Energy Specialist - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
As part of the IFC's Cross Cutting Advisory Solutions department, the Energy & Resource Efficiency (E&RE) group works to develop clean energy opportunities and improved resource use in emerging markets. The central aim is to increase energy access and optimize the use of
resources to transform markets and improve people's lives. IFC’s E&RE works with a range of industrial sectors including agribusiness, infrastructure, financial institutions, services, manufacturing, among others.
IFC is recruiting an Energy Specialist, E&RE. This is a key position to provide support to both the mini-grids program in Tanzania and the Lighting Tanzania program, focusing specifically on addressing financing issues related to the off-grid sector. The position is to be based in Dar es Salaam. The Energy Specialist will report to the E&REF regional lead based in South Africa. In addition, s/he will also coordinate with the Lighting Africa program manager in Kenya and will work closely with the Program Manager for the mini-grids and Lighting programs in Tanzania.
Access to modern energy services is vital to agricultural productivity, income generation, and the provision of critical social services, notably health and education. Electricity access in Tanzania is estimated at 18 percent nationally, and only 7 percent in rural areas. Women, who shoulder a disproportionate responsibility for household fuel and water collection, food preparation, and agricultural
activities, are especially affected by poor energy supply.
The vastness of Tanzania, coupled with relatively low population densities, make grid extension a challenging and expensive way to electrify many of the countries rural and remote areas. This context presents a significant potential for off-grid energy access solutions. E&RE currently focuses on two commercially-oriented, off-grid projects in Tanzania: supporting the roll-out of a range of mini-grid technologies, and increasing access to modern lighting solutions, across the country.
The Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP) Tanzania Investment Plan was prepared under the leadership of the Government of Tanzania, through a National Task Force led by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM) with support from the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), including the IFC. The broader SREP program in Tanzania seeks to catalyze large-scale deployment of renewable energy and transform the country's energy sector from one that is increasingly dependent on fossil fuels to one that is more balanced and diversified, with a greater share of renewable energy sources, including a specific component on mini-grids.
The mini-grid component is to be managed by IFC, though as part of the overall SREP-Tanzania program. The goal of the mini-grids component is to increase access to affordable modern off-grid energy services for households, commercial and institutional users in rural Tanzania through the development and establishment of a market for commercial mini-grids using renewable energy. This will be achieved through developing and promoting commercially viable mini-grid business models that can leverage private sector resources, including support to financial institutions to extend long-term financing to mini-grid developers. The target is to extend electricity service generated from renewable energy to areas that are without access.
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key program of E&RE is Lighting Africa (www.lightingafrica.org), which works to reduce market barriers for the private sector to reach and provide modern lighting to 250 million people in Africa without electricity by 2030. This is in support of achieving the energy access Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with an emphasis on clean energy solutions. The Lighting Africa program works with lighting product manufacturers, distributors, consumers, financial institutions, development partners, and governments to help build a market for reliable lighting products. Lighting Africa intends to launch a Lighting Tanzania program by early 2016.
The Energy Specialist will support the implementation of IFC energy access initiatives including the mini-grids and Lighting Tanzania programs, working in close coordination with the Program Manager.
For Lighting Tanzania, this will include support to clients and work with financial institutions in order to increase access to finance for companies and customers, including managing the implementation of activities with clients. Similarly for the mini-grids program in Tanzania, the Energy Specialist will provide support across the different activities, with an emphasis on strengthening linkages to the financial sector and debottlenecking financing challenges facing both individual companies and the sector more broadly.
The specific responsibilities of this position include:
Advisory services to clients
The Energy Specialist will provide advisory services aimed at developing and catalyzing commercial markets for clean energy products and services in Tanzania. S/he will work with a small team of IFC staff and/or external consultants to support equipment manufacturers, distribution companies and financial institutions on building replicable business models for the sale of lighting products and/or provision of lighting services to households in off-grid markets in Tanzania.
Work with financing entities
The Energy Specialist will interact with financial entities (investors, lenders, etc.) interested in the energy access space in Tanzania, leveraging IFC colleagues who have client relationships with these stakeholders. This will include working closely with local commercial banks, foundations, regional and international private equity funds, and insurance/guarantee providers, among others, to identify and address gaps in financing of the sector.
Measurement, Reporting & Evaluation
- Support the monitoring and tracking of program performance in line with the log-frame
- Manage individual programs to ensure timely execution and completion of Management Information System reporting requirements
- The Energy Specialist will have volume and development impact targets defined by the E&RE Regional Lead.
- Provide support to market intelligence related activities
- Promote IFC’s missions and goals as well as raise awareness on the Lighting Tanzania and Mini-grids Programs
- Coordinate with internal (World Bank Group) and external entities promoting renewable energy and energy access
- Potentially support to other energy access programs and activities in SSA
- Additional tasks will be added, as needed.
Selection Criteria:
- Masters level education in business, engineering, finance, economics, or related subject
- At least seven (7) years of experience in finance with a preference for work experience with SMEs, and strong demonstrated financial skills
- Demonstrated experience in structuring financial products; candidates having experience with clean energy technologies and markets have a competitive advantage
- Familiarity with the energy sector, particularly energy access, ideally from a business development perspective
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; must be a strong team player
- Capacity to operate successfully in a high pressure, fast-paced, and multicultural environment
- Positive, go-getter attitude, willing to continuously learn, share experiences and knowledge, and encourage innovation
- Good knowledge of the Tanzanian market is essential; knowledge of other markets in SSA desired
- Solid English communication skills; Kiswahili is important and desired.
Cover letter should clearly describe the relevant results the candidate has delivered in prior positions, rather than simply listing responsibilities.
To apply:
Energy Specialist - at least 7 years of relevant experience + advanced degree
Senior Energy Specialist - Dakar, Senegal
As part of the IFC’s Cross Cutting Advisory Solutions department, the Energy & Resource Efficiency (E&RE) group works to develop clean energy opportunities and improved resource use in emerging markets. The central aim is to increase energy access and optimize the use of resources to transform markets and improve people's lives. IFC’s E&RE works with a range of industrial sectors including agribusiness, infrastructure, financial institutions, services, manufacturing, among others.
IFC is seeking a Senior Energy Specialist with expertise in hydropower and general power sector experience to support with client engagements and sector level work related to clean energy investments in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. This position is based in Dakar, Senegal.
The Senior Energy Specialist will be a core resource in developing relations and delivering client facing advisory work in SSA and other regions as needed, and will have key responsibility for delivery of certain sector level activities.
Duties and responsibilities include the following:
Delivery to clients
- Identify hydropower project opportunities in SSA to support potential IFC client engagements, including investigating and forecasting client needs and potential for impact related to E&RE. Also, participate in marketing activities
- Independently, evaluate and review technical documentation related to hydropower projects (master plans, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, detailed design documentation, etc.), assess their financial feasibility and conduct initial assessment of project relevant permits and licenses
- For all hydropower related projects in SSA, jointly with the E&RE Regional Lead, structure client engagements by addressing all key aspects (scope of work, budget and pricing, timeline, deliverables etc.), prepare client approach materials (pitch presentations, offers etc.), support agreement drafting, secure and supervise processing of internal IFC clearances etc. Participate in negotiations process and assist the client leads with related tasks
- For all hydropower related projects, lead direct delivery of client advisory engagements providing direct technical expertise or/and managing/supervising selected consultants
- Work with IFC Infrastructure and PPP teams to help assessing (from technical point of view) hydropower projects
- Act as client manager for select clients.
Implementing sector level work
- Support the development of power sector efforts in select SSA countries, i.e. support scoping efforts and monitor clean energy sector development in select priority countries in order to identify, assess and make recommendations on viable regional, sector and client level opportunities
- Lead interactions and facilitate consultations with key private and public sector players (in hydropower and other clean energy) with the aim to develop business for IFC, share IFC knowledge, best practices and experience and at the same time collect market intelligence relevant for IFC business
- Proactively consider interests of key stakeholders and engage with relevant partners to make successful client or sector intervention
- Prepare materials and represent the E&RE Program in seminars, conferences, other sector events focused on hydropower and other clean energy.
Capturing impacts and knowledge
- Work with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officers and E&RE teams to ensure that firm and sector level results are properly captured. Systematically analyze what worked or didn’t and shares lessons across IFC
- Assist in building E&RE’s capacity to play an important role in hydro development of all sizes (small, medium and large)
- Contribute to corporate knowledge base and share effective approaches with E&RE team members and other IFC units
- Help fulfill internal and donor reporting requirements.
Selection Criteria:
- Master’s degree in engineering (preferably electrical or mechanical or civil engineering with specialization in hydropower)
- At least nine (9) years of relevant work experience
- Comprehensive knowledge of technical, environmental, legal, commercial and financial issues related to private sector hydropower project development
- Experience in providing inputs and advices in designing tendering documentation for energy projects
- In-depth expertise in hydropower plants design, development and operation with recognized track record in delivering technical advice to hydro project developers (private or public)
- Demonstrated ability to deliver innovative analytic work with proven track record of results
- Self-starter with strong organizational, and problem-solving skills, including ability to demonstrate the business case for energy and resource efficiency
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely for expert and non-expert audiences, including ability to communicate technical and financial aspects of energy projects to diverse audiences
- Excellent communication skills including client relationships, presentation and negotiation skills as well as superb analytical writing
- Results-oriented approach with demonstrated history of accomplishments
- Well networked within the professional community in hydropower and in general power industries
- Fluency in English and French. Working knowledge of other languages will be considered as a strong plus.
To apply:
Senior Energy Specialist - at least 9 years of relevant experience + advanced degree
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