Country Representatives - USAID Empower West Africa (EWA)

Job Description

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 6,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. RTI’s Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG&R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&R will leverage RTI’s experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

SG&R’s Energy Division is working to develop and implement low emission energy technology alternatives, raise private financing for energy infrastructure, bring efficiency to utilities, work with governments on legal and regulatory reforms to alleviate bottlenecks in energy generation and consumption, and increase access to green energy to sustain economic growth and reduce poverty. We serve as a chosen partner for USAID’s Power Africa program in sub-Sahara Africa and have an established international energy portfolio of over $300 million across Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Project Description

The purpose of the Empower West Africa (EWA) activity is to increase the availability of and access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and clean energy in West Africa in order to reach measurable economic growth, development outcomes, such as reducing poverty, improving livelihoods and increasing inclusive access to electricity-enabled services in such areas as health, education, sanitation, and food security. The activity will additionally support Just Energy Transition; improve the reliability of power supply; reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector by supporting cleaner electricity generation delivered by the national power grids; accelerate distributed renewable energy (DRE); support the transition of host governments’ resource planning leading to the adoption and further integration of renewable energy sources and solutions to meet climate action commitments; crowd in new technologies and innovations that scale access and impact; and, increase access to private capital investment including improved uptake of climate funds, while working in partnership with governments to improve the enabling environment for energy sector investment and innovation. The EWA activity anticipates supporting the West Africa region in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Position Description

RTI is seeking Country Representatives for the anticipated EWA Activity. RTI plans to hire one Country Representative for the majority of the focus countries. These countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Based on needs and other technical parameters, some countries may have a combined Country Representative serving more than one country. Country Representatives will oversee country-level technical activities related to all project objectives, through close coordination with and support of in-country technical teams, consulting with stakeholders, initiating and organizing events, reporting on outcomes and supporting logistics. Country Representatives will be based in their country of responsibility and report to the Senior Technical Advisor.

• Support the organization, development and uptake of best practices in the following technical areas, relevant to the focus country: Utility turnaround, regulatory and enabling environment, energy efficiency, advanced energy systems, competitive procurement, private sector engagement, regional / bi-lateral energy trade, off-grid development and financing institutional capacity building, knowledge products and communications tools.
• Assist with technical and managerial implementation of subcontracts at the country level.
• Build and maintain country-level project networks within the country government, utilities, regulatory agencies, private sector, donor community, and other stakeholders.
• Support gender mainstreaming for country-level activities.
• Support reporting for M&E, contribute to country-level work planning and other deliverables and communication products for country-level activities.
• Respond to all requests to support program management and administration requirements at the
• country level.
• Works closely with Senior Regional Advisor; technical teams; Regional Coordinators; Task/Objective Leads; Other Country Managers.

• Bachelor’s Degree and 8 years of experience, Master’s degree and 6 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years’ experience in coordinating technical and organizational energy programs in West Africa.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining a network within the government, donor, utility and private sector partners to influence change in the energy sector in the focus country.
• Demonstrated technical energy experiences in one or more of the following key topic areas: Utility turnaround, regulatory and enabling environment, clean energy development and integration, distributed/ off-grid energy resources, energy efficiency, advanced energy systems, competitive procurement, private sector engagement, regional/ bi-lateral energy trade.
• Understanding of cross-cutting issues including environment/climate change, gender equity and social inclusion and their overlap with the energy sector.
• Experience coordinating activities, workshops, and trainings.
• Experience with project-based reporting systems.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, and with multiple concurrent demands.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to travel and work in any of the project focus countries and in difficult terrain/conditions at times.
• Proficiency in English is required. Proficiency in French or another language relevant to the focus country is highly desirable.

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