Director – Africa Clean Energy Business (ACE-Business), Component 1: Technical Assistance for the Enabling Environment & Learning Facility

Job Description

• Exciting opportunity to create an improved enabling environment for solar home systems across 14 sub-Saharan African countries
• 4 years, estimated start date: April 2017
• Location: TBC

The Programme

ACE-Business will catalyse a market-based approach for private sector delivery of solar home system (SHS) products and services. This will lead to improved energy access for people and communities in sub-Saharan Africa currently without modern energy, with an emphasis on poor people and marginalised groups – in particular women and girls.

Component 1: TA and Learning Facility will support the implementation of policy, regulatory and other actions developed by the Energy Africa Compacts. These aim to improve the enabling environment for a market-based approach to private sector delivery of SHS products and services. This specifically includes:

• Assisting governments to put in place appropriate policy and regulatory reforms
• Generating and disseminating knowledge and evidence on the success factors for, and benefits of, private sector delivery of off-grid solar energy across Africa
• Promoting collaboration between ACE Business and other relevant initiatives, and encouraging other donors to contribute towards ACE objectives and activities

The Position

Coffey-Tetra Tech is seeking a dynamic and influential Director with demonstrated capacity to implement complex multi-country donor programmes. The ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate excellent leadership skills and the ability to facilitate partnerships between the public and private sector actors. The candidate must be able to quickly build rapport with key government institutions, non-state actors and private sector organisations, to influence an effective policy reform agenda and drive its implementation.

The role requires a strong understanding of the sub-Saharan energy regulatory and policy environment. S/he will lead a team of international and local experts skilled in energy sector reform, business enabling environment, learning and knowledge management, and communication experts. As such s/he will demonstrate how to effectively bring together a diverse and multi-country team that can deliver improved an improved enabling environment to drive the affordability and increased access to solar home systems in Africa.

The Person

Essential

• An advanced university degree (or equivalent) in the fields of economics, public policy, engineering, or other relevant;
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in managing programmes in the field of energy, business enabling environment and policy and regulatory reform;
• Experience of implementing large (£10 million+) donor programmes, with demonstrated ability to drive the design and implementation of multi-country work streams in complex and diverse environments;
• Strong networks/relationships in government and in county level governments, and demonstrated experience in being able to influence decision makers;
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement institutional capacity building initiatives in sub-Sahara Africa;
• Track record of facilitating relationships and partnerships between public and private sector actors;
• Demonstrated diplomatic and negotiation skills;
• Substantial managerial experience leading a team of local and international experts;
• Willingness to travel extensively across multiple African countries

Desirable

• Knowledge of managing learning and knowledge management components across a set of diverse geographies;
• Demonstrated track record of effectively coordinating inputs and focus areas with government priorities and other donor programmes;
• Working knowledge of DFID’s approaches to market development, and experience in supporting programme design;
• Knowledge and experience of delivering DFID programmes, including ensuring value for money throughout the project lifecycle;
• Knowledge of management of programmes with a large facility component;

How to Apply

Please submit an up-to-date CV, and Cover Letter that outlines your relevant experience for this role.

Applications close: 26^th September 2016

Coffey-Tetra Tech has a 40 year history in successfully delivering international development projects on behalf of donors right around the world, including Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, USAID and the UK’s Department for International Development. Our people work side by side with local partners to support stability, economic growth and good governance, positively changing people’s lives.

About the Organization

MSI, a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, DC metro area international development firm with a 35-year history of delivering development results across the world. Our core expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), institutional development, public sector management, governance and anti-corruption. MSI implements nearly 100 projects in 90 countries around the world such as Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Colombia, and Mexico. As one of the leading companies in our field, MSI has partnered with more than 80 organizations across all sectors of international development with clients ranging from large bilateral and multilateral donors such as USAID, the World Bank and the UNDP to national and local governments, NGOs, think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.