Truck Driver/Mechanic at Jambo African Adventures

Drive a Truck for for an Overland Tour Company

Are you hard working, innovative, resourceful and enthusiastic about visiting new places, meeting new people and have a positive attitude?  
Does a nomadic lifestyle, living out of your backpack and being away for several days at a time excite and interest you?

Working in overland travel is a lifestyle. We will not promise you rich financial rewards, so if it's a fat salary that motivates you, please don't read any further.

What Jambo African Adventures will offer you is a Lifetime experience. The chance to travel in many different African countries and meet different people from all over the world.
You will certainly miss the comforts of home and family but you will see amazing places and have to face and conquer many challenges most people would never encounter, and yet be expected to stay calm. You will live a nomadic life sometimes without internet and phone network, sleeping in tents, waking up early and sleeping late during the tours. During the low season in tourism you could be home for weeks or Months while the high season is spent most of the times on the road during tours, and you will also work some days at the workshop preparing and doing mechanical maintenance of the truck for the next tour.
The driver of an overland truck is responsible for not only driving clients safely from point A to point B but also for mechanical maintenance and repairs of the vehicle. Overland drivers have extensive mechanical knowledge and experience, and they service their own vehicle between tours and know what to do if the truck breaks down in the middle of nowhere or gets stuck in mud or sand. They have a proven ability to “make a plan” all the time, improvise solutions and they will thrive and survive anywhere.

Many times our clients will meet no one else from our company apart from you at the start of the tour to the end. Therefore our road crew is the face of our company and they manage and run the trips in a way that reflects our values and policies as a company. It's a very challenging and tough job and most times you will be with your group pretty much 24/7, and working in remote areas can sometimes be frustrating. You will need to be flexible, patient, calm and able to maintain a positive attitude in even at the most challenging circumstances.

It’s not an easy job unless you love travelling, taking challenges by the horn, socializing and seeing new places and people. It’s not all about the money but doing the job for the love of the Overland lifestyle and doing something that you love and have a passion for. In return, working for Jambo African Adventures will give you the chance to travel within Kenya and the African Continent and have an amazing time in the process!

We are looking for a Driver/Mechanic who has the following personal qualities:

An excellent and 100% confident Heavy commercial trucks Driver with wide experience. (Must know how to operate splitter gear. NO EXCUSES about not being used to our truck during road interview. You can either driver perfectly-Or you can’t in which case you shouldn’t apply.)

1. You MUST be a qualified mechanic, able to do oil Service and general maintenance on the truck by yourself both at our Workshop and in the wilderness during tours. (You’ll be tested practically for this, so if you have no proper mechanical background please don’t waste our time)
2. MUST be able to manage self at work and does not require to be supervised.
3. A positive attitude, motivated and enthusiastic even in very difficult situations.
4. Able to follow instructions and procedures to the letter and keep the office in the loop.
5. Excellent logistical and organizational skills
6. Must be a very confident and eloquent public speaker to address a group of up to 30 people, take charge and control of the group.
7. The ability to thrive in a combination of  long hours and both physically and mentally challenging conditions
8. Resourcefulness and the ability to use your initiative and think on your feet in very challenging conditions. You must never panic or show fear when things go wrong, because you have a big group looking up to you to provide a solution and you’re their only hope.
9. Innovative and ready to think out of the box.
10. A friendly and sociable personality, someone happy to work with all kinds of people
11. The ability to develop a rapport with a large, diverse group of individuals, feel at home with strangers and fit in within no time.
12. ·Excellent communication and customer service skills
13. Flexibility, and the ability to deal with unpredictable challenges and situations
14. A good team-player, which is essential for you to work successfully with other crew members

Please do not apply if you are looking for a short-term working job, as we require an initial minimum commitment of 18 months and for you to be looking towards a longer-term commitment of 3 years and above.

Driver/Mechanic Job requirements

• Hold a current and Valid PSV/TSV License.
• Your nationality is not important if you have relevant working permit but you must be fluent in English and Swahili. Foreign Languages are not a Must but will be an added advantage.
• You must hold a valid international travel passport (with over 6 month’s validity) with at least 5 free pages.
• Have a Valid Ministry of Tourism driver/Guide License and a good conduct certificate.
• Have a valid First Aid Certificate.
• You must be over 25 years of  age
• You must be resourceful, innovative and have the ability to use your initiative and think on your feet in challenging conditions.
• You must have either a solid mechanical knowledge or a trade background such as Motor Electrician, Engineer that would give you an aptitude for mechanics.
• You must already have your own travel experience.
• Be willing to work anywhere in Africa.
• Evidence of previous 'hands on' building or repair projects.
• Professional driving and mechanical experience with Heavy trucks.
• Previous travel to any of the destinations we operate tours and/or have participated in an overland group travel.
• Proven competence in a customer facing role.
• Experience of using email, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.

Driver/Mechanic Responsibilities:

1. Overland Tour driver/mechanic responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
2. Driving courteously, avoiding risks which could harm passengers, vehicles, or the environment
3. You are responsible for the general truck maintenance and servicing of the vehicle, and assisting the Tour Leader to run the trip by working together as a team. 
4. Maintaining the tour vehicle for cleanliness, fueling, fluid checking, routine maintenance needs, and occasional impromptu repairs
5. You are responsible for truck equipment, tents mattresses, stools, Kitchen gear, tools, spare parts etc
6. Assist clients in setting up the tents and also the Chef in meals preparation.
7. Facilitating meaningful, helpful, informative, and pleasant conversations with customers
8. Offering knowledge, anecdotal stories, and interactive communication with clients on flora, fauna, geology, local history, and natural history during tour routes.
9. Educating clients on responsible travel
10. Solving problems with grace and efficiency
11. Offering expertise on local recreation opportunities and logistics
12. Enhancing the Overland experience by further developing and improving the tours.