Associate, Product Research and Development
Location: Kisumu, Kenya
Location type: On Site
Reports to: Civil Engineer, USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project
*If you are unsure if you are in an eligible location, please visit our Career page for more details.

Welcome to PSI!
PSI is a network of locally rooted, globally connected organizations working to achieve consumer-powered healthcare — people-centered health systems that ensure quality, affordable care wherever and whenever it is needed. Our origins in sexual and reproductive health have grown into a broader mission. Today, we work with the public and private sectors as well as local communities, prioritizing people’s voice and choice and developing solutions to meet their essential health needs. Over the past five decades, we have helped push boundaries, break taboos, set trends, and develop innovative solutions to complex global health challenges.

Do you want to join PSI to help make it easier for all people to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire? Read on!

Join us!

The USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project (WKSP) is a five (5) year project which is being implemented in Busia, Bungoma, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, and Siaya counties. The overall goal of the project is to create a financially sustainable, transformative, replicable, and locally owned sanitation marketplace in the target counties of western Kenya. The objectives to achieve this goal are (1) increased access to and uptake of market-based improved sanitation and fecal sludge management (FSM) products and services; and (2) increased access to and uptake of market-based improved MHM products and services at the household level.

Through the achievement of the above objectives, it is expected that in five years, the target counties will have laid the groundwork for a financially sustainable, transformative, and locally owned sanitation marketplace, where customers can easily find and procure the products and services that they need and where enterprises are motivated to improve products and services and to invest in marketing and sales.

PSI seeks an Associate, Product Research and Development for the USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project to support the implementation of sanitation product research and development activities in the project counties.

What You’ll Do

• Contribute to the implementation of the USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project’s technical activities. Support project deliverables to ensure they are completed on time and in accordance with PSI quality standards.
  • The associate will support engineering activities aimed at equipping entrepreneurs with skills on construction of innovative and consumer centered sanitation product technologies.
  • Work closely with project partners to provide technical support in the design and construction of newly introduced sanitation facilities.
  • Support the design, manufacture, and commercialization efforts of products introduced into the market following development of design briefs to bring transformative products and services to the sanitation and MHM markets.
  • He/she will be responsible for supporting the research and development process for creating new prototypes; or redesigning existing products to improve overall transportability, simplify installation, and improve efficiency, desirability, and profitability for service providers.
• Contribute to regular reporting on program activities, including documenting key learnings and guidelines. Support the timely preparation and submission of project technical reports for management and donors’ decision-making process. Support synthesis of lessons learnt documentation and dissemination of best practices.
• Undertake regular field monitoring of technical activities to ascertain progress and utilization of resources against the workplan and make timely recommendations for follow-up. Provide inputs to the project’s program management team for the development of budgets and budget realignments by project’s program management team.
• Embody PSI’s values: Measurement, Pragmatism, Honesty, Trust, Collaboration, and Commitment.

This is not an exhaustive list of all tasks that an incumbent is expected to perform but is instead a summary of the primary responsibilities and requirements of the job. The incumbent may be asked to perform duties not included above. PSI reserves the right to revise job profiles at any time based on changes to the required job responsibilities.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s Degree (or international equivalent) in civil engineering or in a related field.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience. Equivalent combination of related education and experience may be substituted.
• Demonstrate basic technical knowledge in relevant technical area.
• Ability to implement technical products and tools.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with internal colleagues. Able to work as a member of a team and independently
• Creative thinker with ability to contribute to technical approach.
• Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365. Familiarity with a quantitative or qualitative data analysis program preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Proficiency in English (spoken and written) as well as the language of the applicable country and/or region.
• Cultural humility and respect.

We know that a long list of requirements may be discouraging, but don’t let imposter syndrome or the confidence gap get in the way of you applying — we’d love to hear from you.

Why Work at PSI?
PSI’s work is about enabling families to live happy and healthy lives—we think this should apply to our employees, too.

• Diversity & Inclusion: PSI affirms its commitment to diversity and believes that when people feel respected and included, they can be more honest, collaborative, and successful. Want to be involved in our DEI work at PSI? We have a council made up of PSIers that drive, sustain, and deepen our DEI practices.
• Health & Wellness: In all of our locations, PSI offers a comprehensive benefits package that offers health, financial planning, family care, and flexibility for work life fit. For U.S. based benefits visit www.psi.org/careers to learn more!
• Time Away: We want you to take time away when you need it. PSI offers a competitive leave package. On top of our leave, some PSI offices offer a compressed work week throughout the year, giving you additional work-life flexibility.
• Learning & Development: PSI is committed to your career growth. Through PSI’s job architecture, there are many potential career paths you can follow depending on your skills and interests. Additionally, PSI University, our learning management system, offers hundreds of courses, hosts org-wide trainings, offers Great Manager/Leader trainings, as well as a mentorship program for all staff levels.
• Innovation & Collaboration: With over 53 years of insight, PSI reimagines how to bring quality healthcare closer to those who need it most. Innovation requires stepping out of comfort zones, and our employees are encouraged to think beyond boundaries, collaborate to drive impact, challenge conventions, and pioneer new solutions.

Salary Ranges:*

PSI is committed to pay equity and transparency. We ensure pay meets the market within each country. This approach minimizes our impact on local talent markets and allows PSI to attract and retain employees, while staying cost-competitive.

Actual base salary compensation will be determined by factors such as a candidate’s qualifications, experience, internal equity, external market analysis, and other business factors permitted by law. Hiring above the mid-point of the range below would not be typical in order to allow for potential future salary growth.

PSI is offering the following gross annual salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:

• For Kenya (paid in Ksh): Ksh 2,100,000 (minimum) – Ksh 3,500,000 (midpoint) – Ksh 4,550,000 (maximum)

About PSI
Did you know that we have over 3,000 “PSIers” working across the globe in 40 different countries? We’re a diverse group with a wide range of backgrounds from the medical industry to the music industry, all with unique skills we bring to the job. We value self-motivated people with a track record for getting things done in tough situations. We take our work seriously, but not ourselves.

Interested in Learning More?

• About PSI: Who we are, how we work, and the challenges we seek to solve.
• PSI Career site
• Featured Projects: Flagship & Priority Projects
• Where We Work: PSI’s Global Network
• Follow PSI Online: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

PSI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, tribal belonging, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran or uniform service member status or employment status. PSI is a safe, inclusive workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life, and it’s reflected in our diverse community.

References will be required. The successful candidate will be required to pass a background check. For US based positions: Must be authorized to work in Kenya. N.B. PSI will not consider work visa sponsorship for this position..

If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to: [email protected] or call (202)785-0072. #li-lm1 #li-onsite