The Pickering Lab at UC Berkeley, in collaboration with other institutions is developing and scaling in-line chlorination technologies in Nigeria, Kenya, and India. These technologies automatically disinfect drinking water in community water supply systems without using electricity. The Pickering Lab is setting up mass manufacturing channels in Kenya for one technology, known as the TuriTap. To expand the potential global market of the TuriTap, the Pickering Lab is planning to develop a prototype adaptation for the TuriTap that will allow it to operate at manual hand pumps.
The lab is also piloting in-line chlorination implementation models in Nigeria and India. Support is needed to visit study site locations in Nigeria and India to scope/evaluate the potential to implement in-line chlorination in these contexts. The scoping activity in Nigeria will directly lead to a pilot study of in-line chlorination in 40 communities, where in-line chlorination technologies will be installed and evaluated over a period of 12 months. Across both study sites in Nigeria and India, the Pickering Lab is also conducting taste detection studies among communities with and without chlorinated water to understand preferences for drinking water.
Position Description:
We are looking for an environmental engineer to assist with the lab’s mission to scale in-line chlorination to underserved settings. The successful applicant would manage and lead projects on the UC Berkeley campus, with possible travel to the research sites in Kenya, Nigeria, and India. There will also be opportunities to contribute to writing peer-reviewed manuscripts. The key responsibilities may include the following:
Adapting TuriTap to operate in hand pumps:
- Foster new ideas that will allow the TuriTap to function at manual hand pumps.
- Develop a rapid prototype testing plan and implement the testing plan in our lab at UC Berkeley.
- Develop multiple production validation prototypes to be used in a field pilot.
- Potential travel to Kisumu, Kenya, to pilot the prototype in hand pumps.
Implementing In-line Chlorination Studies in Nigeria and India:
- Lead a pilot study of in-line chlorination in 40 communities in Ogun and Kano, Nigeria, with planned travel to the study site.
- Apply knowledge of engineering concepts for installing chlorination technologies in the 40 pilot communities. Assist with product prototyping and modifications to ensure their success.
- Conduct a chlorine taste detection study among 200 community members in the pilot communities in Nigeria to understand preferences for chlorinated water.
- Conduct a similar chlorine taste detection study among 200 community members from a previous pilot study in Odisha, India. Potential travel required to help lead this study.
Required Qualifications/Skills:
- Education: Master's degree in engineering or related discipline. Environmental engineering is preferred. If applying for a postdoctoral position, a PhD in Environmental Engineering is required.
- Demonstrated leadership in previous water infrastructure or water treatment field research projects.
- Ability to take initiative to troubleshoot and design solutions to technical challenges.
- Knowledge of water treatment and chemical and microbial water quality testing.
- Competence with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
- Competence with statistical analysis software (R, Python, Stata, etc.).
- Experience with mass manufacturing processes (rotomolding, injection molding, etc.) is a plus for the TuriTap hand pump adaptation.
- Computer assisted design (Solidworks or Fusion360) is a plus
How To Apply:
Please send a CV and cover letter to this Google Form: https://forms.gle/LmMsefzrYxS5JyzU8
Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis and interviewed prior to selection. Application review will start March 1, 2025.
See this posting for additional details: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g3grx8Z-JBdbwyD4dQCsGlpmx88FjTas/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102399586638290285442&rtpof=true&sd=true