SEforALL: Stakeholder Engagement Officer
Background Information – Job-specific
UNOPS hosts Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Secretariat/Programme in Vienna, Austria. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an independent organization with a global mandate to accelerate progress on the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. We work at the intersection of energy, climate, and development. We collaborate with governments and partners worldwide to end energy poverty, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy solutions, and combat climate change.
Our vision is a world where everyone, everywhere, can lead a dignified life on a healthy planet, powered by sustainable energy. We promote this vision by pushing for higher ambitions, stronger policies, greater finance flows, increased localization and green jobs, and faster results toward an energy transition that leaves no one behind.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. Since then, our CEO has served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.
SEforALL believes distributed renewable energy (DRE) technologies are vital to countries’ efforts to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Over the past decade, breakthroughs have made these technologies (including mini-grids and solar home systems) more affordable, faster to deploy, and more impactful than ever before. These advances make DRE a compelling proposition for expanding energy access, particularly in rural and remote areas where most underserved populations live.
As part of its efforts to create a thriving DRE market, SEforALL engages in, and in some cases drives, partnership platforms to help coordinate efforts, share knowledge and advance thought leadership in the DRE and energy access space, more broadly. Doing so helps to create a more cohesive and efficient DRE sector.
One such partnership platform is the Mini-Grid Partnership (MGP). The MGP’s remit is to foster deeper collaboration and coordination amongst the mini-grid sector’s key players to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy mini-grids in communities facing energy poverty challenges. Today, the MGP is a consortium of over 300 members across government, private sector, civil society and philanthropy, with operations co-led by SEforALL as Secretariat and by the Alliance for Rural Electrification.
In addition to the MGP, SEforALL also engages in and supports other complementary sector co-ordination and intelligence platforms and events including the Community of Champions, the Household Solar Funders Group, the End-user Subsidy Lab, the Mini-grid Action Learning Event, the recently formed CORE initiative and the Results-Based Financing Leadership Group (among others).
SEforALL is also spearheading a significant project in Zambia, in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). The project aims to scale up Zambia’s mini-grid sector by establishing a comprehensive data baseline, validating the technical and financial feasibility of mini-grids, and activating the market for the rollout of the “1,000 communities” program. This initiative focuses on supporting the deployment of an initial 100 mini-grids as a proof of concept to assess financial viability, identify operational challenges, and evaluate socio-economic impacts. The insights gained from this phase will inform strategies for scaling up the deployment to the remaining 900 communities, ensuring a sustainable and impactful nationwide rollout.
The project emphasizes stakeholder activation, sustainable program design, and the transfer of knowledge and technology to local communities, aiming to build in-country capacity and create a replicable model for other regions. By focusing on these strategic objectives, SEforALL is laying the groundwork for a successful expansion of clean energy access in Zambia, with the potential to serve as a model for similar efforts in other countries.
Purpose and Scope of Assignment
Under the guidance of the Programme Manager, Energy Access Partnerships, this role supports the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement for the 1000 Initiative. The position focuses on assisting in the identification and mapping of key stakeholders, cultivating partnerships, and establishing mechanisms for regular consultation and feedback. This includes supporting communication efforts through the development of content for various platforms, assisting in the organization of events, and contributing to the creation of program materials. The role also involves supporting knowledge building and sharing, and providing analytical support for program development, all within the framework of advancing the 1000 Initiative’s goals.
Functional Responsibilities
- Support the development and implementation of a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy for the 1000 Initiative.
- Assist in identifying key stakeholders (governments, NGOs, private sector, communities, etc.), mapping their influence and interests, and designing tailored engagement plans.
- Support the Programme Lead by assisting with the coordination and documentation of strategic partnerships, and contribute to related communication and outreach efforts to advance the 1000 Initiative’s goals.
- Establish mechanisms for regular stakeholder consultation and feedback to ensure the 1000 Initiative is responsive to stakeholder needs and priorities through surveys, focus groups, workshops, and online forums.
- Support in designing and implementing campaigns that raise awareness and drive action towards the 1000 initiative agenda.
- Facilitate knowledge building and sharing to exhibit thought leadership and utilise SEforALL systems and processes to share the knowledge.
- Prepare blogs and articles relevant to the Initiative for external publication (lessons learned, flagship stories, etc.
- Develop key programme concept notes, presentation materials and communications to engage and influence stakeholders using data analysis and best-in-class approaches.
- Collaborate with the SEforALL communication team with social media management and website management relevant to the 1000 Initiative program.
- Support the organization of events, webinars, workshops, panels including high-level forums such as SEforALL forum, COP 30, M300 gatherings, etc.
Education/Experience/Language requirements
a. Education
- Bachelor’s degree in energy, engineering, law, political sciences, economics, communication, business administration or a related field.
b. Work Experience & Language Requirements
- Minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience supporting communications in the energy space (energy, energy access, climate) is required.
- Experience in stakeholder engagement and outreach activities is required.
- Experience creating blogs, articles, social media, design and implementing campaigns is desirable.
- Experience in the organization of webinars, events, workshops, or meetings is an asset.
- Experience working in rural development and implementing impactful projects in rural regions of developing countries is considered an asset.
c. Language
- Fluency in English is required.
- Working knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.