Sector Jobs

Senior Associate, Programmes, SEforALL

Background About SEforALL

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 below 2° 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.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. 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 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. The new SEforALL three-year business plan outlines “results offers” that scope out our planned interventions and demonstrate to our funding partners the impact of their support.

Context and Objective of Assignment

Results Based Financing Background – Sovereign donors are increasingly experimenting with Results-Based Financing (RBF) for energy access programmes. Providing financial support at the required speed and scale to achieve SDG7 (and to reach the last-mile communities that are the most vulnerable) will require a paradigm shift towards RBF, which would allow governments and donors to: Shift an appropriate level of risk of delivery to the private sector; provide greater certainty to industry about the level of financial support required; and aggregate financing and scale support across multiple countries.

SEforALL launched and operationalized the Universal Energy Facility (UEF) in October 2020 as a multi-donor RBF facility designed to significantly speedup and scaleup the delivery of energy connections in Sub-Saharan Africa. The UEF provides incentive payments to eligible organizations that deploy energy solutions and provide verified end-user energy connections.

SEforALL’s activities include designing end-to-end UEF framework and processes, including qualification criteria, technical specifications and KPIs; conducting analysis of base case assumptions and financial modeling to ensure a sound subsidy amount; setting up the UEF Governance Structure; carrying out in-country due diligence and stakeholder engagement; and managing the full process from pre-qualification and site specific applications to grant disbursements. The UEF was launched in October 2020 with the application process opening for mini-grid projects in Sierra Leone and Madagascar. The UEF expanded to Benin for mini-grid projects in early 2021. Over the coming year, SEforALL expects to significantly grow the UEF to be a USD 100 million facility operating in multiple countries in Africa, expanding the mini-grid windows and launching new windows for solar for productive use (SSPU).

The main objectives of the Results Based Financing (RBF) Results Offer are:

• To provide a funding mechanism that allows for scale, speed and efficiency to achieve universal energy access by 2030.
• To operationalize and scale the UEF for mini-grids, stand-alone systems for productive uses, and clean cooking solutions.
• Under the RBF programme, SEforALL also provides advocacy, communications and outreach to promote and scale the transition to results-based approaches to providing energy access.

Purpose/Objective of the Role

The main objectives of the role include:

• Programme implementation and support: working closely with RBF programme manager and team to execute several programme objectives which include RBF Grantee management and monitoring, and support with the evaluation of applications;
• Support core programme operating and administrative functions including stakeholder management;
• Conduct and/or oversee research including support in-country due diligence and providing technical support to the mini-grids and SSPU programme.

Duties and Tasks for the Role

The main tasks of the role include, but are not limited to:

Programme management

• Support the RBF programme manager and team in the management of UEF Grantees and engagement with key public sector stakeholders and intergovernmental institutions.
• Support the development and improvement of SEforALL’s strategy and program change on UEF, and support tracking of KPIs
• Technical and research support: Provide research support for RBF programme, for instance for country due diligence, preparing reports, technical briefs and other forms of materials
• Provide support in evaluating applications: Engage with applicants and track completeness of applications, coordinate with the Financial and Technical Specialist and assist in evaluation of applications, liaise with the UEF IT Platform provider to resolve any technical issues as may arise in the application process.

Administration

• Provide support to the RBF programme day-day operations and events by coordinating and scheduling meetings and workshops; preparing and circulating meeting agendas and minutes; drafting correspondence; assisting in coordinating work programs.
• Provide liaison support between different teams to carry out key functions around communications, MEL, supporting marketing & social media activities: invitations, press releases, newsletters, video, photos, webpage, and other administrative items as needed.
• Track UEF deliverables that are part of various procurements, with guidance from the Programme Manager.
• Work with other teams within SEforALL to support the development of knowledge and implementation work products that utilize the breadth of skills at SEforALL.
• Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in own work area to bring about awareness and understanding, as well as utilise SEforALL systems and process to share the knowledge. e.g., Salesforce.
• Other tasks and duties as may be required.

Specific Competencies for the Role

• 3 years of experience specifically in the off-grid energy sector with an understanding of its policy and regulatory aspects and general stakeholder landscape.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in handling similar tasks; Knowledge of international organizations is an advantage.
• Ability to communicate and work in French is considered a strong asset.
• Previous experience in project management and stakeholder management is an advantage.
• Very strong research and analytical skills, with strong quantitative and qualitative ability.
• Proven ability to work with others to create, synthesize and/ or share relevant knowledge and to stimulate its use.
• Demonstrated experience in successful task/ project management, working with multiple internal and external stakeholders.

General Competencies for the Role

• Innovation and Adaptability: Has proficient skills in innovation and adaptability. Is open and easily adapts to evolving circumstances as well as helps others in doing so.
• Resilience and Emotional Intelligence: Has proficient knowledge in the concepts of resilience and emotional intelligence. Is able to remain calm in challenging situations, to cope with setbacks, is responsive to the emotions of others and maintains a high level of performance.
• Analytical and Strategic Thinking: Has a proficient level of analytical and strategic thinking skills. Gathers and processes demanding information, develops innovative solutions and contributes to methods and procedures for standard tasks to cross-functional work groups.
• Collaboration and Partnership: Demonstrates proficient initiative and abilities to collaborate and form partnerships in own area of responsibility. Identifies, builds, develops and maintains long-lasting partnerships and actively creates positive team spirit.
• Lead and Empower: Demonstrates initiative and role model behaviour in leading and empowering others. Takes responsibility for own work activities and personal actions and carries out the commitments agreed upon.
• Political and diplomatic understanding: Has a proficient level of political and diplomatic understanding.
• Communicating information: Has expert skills in communicating information and uses the skills effectively in own scope of work and regularly in others’ work.
• Research and Analytics: Has proficient skills in research and analytics.
• Project Management: Has proficient skills in project management. Plans and organises their own work in support of achieving the team’s objectives.
• Client Orientation / Striving for Excellence: Has proficient skills in client orientation and achieving excellency in work delivery.

Salary information: SEforALL has adopted its own salary scales corresponding to the SEforALL grading system. The minimum yearly salary for this position is EUR 52,370. The actual salary offer will be determined within the scale depending on the successful candidate’s qualification and experience, and applying the principle of internal equity. In addition to the base salary, SEforALL staff receive a benefits package that includes contribution to pension, contribution to health insurance & homeworking allowance.

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