Sector Jobs

Senior Program Manager, Clean Energy Access

CLASP serves at the epicenter of collaborative, ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change and in the global movement for clean energy access, through appliance efficiency. Our mission is to improve the energy and environmental performance of the appliances & equipment we use every day, accelerating our transition to a more sustainable world. We work hand-in-hand with governments, experts, industry, consumers, donor organizations and others to propel policies and markets toward the highest quality, lowest resource-intensive appliances possible.

CLASP has worked in more than 100 countries since its inception in 1999. CLASP has offices in Washington, DC (USA), Nairobi (Kenya), and New Delhi (India). We also have teams in Europe, China, and Indonesia. We are mission-driven and committed to a culture of diversity, transparency, collaboration, and impactful work. See our Team Page to learn more about us.

CLASP’s Clean Energy Access Team

CLASP’s Clean Energy Access (CEA) programs support ambitious efforts to increase global access to clean energy through appliance and equipment energy efficiency. We work in partnership with key stakeholders in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, China- with support from a diverse group of funders.

Our team helps build healthy markets for off-grid solar products value chain innovation and sales in early-stage product markets, market development, surfacing data and research on product performance, market trends, and consumer preferences, establishing technical foundations for consumer protection and aligning sector stakeholders across the value-chain.

From advancing off-grid solar technologies, bringing power to energy-impoverished people, to building the climate resilience of under-served communities, CLASP’s CEA programs increase the uptake of affordable, low-impact, high-quality appliances.

About the Role

The Senior Manager will oversee CLASP’s flagship Productive Use Appliance Financing Facility, (PUFF or The Facility). The Facility was launched in 2022 to make productive use appliances more affordable to consumers and companies in emerging markets and to bolster the companies providing these life-changing solutions. The Facility is a multi-country results-based financing program, structured to address the challenges early-stage productive use market players face when entering new markets and achieving sustainable scale.  The Senior Manager is responsible for leading The Facility, including a team and partners located in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda and the US—in collaboration with CLASP’s Senior Director for Africa. They develop and nurture partnerships with stakeholders worldwide, including funders, appliance manufacturers and distributors, and other NGOs. They contribute to overall organizational direction and strategy and lead the strategic direction of CLASP’s finance and subsidy portfolio.

The Senior Manager needs an extraordinary capacity for program strategy, development, execution and administration, leadership of high-performing teams, deep expertise in clean energy market development and financing, energy policy dynamics, world-class collaboration and communication skills, a commitment to impacts and results, entrepreneurship, and a great sense of humor.

Responsibilities Include:

• Program Oversight: Working with the team, directing the implementation and delivery of the PUFF Program. Oversee program budget, implementation and staffing plans including the M&E metrics/requirements.
• Thought leadership and strategy: Guide the continued evolution of CLASP’s financial intermediation portfolio by identifying new areas to deliver impact, and redefining strategies for scale.
• Lead and grow a high-performing team: Supervise and enable the continued growth of a dynamic team of professional staff, facilitate ongoing training and professional development, and identify future staffing and recruiting needs. Work with and through high-performing managers to facilitate continued success.
• Establish and nurture partnerships: Build support among key stakeholders and forge new, impact-focused partnerships, including with sector industry leaders, trade associations, government decision-makers, and donor organizations; with the goal of positioning and scaling our impact.
• Track impacts and progress: Contribute to the ongoing development of program impact metrics. Monitor and evaluate the progress of project activities, identify opportunities for improvement, and communicate progress.
• Communication and Advocacy: Work with CLASP’s communications team to design and disseminate compelling stories of program success, research outcomes, lessons learned, etc. Work with colleagues around the world to share plans and strategies. Be a leading strategic voice within and outside of the organization, and bolster PUFF’s brand equity and reputation through both internal and external engagements, e.g. speaking engagements, thought pieces.
• Contribute to Business Development: All members of the CLASP team contribute to fundraising and business development, in the context of an entrepreneurial and innovative organizational culture with strong values. Lead business development for PUFF, through supporting proposal development and fundraising activities. Act as a primary interface with clients and external partners.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Adapt and respond to work priorities: You adapt initiatives, priorities, and methods based on changing operational/external conditions and client need. You tailor work based on team capacities, organizational priorities, resources, client needs, and operational/external context
• Persuade: You advise managers and teams on new approaches that sustain project/program quality or delivery. You build collaborative networks with clients and external stakeholders that assess performance, anticipate needs, and enable adaptation of projects and programs.
• Adapt the Project and Program Cycle: You sustain quality and timeliness of delivery while incorporating new learnings, policies and procedures based on evolving client feedback, stakeholder needs and operational demands.

Qualifications

• Entrepreneurial mindset to design, develop, and execute long-term initiatives.  A proactive individual who is nimble, and with a strategic approach to problem-solving.
• A systems thinker with experience in supporting clean technology companies to scale.
• 10+ years of experience in international program implementation; business- and partnership-development experience preferred.
• Deep understanding and implementation experience on the use of financial instruments to launch and scale energy markets.
• Fluency with equity and debt instruments. Experience with fund management is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, international relations, development, economics, environmental science) preferred.
• Experience in distributed renewable energy or related sectors required, with geographic experience in Africa and South Asia, appliance or technology policy experience a plus.
• Demonstrated ability in program development and implementation.
• Persuasive communication skills, both verbal and written; exceptional written and spoken English a must.
• Demonstrated experience developing high-impact partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience in growing and developing team members.
• Ability to work from the big picture to the small details.
• Ability to maintain composure, flexibility, and a sense of humor under tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and listening skills.

Compensation and Location

CLASP offers employees a highly competitive salary, regularly benchmarked against similar organizations in our industry. As a global organization, collaboration across various time zones is expected, and international travel will be required. We provide comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, along with unlimited leave and observance of local public holidays. Furthermore, our supportive work environment fosters professional growth and wellness while offering flexibility for telecommuting. This position can be based in either Nairobi, Kenya (as a permanent employee) or in Nigeria (preferably Abuja or Lagos, as a consultant).

The Application Process

To be considered for a position, interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter, indicating your desired position and salary requirements. This position will remain open until filled, but individuals who apply by 6 December 2024 will be given priority; therefore, we encourage you to submit yours soon!

When you apply, we kindly ask you to remove your schools from your resume. There is no need to reformat your resume and leave your degree as is simplify it to “B.A. Economics” for example. Just remember to remove any undergraduate and graduate school name references where possible. This “bias-reduced” process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments instead of resume proxies (e.g., where you went to school).

To learn more and apply, click here.