Project Coordinator at the West African Power Pool (WAPP)

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) is a Specialized Agency of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) established by the Authority of Head of States and Governments of ECOWAS Member States to ensure the integration of the national power system operations into a unified regional electricity market in order to provide the citizens of ECOWAS Member States with a regular, stable and reliable electricity supply at affordable costs, over the medium to long term. This aims to encourage industrialisation, improve Health and Education, Reduce Poverty, Create Employment Opportunities, etc.

The WAPP Secretariat, in view of achieving its global Vision, intends to increase its staffing by filling the vacant position below:

Job Title: Project Coordinator

Location: Cotonou, Benin Republic
Department: Department of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards (PIPES)
Position Type: International recruitment
Contract Type: Permanent Contract
Reports to: Head of Division, Planning, Projects Studies and Financing

Job Summary

• The Project Coordinator shall be mainly responsible for preparing pre-investment studies for priority projects identified in the WAPP Master Plan for the purpose of implementing them within the required time frame.
• The Project Coordinator reports to The Head of Division, Planning, Projects Studies and Financing.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The Project Coordinator’s key tasks shall be:

• Participating in identifying WAPP power facility projects and prioritizing their implementation;
• Preparing funding requests with Donors for conducting pre-investment studies of proposed power projects;
• Preparing the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the recruitment of Consultants for the purpose of conducting pre-investment studies and ensuring their coordination;
• Participating in the selection process for the Consultants in charge of carrying out the pre-investment studies;
• Coordinating data and information collection pertaining to the pre-investment studies in the concerned countries and/or utilities;
• Reviewing the reports submitted by the Consultants and preparing the relevant comments;
• Coordinating the release of reports on various pre-investment studies and the collection of comments with the stakeholders;
• Update the indicative development plans for WAPP priority projects;
• Ensuring the monitoring and timely delivery of pre-investment study reports;
• Organizing feedback meetings and coordinating the participation of all the stakeholders to the projects;
• Updating information relating to the studies’ progress report in the WAPP database, as well as the funding requirements and sources of funding;
• Drafting quarterly activity reports and other specific activity reports on activities and status of projects under study;
• Organizing and actively taking part in monitoring and consultation meetings for projects at the preparation stage;
• Coordinating the establishment and activities of focal points within concerned utilities and/or countries;
• Preparing and providing presentations on the progress report of WAPP Priority Projects;
• Performing such other duties that may be assigned by the Head of Division, Planning, Projects Studies and Financing.

Requirements
Education:

• B.Sc in Electrical Engineering and Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering are required. Master in Project Management would be an asset.

Professional Years’ Experience:

• Minimum seven (7) years’ experience in the field of power system planning and a good knowledge of international donors’ procurement procedures.

Language:

• Fluent in English or French with a working knowledge of the other language.

Age:

• Candidates should not be over 50 years old at the point of recruitment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required
The applicant shall have:

• A good experience in the drafting and the definition of investment programs for sub-regional and regional projects in West Africa;
• Proven competence in the management and/or coordination of power infrastructure projects, preferably on a regional scale;
• Broad knowledge in funding request and projects folders preparation including Terms of Reference for pre-investments studies;
• Advanced skills in utilizing financial models and financial costs estimates for power infrastructure projects;
• Capacity to work within a short time frame, in a challenging environment;
• Ability to perform tasks effectively as a team member in a multicultural environment, with a minimum of supervision;
• Excellent negotiation and conciliation qualities;
• Sound knowledge of IT tools and Microsoft Office applications, in particular Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project, E-mail (electronic mail) and Internet;
• Good written and oral communication skills with capacities to convey information in an accurate and concise way;
• Strong organizational skills with capacities to plan efficiently workload and perform various tasks simultaneously.

Remuneration/Condition

• The position is on Grade P4 of the WAPP Secretariat Pay Scale. The starting point will depend on the qualifications and experience of the incumbent.
• The WAPP Secretariat offers a competitive compensation packages comparable to those offered by similar regional/international organizations.

Particular Conditions of Work:

• Possible extended working hours and under pressure

Application Closing Date
06:00pm, Benin local time (GMT+1); 30th December, 2018.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Applicants must be a WAPP Member State Citizen. WAPP is an equal opportunity employer that offers equal chances to men and women. Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Both internal and external candidates are encouraged to apply.
• All Applications must be submitted online. Paper applications will not be accepted.
• Applications sent after the required submission deadline will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.