Zambia Mini-grid Initiative Coordinator Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced consultant who can join SEforALL remotely being home-based in Lusaka, Zambia.

The Mini-grid Initiative Coordinator will act as a critical liaison between the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) and the larger Zambia project task force at SEforALL. The Coordinator will provide key technical support to the (PDU), ensuring all stakeholders are engaged in the initiative as well as support in criticial data collection and gathering.

The successful candidate will be an experienced professional with at least 8 years of progressively experience in the Zambian energy sector, mini-grid sector, ability to work in a fast-paced environment and awareness of innovative approaches to deploying DRE internationally.

Closing date for submitting applications is 30 November 2023 at 23:59 CET.

Duties and Accountabilities

Supported by a cross-organizational team, the Coordinator will act as a critical liaison between the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) and the larger Zambia project task force at SEforALL. The main duties and tasks of the role include, but are not limited to:

• Represent SEforALL and the Mini-grid Initiative with key stakeholders in Zambia as well as internationally to the energy and development communities
• Provide key technical support to the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) ensuring alignment with GRZ electrification strategies, rural development plans and relevant policies
• Ensure that all relevant government stakeholders are engaged in the initiative under the political guidance of the PDU
• Through the implementation of programme, troubleshoot and engage key stakeholders in addressing bottlenecks in programme delivery
• Support in critical data collection and gathering to support the assessment of the viability of mini-grid sites to be included in the programme as well as feeding into programme design
• Develop key programme concept notes, presentation material and communications to engage and influence stakeholders using data analysis and best-in-class approaches
• Aligning technical insights with political considerations to ensure full buy-in of the programme.
• Provide inputs to internal SEforALL monitoring, evaluation and learning mechanisms.
• Support to SEforALL’s fundraising efforts to mobilize resources for programme delivery in the long term.
• Support SEforALL in identifying long-term opportunities for continued engagement, supporting the country to achieve SDG7.

The ideal candidate would have:

• Several years (ideally 8+) of experience in the Zambian energy sector with a strong network of energy stakeholders.
• Specific experience in the mini-grid sector either as a financier, private sector developer, government agency or donor support programme.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment that requires high flexibility and a commitment to problem-solving and achieving results.
• Awareness and understanding of innovative approaches to deploying DRE internationally.
• Experiences in operating across multiple time zones and with distributed teams.
• Complete fluency in English with strong written and verbal communication skills are required. Knowledge and ability to work in local languages is considered an asset
• Strong IT skills including Outlook, Word, Excel (including reports/macros/graphs, advanced formulas and pivot tables), and videoconferencing software (Zoom and MS Teams).

Core Competencies for the Role

• Energy Policies: Understanding of best-in-class approaches to energy policy in Global South, specifically energy access and off-grid/rural electrification, energy efficiency and energy productivity policy and technology solutions. Understands the strategic and development context of energy efficiency and renewable energy.Energy Solutions: Understanding of energy planning processes, systems change, and the role of demand and supply side solutions both at macro and micro scale. Energy efficiency/productivity and on- and off-grid solutions for energy efficiency and energy access. Particular experience with renewables, energy efficiency and energy productivity process and technology solutions as well as an understanding of different sectoral approaches and technology applications a plus.
• Stakeholder engagement: A track record of engaging with public, private sector and CSO partners in an international and country context.
• Knowledge Management and turning Knowledge to Value and Strategic Engagement: Ability to work with others to create, synthesize and/ or share relevant knowledge and to stimulate its use through concrete strategies for delivery.
• Planning and Organization: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments. Adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently and is able to work to deadlines and maintain effectiveness under pressure. Excellent organizational and task management skills, with appropriate attention to details and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands, and under tight deadlines. Ability to manage multiple workflows at the same time. Proactive approach to managing workflow, with keen ability to multi-task and respond quickly and flexibly to a wide range of issues, some of which come up in ad hoc and unexpected ways.
• Writing and Research Skills: Excellent written, synthesis and research skills, including drafting ability and extensive knowledge of word processing and application of software package as databases and Power Point Presentations;
• Communication: Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing; ability to develop contacts, foster collaboration with internal as well as external stakeholders, deliver presentations, advocate for viewpoints and participate actively in internal as well as external debates and negotiations. Ability to craft messages and communiques, and copy edit work to produce flawless written communications is required.
• Learning Culture: Encourages a learning culture by seeking out and being open to feedback, as well as effectively mentoring others, on how to improve contribution and impact through continuous learning and knowledge acquisition.
• Analysis and Innovation: Demonstrated excellent numerical and analytical skills that can be applied to gather data and generate knowledge relevant to decision-making functions. Capability and easiness to work with numbers, calculate, and analyze data as well as the ability to summarize and present key-findings. Inspires and influences others to drive innovation. Inspires others to develop new solutions that have a development impact and advocates for changes and application of new methods to enhance results.
• Technological Awareness: Excellent e-skills, including the ability to use modem office technology and related software. Practical knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software is required. Ability to do internet research, compile information and find solutions on line to information gaps is essential.
• Teamwork: Works within the team as well as with colleagues across work units. Supports colleagues, establishes a team culture, encourages others to participate in teamwork and share responsibility for decision-making and results. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Demonstrated ability to work with teams representing a wide variety of staffing levels that also cut across agencies and partners, and work without direct authority to deliver timely and high quality products. Strong team player capabilities.

Salary information

The successful candidate will be offered an all-in daily rate determined depending on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, and applying the principle of internal equity. SEforALL will provide compensation to the selected candidate, with the payments being untaxed. It is the responsibility of the staff member to ensure that they meet any applicable national or local tax requirements.

About the Organization

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization working with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to well below 2° Celsius (and striving for 1.5° Celsius).

Achieving these goals will require a radical rethink of the way we produce, distribute and consume energy. SEforALL is at the heart of this foundational shift to ensure no one is left behind. Drawing on data and evidence, we identify a critical path to success in achieving SDG7.

The 8th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2012. Now an independent organization, we maintain close links with the UN, including through a relationship agreement, partnerships with UN agencies and with SEforALL’s CEO acting as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative (SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. These roles include advising the UN Secretary General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of SDG7 and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.

The ambitions of SDG7 are extraordinary. Aiming to achieve them in the context of the Paris Agreement on climate change involves transformation at a scale never undertaken before. Swift action must be taken by leaders in governments, private sector companies, institutions, financiers, development banks, unions, communities, entrepreneurs and civil society. As we enter the final decade to achieve SDG7, SEforALL has strategically chosen to strengthen global agenda-setting while expanding its activities to an engagement model that prioritizes data-driven decision-making, partnerships with high-impact countries and implementation on the ground. SEforALL’s current three-year business plan outlines “results offers” that scope out our planned interventions and demonstrate to our funding partners the impact of their support. http://www.seforall.org