Job Description

Vacancy Announcement #032/2023

Component Manager – Social Electrification and AMrket Development (SEMD) EnDev

Contract End Date: 31/12/2023 (with possibility of extension up to 31/12/2025)

Application deadline: 15.03.2023

Duty station: Addis Ababa

As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development policy objectives. GIZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. In Ethiopia, GIZ has been working for more than 40 years in bilateral cooperation on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and on the commission of the Ethiopian Government and other international donors.

Energizing Development (EnDev) is an international flagship program for providing energy access. 760 million people worldwide live without electricity and about 2.6 billion people lack access to clean cookstoves. EnDev focuses on providing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy as a means to deliver social, economic, and environmental change in more than 20 countries worldwide. EnDev is currently financed by four donor countries – the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Switzerland with additional donors in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, Energizing Development (EnDev) is implemented and coordinated by GIZ and supports sustainable energy access in two main components: Clean Cooking and Lower/Higher Tier Electrification. Target groups are lower-income households, social institutions and small to medium sized enterprises, mostly in rural areas. EnDev supports a sustainable access to electricity through provision of various renewable energy technologies customized to the context of rural Ethiopia.

EnDev Ethiopia currently has two electrification Sub-Components.

The Higher Tier Electrification Sub-Component focuses on community driven Solar Mini Grid Program as well as some innovation pilots on Nano/Smart Grids. This may include Productive use of Energy (PuE) activities and financing mechanisms, such as PayGo and result Based Financing (RBF).

The ‘Lower Tier Electrification (Pico PV, SHS, Stand Alone Systems) Sub-Component looks into electrification of households as well as social institutions like health centers, schools among others. This will also include activities under the project Energizing Health, where solar cooling devices will be delivered to Health Centers.

Both Sub-Components will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoWE) and certain activities in collaboration with Ethiopia’s Regional Energy Bureaus, electric utilities and associations. Energizing Health will also work with the Ministry of Health and its regional counterparts.

Energizing Development (EnDev) Ethiopia is now looking for a highly qualified candidate to lead these two sub-components.

As Head of the electrification component in the Energizing Development (EnDev) Program Ethiopia you will thus make a qualitative and sustainable contribution to the off-grid energy program in Ethiopia. The trustful cultivation of relationships with our partners and clients and the internal cooperation are particularly important focal points of your activity.

Responsibilities

 The Component Manager will have the following areas of responsibility:

•  Under guidance of EnDev Ethiopia Project Director, overseeing the Social electrification agenda of the project, in close collaboration with the Component Managers of the EnDev Cooking Energy (CE) Component as well as internal and external relevant stakeholders.

• Provide technical oversight, lead the planning, implementation and monitoring of the implementation of activities under the project, paying attention to complementary aspects with the Clean Cooking component of EnDev Ethiopia.

• Identify suitable off grid solar technologies to be customized to the local context, capacity development of Government and private sector and consumer groups to promote and adopt the technologies 

• Provide leadership in the establishment, implementation and furthering of partnerships with various stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental, for an effective implementation of key project objectives.

• Monitor and provide leadership on policy initiatives, both at regional as well as national levels, to facilitate the renewable energy transformation in Ethiopia.

• Oversee the advocacy and supply chain development activities of the project to achieve specified objectives. 

• Lead the provision of professional advice/technical assistance to end-users, stakeholders and partners in electrification technologies and related BDS support.

• Overseeing contracts for implementation of various activities by third parties 

• Create and maintain synergies between EnDev Ethiopia and other GIZ energy projects as well as other related programs in the sector.

• Manage and lead the project interventions, coordination of the work plans, monitoring of the workload and performance, recommend capacity development for the project team where needed/feasible and as appropriate.

• Prepare and monitor the budget and the financial utilization of the component as per GIZ financial management regulations and the plan in consultation with the head of the EnDev Ethiopia.

•  Within the above broader context, the project manager will fulfill the following tasks:

 Tasks

 Technical Oversight & Implementation Responsibility 

• Advise staff members on effective crafting and implementation of sector transformation efforts for the Sub-Components to achieve set objectives

•  Guide the identification, selection, implementation and monitoring of policy redress to key constraints for private sector investment in Off grid solar technologies.

• Engage in the design and implementation of high-level sector coordination i.e. including public private dialogues on key policy issues that hinder enhanced participation of the private sector in the cooking energy space.

• Participate in identifying needs for external support and advice, elaborate on policy recommendations and develops strategic approaches to enhance delivery of the project interventions.

• Supervise the development and implementation of project plans and activities in close coordination with implementing partners and EnDev Ethiopia components.

• Guide the process of conceptualization, preparation and implementation of technical assistance schemes provided for federal and regional governments, sector and industry associations, enterprises and other partners in the private sector, where needed.

• Oversees the development of the framework for project KPIs.

• Support EnDev Ethiopia Project Director in quality assurance and in necessary improvements and various initiatives.

• Monitor project progress, prepares & reviews reports and leads in the documentation of progress of upscaling programs and other interventions including those co-financed by other donors, determines bottlenecks and recommends alternative courses of action.

• Provide oversight to technical teams to prepare reports and other relevant documentation.

• Coordinate sector-wide activities to ensure better uptake of Off grid solar technologies across Ethiopia, in partnership with implementing partners.

•  Manage the provision of technical assistance to firms, industry associations, producer alliances, government agencies and other partners on market development.

•  Serve as project liaison on the design and facilitation of business development services and the assigned BDS experts for private and relevant public-sector entities (training, coaching, business linkage, other supports determined with partners).

• Coordinate promotion of off grid solar technologies and awareness programs as well as commercial dissemination of identified technologies.

• Organize and take part in studies, assessments, surveys, etc in relation to Component and in collaboration with the other components of EnDev Ethiopia

• Coordinate and provide input to M&E, Communication and knowledge management unit

 Networking and Cooperation:

• Co-operate with and ensure regular contacts, dialogues, relationship management and cooperates with local communities, relevant government & non-governmental organizations and persons within the field of activities as well as with other activities in order to enhance and maintain good working relationships.

•  Ensure regular/frequent field visits to project operation areas as well as partners sites

•  Management and Coordination:

•  Management of staffs working for the component in line with GIZ principle of staff management

•  Support project planning, develop project designs, including preparation, organization and moderation of planning exercises with key implementing partners.

• Manage implementing partners and ensure accurate and regular reporting as per project requirements.

• Guide the team on technical matters of the project and report any disciplinary issues to the GIZ EnDev management for further action to be taken accordingly.

• Get approvals for all budgets for key events, activities, and related financial documentation in consultation with the team and GIZ EnDev management.

• Compile relevant information for collaborative activities and missions.

 Monitoring, reporting and knowledge management

•  Support the Project Director of EnDev Ethiopia in the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, communication, and documentation of the project progress.

•  Provide relevant information and any other support needed by the project, country or global level as related to the component.

• Update information concerning the progress and results of his/her activities in any required on-line and off-line databases and data management systems in line with GIZ filing and ICT standards. 

• Produce progress reports and participates in regular and ad-hoc internal meetings of the Component.

• Contribute to the design and compilation of information material for external communication and knowledge management purposes.

• Share all information about all market, investment promotion and business development related activities as well as research findings and studies that are relevant for the component.

• Ensure the documentation/knowledge management of learning and innovation with regard to off solar energy technologies in relation to market and business development.

 General Duties

• Familiarize with GIZ planning, implementation and reporting and EnDev monitoring procedures.

• Represent the interests and always acts on behalf of GIZ in Ethiopia.

• Ensure the use of office and transport facilities in accordance with terms, conditions and any other agreements of usage.

• Carry out any other tasks relevant to the project which may not be explicitly mentioned in the job description but lie in its nature and as assigned by the GIZ EnDev management in Ethiopia

Job Requirements

Education Qualifications

• Master’s degree in economics, engineering, energy studies, renewable energy, or science

• Ability to understand multi-level framework of electricity access including interlinkage between cooking and electrification

Professional experience and competencies

• Minimum 6 years of professional experience in the energy or related sector with an international development organization, private sector and/or national public sector agencies with solid understanding of technical elements of solar off-grid technologies

• Strong project management, communication and coordination skills with a sound understanding of result monitoring, team building as well as Knowledge of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), result-based financing (RBF)

• Excellent moderation, presentation skills, and confidence to present the project to various stakeholders concisely and effectively

• Knowledge and experience of managing a team of diversity in a multi-cultural environment

• Dedicated, reliable team player and highly adaptive, accommodative and have intercultural sensitivity and ability to handle pressure and discourse in professional setting

• Good diplomatic and intercultural skills and a sound awareness and sensitivity to the gender issues.

• Ability to think and act strategically and analytically, to grasp new concepts rapidly and priorities key topics.

• Native Amharic speaker

• Excellent English language proficiency, both in written and spoken form. Knowledge of German is an advantage.

• Excellent networking, partnership development, communication and presentation skills, considering the cultural and political contexts in development cooperation particularly in the energy sector.

• Experience in handling procurement processes and managing consultants towards the successful delivery of their assignment is considered an asset especially with GIZ processes and procedures.

• Proficiency in computer skills, use of relevant software and other applications strong analytical, research and documentation skills;

• Willingness to frequently travel to other regions in Ethiopia

How to Apply

Submit your CV along with your motivation letter via email: hreth@giz.de

N.B: Please make sure you mention the Vacancy Number #032/2023 and the job title Component Manager - Social Electrification and AMrket Development (SEMD) EnDev  in the subject line of your email application.

Due to large number of applications, we categorize applications with the vacancy numbers.

Applications without vacancy numbers in subject lines might not be categorized in the appropriate folder and could be disqualified.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We encourage persons with disabilities to apply for the position. In case of equal qualification, persons with disabilities will be given preference.

Applications from qualified women are encouraged.

“Please refer to our brochure to learn more about GIZ’s attractive benefit package.”