
  • Performed equipment upgrades to test out new production technologies and achieved an increased output of 8mg of eggs/fly

Neruva Technologies
Nairobi, KE

Co - Founder
07.2016 - 08.2021

Job overview

  • Identified effective strategies for building sustainable value that attracted a seed funding of 9,000USD
  • Led a team of 7 multi-discipline engineers (mechanical, electrical, structural and software) in effectively value Engineering the first model prototype at 47% lower than the design prototype cost.
  • Played a vital role in strategic problem-solving through the challenges and uncertainties common in the fast-paced startup environment, making data-driven decisions, and adapting strategies as needed.
  • Developed and refined the overall business strategy, identifying target markets, and exploring potential partnerships and collaborations

Sanergy Ltd
Nairobi, KE

Research and Development Engineer
02.2019 - 03.2020

Job overview

  • Conducted waste streams mapping and feedstock characterization trials to establish the optimum organic waste-to-value protein value that improved productivity and overall waste-to-value conversion by 30%.
  • Conducted engineering and detailed experimental tests to collect climate data for the design of the optimum AHU units for black soldier Larvae grow rooms.
  • Performed detailed mechanical designs and process flow iterations, and developed technical specification sheets for sourcing critical equipment (conveyors, sorting lines and waste blenders)for the pre-processing unit of the 200T/month organic waste processing facility.
  • Co-Authored an abstract titled ‘Closing Nutrient Cycles – Upscaling of Black Soldier Fly treatment in Nairobi’ published on the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and ETH- Zurich websites, 2019.

Sanergy Ltd
Nairobi, KE

New Technology Commercialization Fellow
11.2018 - 02.2019

Job overview

  • Designed and developed technical specification sheets for a sludge pump and bio-digester tank.
  • Accomplished a successful technical sourcing process for pumps and bio-digester accessories, securing them from international vendors through detailed evaluations of technical specifications, assessment of compatibility with our existing infrastructure, and adherence to industry standards, guaranteeing the seamless integration of these components into our biogas facility.
  • Successfully commissioned a 40kW biogas-powered generator and the entire CHP system.
  • Created a comprehensive business case to assess the financial viability of implementing and scaling up a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system within the full-scale Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) facility.

Hydromasters Ltd
Nairobi, KE

Projects Engineer
01.2018 - 11.2018

Job overview

  • Created detailed design documents based on specific client needs, site constraints and budget limitations for new water treatment plants.
  • I worked closely with equipment suppliers and main contractors on different projects to ensure that the system was built to the required specifications and installed properly.
  • Drove the timely delivery of projects, within budget and design specifications and ensured timely communication of progress and escalation of constraints

Hydromasters Ltd
Nairobi, KE

Graduate Engineering Trainee
11.2017 - 01.2018

Job overview

Underwent a 3-month training on the following key areas applicable to water treatment and sanitation;

  • Design of water treatment plants and process flow using P&ID tools based on process specifications.
  • Pump system sizing and selection criteria based on head, flow rate and friction losses.
  • Understanding the various regulatory requirements for water treatment and sanitation services, such as those set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Farm Engineering Industries Ltd
Kisumu, KE

Engineering Intern
06.2016 - 08.2016

Job overview

  • Interned in the general practices applied to the design, selection and application of agricultural machinery.
  • Focused on reliability-centred maintenance strategies of farm hydraulic power.

Kenya Breweries Limited
Nairobi, KE

Engineering Intern
07.2015 - 09.2015

Job overview

Performed tests aimed at assessing the impact of incorporating a wort pre-heater on the thermal efficiency of the wort boiling process as part of the plant-wide Energy recovery initiative.

Education

JKUAT
Nairobi, KE

Bachelor of Science from Biomechanical & Process Engineering
09.2017

University Overview

Skills

  • Power transmissions (geared drives, belt drives, chain drives), limits and fits
  • Black soldier fly (BSFL) hatchling Technology
  • BSFL/Frass separation technology
  • Rotating Equipment - mills and crushers
  • Pumping systems (centrifugal and multistage)
  • Heat Exchangers and calorifiers
  • Pressurized equipment (boilers and compressors)
  • Weigh feeders (maintenance and calibration)
  • Vibrating Equipment (Fluidized bed driers for BSFL drying)
  • Mixers and blenders (ribbon blenders for BSFL feedstocks)
  • Organic Waste upcycling pathways design

Special Achievements

Special Achievements
  • Wrote a Newspaper column titled 'Literacy and Political will key in boosting Climate Action in Africa’ published on the 27th Jan 2020 in The Daily Nation
  • Authored a Newspaper article titled 'Develop Rural Areas to attain food security' published in the Daily Nation published on the 28th March 2018
  • Co-Authored an abstract titled ‘Closing Nutrient Cycles – Upscaling of Black Soldier Fly Treatment in Nairobi’ published on the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and ETH- Zurich websites, 2019.
  • Co-founded Neruva - a start-up that develops and deploys unique farming units called ‘Ecocapsules’, modified from 40-foot shipping containers that allow for the simultaneous breeding of fish and cultivation of crops. I was able to co-lead a funding drive that successfully raised 9,000 USD as seed capital.
  • Successfully installed, commissioned and operationalized a $300,000 BSFL breeding facility with a 92% output efficiency.
  • Delivered 6 key plant improvement projects between Feb 2022 and Dec 2022 that reduced the overall production cost by 1700 USD/Ton_product at Regenorganics.

Relevant Skills

Relevant Skills
  • Software technical proficiencies include AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, PI&D, BIM360, MS Projects and MS Office Suite.
  • Research and design proficiencies include Finite Element Analysis, Project/Quantification Planning, Value Engineering, thermodynamics and heat transfer, fluid mechanics, prototyping and testing, and feasibility plant simulation.
  • Proficient in both independent and collaborative work settings.
  • Highly self-motivated, taking personal responsibility for tasks.
  • Demonstrated ability to quickly grasp and adapt to unfamiliar situations.
  • Natural team player.
  • High aptitude in critical thinking and pragmatic problem solving
  • A knack for recognizing underlying principles in technical challenges, resulting in reduced brainstorming time and increased focus on developing practical solutions.

Languages

English
Advanced
C1

Interests

Interests
  • Climate action
  • Circular Economy
  • Industrial Plant Engineering
  • Sustainable Energy systems
  • Black Soldier Fly technology deployment

Timeline

Installation and Commissioning Lead
Sanergy Ltd
03.2020 - 11.2021
Research and Development Engineer
Sanergy Ltd
02.2019 - 03.2020
New Technology Commercialization Fellow
Sanergy Ltd
11.2018 - 02.2019
Projects Engineer
Hydromasters Ltd
01.2018 - 11.2018
Graduate Engineering Trainee
Hydromasters Ltd
11.2017 - 01.2018
Co - Founder
Neruva Technologies
07.2016 - 08.2021
Engineering Intern
Farm Engineering Industries Ltd
06.2016 - 08.2016
Engineering Intern
Kenya Breweries Limited
07.2015 - 09.2015
JKUAT
Bachelor of Science from Biomechanical & Process Engineering
J K