About Ampersand

Ampersand is Africa’s e-mobility pioneer. Ampersand provides electric motorcycles and charging infrastructure (battery swap stations), uniquely tailored to serve half of Africa’s road fleet: Commercial motorcycle taxi and delivery drivers. Moto taxis are a primary means of public transport in African cities, and it is estimated that these drivers spend >$6Bn p.a. on gasoline in East Africa alone. Ampersand has developed an electric solution that is more powerful, fun to drive, and more cost-effective than the incumbent. Ampersand drivers routinely earn over 30% more income by going electric.

The company started in Kigali, Rwanda and expanded into Nairobi, Kenya in 2022. Today it has over 5,000 e-motorcycles on the road and 36 battery swap stations across the two countries. Ampersand is leading the market in quality and affordable tech, customer traction, and operational systems. The Ampersand team consists of 400+ staff drawn from diverse backgrounds and is working hard to see all 5 million taxi motorbikes in East Africa become electric by 2030. Ampersand is rapidly scaling its operations and is looking for innovative professionals who are passionate about clean energy and environmental impact to lead and contribute to our rapid growth.

Ampersand is a company that values innovation, creativity, and continuous improvement. It seeks people who are proactive problem solvers to drive results. Ampersand promotes leadership within the organization and is a place where you can grow your career as you work with some of the brightest and hard-working individuals in East Africa.

Our Values

• Customer-centric Everyday: We prioritize our customers daily, tailoring solutions to exceed expectations.
• Challenge The Status Quo Through Innovation: Our dedicated teams constantly challenge the status quo, driving innovation to enhance customer experiences and deliver solutions that go beyond expectations
• Love Solving Problems Together: Internal collaboration is our approach; we thrive on solving challenges alongside our customers.
• Stay Agile: We stay agile to swiftly meet dynamic customer needs and adapt to a changing landscape.
• Driven By People And Planet: Beyond business, we're committed to people and the planet, ensuring a positive impact.

About the role

We are looking for an electronics engineer with a broad understanding of electromechanical systems to join Ampersand's Battery System, Integration & IOT team.

We require someone with a broad understanding of electro mechanical systems that can assist with all aspects of the vehicle drive train R&D including but not limited to working with high power inverters and DC motors as well as battery systems and performing end to end and integration tests on those products. We work hands-on and require our employees to have rapid prototyping skills.

• Solid/demonstrable understanding of power electronics
• Solid/demonstrable understanding of battery systems and BMS systems.
• Solid/demonstrable understanding of PCB design and prototyping

Minimum requirements

• Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
• Some CAD/CAM/FEA skills (Altium knowledge preferred)
• Draw and understand electronic schematics
• Able to perform end to end tests and integration tests
• Understanding of low level communication protocols (CANBus, I2C, UART, SPI)
• Experience in troubleshooting and a good theoretical knowledge base to draw from.
• Knowledge of Power Electronics, Control System classes
• A strong work ethic, and the ability to manage shifting priorities and unforeseen challenges
• Out of the box thinker, able to boil down complex problems into simple designs
• Fantastic communicator
• Programming skills (C, python) and real time systems knowledge is a huge plus
• Having a motorcycle driver’s licence is a plus

Ampersand is a good fit if:

• You’re interested in clean energy and environmental impact (even without experience in it yet)
• You are a self-motivated, hands-on, proactive problem solver
• You’re comfortable thinking outside of the box
• You are able to negotiate details and big-picture priorities well
• You're organized and love to build systems
• You are looking for an entrepreneurial company that values innovation and strong execution
• You value collaboration, and diversity and community in the workplace

Timing

ASAP

Compensation

A competitive compensation package commensurate with health insurance

Job location

This role will be based in Kigali, Rwanda

📢 Important Notice:

At Ampersand, we want to emphasize that we do not charge or request any form of payment from applicants at any stage of our recruitment process. Your job application and interviews with us are entirely free of charge. If you encounter any requests for payment or fees claiming association with our hiring process, please report it to recruitment@ampersand,solar immediately. Your trust and confidence in our company are paramount, and we are committed to providing a fair and transparent recruitment experience for all applicants.

Electronics Engineer