Programme Coordinator, Energy/Biogas in Developing Countries – Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland)
Do you want to make a concrete impact on the combined challenges of climate change and poverty alleviation? Within a team of enthusiastic and driven colleagues and an organisation that offers plenty of opportunities. Then join us and become our new Coordinator for the African Biodigester Component (ABC) programme!
ABC aims to significantly grow the commercial market for domestic biodigesters in 5 countries in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger) in close cooperation with companies, development organisations, governments and finance providers. In doing so, we use technical assistance and capacity building, knowledge sharing and various financing instruments that are focused on local and international SMEs and market conditions in the target countries.
Sustainable market growth and upscaling beyond the current programme phase are key elements. The ABC core team consists of four people, and works intensively with colleagues from sister programmes in the team. ABC and the Higher Tier Cooking Component (HTCC, with EU funding) programme jointly form the “Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Clean Cooking” programme. Close coordination between the two components is vital. In concrete terms, ABC plans to facilitate the installation of 50,250 biodigesters in the coming years, providing 251,250 people with access to modern energy services and saving 181,000 Mtonnes of CO2 emissions.
As Coordinator, you will be responsible for managing the RVO programme team, and together with them managing the subsidy projects of implementing parties in the field. In doing so, you have an awareness of and take into account the specific focus areas agreed with principals. You will also be responsible for liaising with the programme’s financiers (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Danida, EU), maintaining close cooperation with the sister programme “Higher Tier Cooking Component” and coordinating with governments in the target countries, with other development partners and commercial parties.
You will be an active sparring partner in the implementation and development of Dutch policy on energy and climate in developing countries. You will take part in international discussions around energy access.
You will also be part of the coordinator team of the Global Energy and Climate Issues (MVEK) team, which manages the roughly 30-member team together with the team manager, and you will contribute to the positioning and collaboration of MVEK with other parts of the organisation.
Job Requirements:
As a person you are enthusiastic, the “engine” of the team, capable of motivating and guiding your team members, while always focusing on the result to be achieved. At the same time, you look beyond the margins of the programme and are always looking to establish connections and create extra impact, both internally and externally. You are comfortable in complex collaborative relationships, and have experience with diplomatic and culturally sensitive situations. You have a broad outlook extending across the field. You are creative and highly proficient at writing programme and project proposals as well as developing new concepts. You enjoy working in a team and know how to set out clear lines in that context.
What else do you bring to the position?
- You have gained extensive work experience in the field, including at least 7 years in technical assistance and financing in the area of SDG7/energy access in developing countries, preferably biogas.
- The international playing field is familiar territory for you and during your career you have built a broad network in the field of energy access, both in the public and private sectors, globally and nationally.
- As coordinator, you are able to contribute to vision development, strategy formulation and policy advice in relation to energy access and climate change mitigation.
- You have excellent communication and influencing skills.
- Excellent communication skills in English. Dutch is preferably at least A2 level. In any case the selected candidate will attend training to improve to B2. Knowledge of French is an advantage.
- You need to have a registration in The Netherlands (address and social security number) once selected for the job.
- You are willing to travel abroad on a regular basis.
To learn more and apply, click here.
