Principal Renewable Energy Specialist at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Renewable Energy Specialist, PERN1

Reference: ADB/20/137
Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50078315

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s Ten Years Strategy, High 5s priorities of “Light up and Power Africa”.
• The complex’s objectives are (i) to develop policy and strategy; (ii) to provide deep sector technical expertise to the Regions by gathering pool of experienced individuals who can be consulted for their expertise on complicated transactions; (iii) to develop new financing instruments; (iv) to act as spokesperson to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on all aspects of “Light Up and Power Africa”.
• The Complex will focus on areas of Power systems, policy and regulation, renewable energy; and, Climate and Green Growth.

The Department / Division:

• The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department has the broad objective of promoting the development of renewable energy - both large and small scale - and promoting energy efficiency along with clean cooking.
• More specifically, the department is mandated to (i) function as a one-stop source / hub for renewables programmes/projects, energy efficiency and clean cooking (ii) focus on “enabling market development” with an emphasis on developing new approaches / areas (e.g. mini-grid programmes, thematic or country focused funds) and play a lead role in establishing region- or country-specific programmes (iii)  mobilise concessional resources as part of the structuring of blended finance finance solutions for projects and programmes. The Department also hosts the Desert to Power (DtP) Taskforce.
• The DtP initiative aims to accelerate economic development in the Sahel region through the deployment of solar technologies at scale. Specifically, DtP proposes to deliver electricity to 160 million people on-grid and 90 million off-grid and to add solar energy generation capacity of up to 10 GW through a combination of public and private interventions. The initiative covers 11 countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan).
• The initial rollout will focus on the G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger). It aims to develop and implement electrification program based on solar power generation including grid based, mini-grid and off-grid access scale up for households, social and economic infrastructure including energy for productive uses.

The Position

• The Renewable Energy Specialist (Desert to Power) will play a lead role across a range of activities linked to the development, financing and deployment of renewable energy projects, including a coordinating role in the context of the Desert to Power Taskforce.
• The job holder will focus on (i) the identification, preparation and implementation of bankable renewable energy generation projects, including both grid-connected and decentralized technologies (ii) support the design and implementation of both public and private sector initiatives, including investment facilities; (iii) support Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in particular in the Sahel with designing investment scale-up programmes to attract private sector players, along with the mobilization of concessional resources and implementation of innovative blended finance solutions; and (iv) more broadly coordinate the various activities undertaken in the context of the Desert to Power initiative.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Division Manager - Renewable Energy, the Principal Renewable Energy Specialist (Desert to Power) will perform the following:

• Coordinate the various activities of the Desert to Power Taskforce, ensure regular engagement and communication with internal and external partners including the country focal points and Steering Committee members, and prepare regular updates on the implementation of the initiative.
• Develop detailed implementation plans for the five priority areas (on-grid solar generation capacity, transmission reinforcement and regional interconnections, deployment of decentralized energy solutions, utility reform and creation of a favourable enabling environment) of the Desert to Power initiative.
• Assist regional member countries in structuring renewable energy and energy access scale-up programmes, including Independent Power Producer (IPP), green mini-grids and solar home systems scale-up programmes, engaging with relevant stakeholders on aspects of enabling policy and regulatory environment.
• Coordinate the mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Desert to Power initiative, comprising internal and external funding sources such as climate finance facilities.
• Lead project origination and business development activities, with a view to developing a pipeline of sustainable energy investments to which AfDB’s full range of financial instruments, including concessional finance could be applied.
• Lead the preparation, appraisal and due diligence processes for both projects and programmes, for presentation to the relevant Bank internal committees and to the Board where necessary.
• Contribute to the preparation of knowledge and analytical work for to inform country-focussed strategy work as well as new operations in renewable energy.
• Undertake any other task that the Division Manager or Director may assign.

Selection Criteria

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in Energy, Renewable Energy, Engineering, Business Administration or related subjects;
• Have a minimum of six (6) years professional experience at project level, broad knowledge of all energy sub-sectors, including renewable energy technologies and business models.
• Proven ability to interact competently with, as well as to assess and provide technical advisory services to, both public and private sector stakeholders in the renewable energy space;
• Experience in Multilateral or Development Bank / Development Financial Institutions operations, preferably in an African context, not mandatory but desirable;
• Good understanding of public and private sector financing, experience in resource mobilization and structuring of blended finance solutions.
• Experience in forging and managing relationships with a variety of stakeholders - local organizations, governments and financing institutions.
• Full knowledge of the principles of project cycle and project implementation;
• Strong interpersonal and client orientation skills, with proven experience in coordinating various activities and diverse teams.
• Communicate and write effectively in either French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); Knowledge of SAP.

Application Closing Date
21st October, 2020.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Information / Notice

• This position is classified international status and attracts international terms and conditions of employment
• Should you encounter technical difficulties in submitting your application, please send an email with a precise description of the issue and/or a screenshot showing the problem to: HR Direct [email protected](link sends e-mail)
• To apply for this position, you need to be national of one of AfDB member countries.
• Applicants who fully meet the Bank's requirements and are considered for interview will be contacted. Only online applications submitted with a comprehensive Curriculum Vitae (CV) and copies of the required degrees will be considered. The President, AfDB, reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level. The African Development Bank is an equal opportunities employer. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) does not ask for payments of any kind from applicants throughout the recruitment process (job application, CV review, interview meeting, and final processing of applications). In addition, the Bank does not request information on applicants’ bank accounts. The African Development Bank Group declines all responsibility for the fraudulent publications of job offers in its name or, in general, for the fraudulent use of its name in any way whatsoever.