Senior Officer, Mini-Grids & Distributed Energy Systems

Organizational Context

UNOPS is an operational arm of the UN, supporting peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects globally. The Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) initiative, hosted by UNOPS, focuses on accelerating the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. This role sits within the SEforALL Secretariat, specifically supporting the Mini-Grids Partnership (MGP) which aims to scale up mini-grids across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Job Purpose

The Senior Officer, Mini-Grids & Distributed Energy Systems, provides crucial technical and analytical leadership to the Mini-Grids Partnership (MGP) Secretariat. The primary purpose is to accelerate the scale-up of the mini-grid sector across Sub-Saharan Africa. This involves coordinating flagship research initiatives, actively engaging and activating stakeholder networks, and developing robust investment plans. The role bridges the gap between initial ground-truthing of mini-grid projects and their subsequent nationwide rollout. By ensuring high-quality delivery of MGP workstreams and providing strategic insights to SEforALL Senior Management, the position directly contributes to advancing universal energy access goals and fostering sustainable development.

Responsibilities

The Senior Officer will lead the development of the "State of the Global Mini-Grids Market" Report, coordinating partner inputs, managing contributors, and overseeing quality assurance and dissemination. They will provide analytical support for information briefings, developing executive summaries and recommendations for senior stakeholders. Responsibilities include developing and disseminating communication assets for MGP, organizing and managing MGP convenings (both in-person and virtual), and overseeing Steering Committee calls. The role involves conducting qualitative and quantitative research on distributed renewable energy and energy access, synthesizing findings into policy-relevant outputs, and contributing to monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) activities. Additionally, the officer will support donor relations, reporting, proposal development, resource mobilization, and budget oversight for MGP activities. They will also contribute to SEforALL’s thought leadership, represent SEforALL at events, and manage external consultants.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of experience in the Sub-Saharan African energy sector, with a strong network of energy stakeholders, is required. Specific experience within the mini-grid sector, whether from a financier, private developer, government agency, or donor support program perspective, is essential. Experience in rural development and implementing projects in rural Sub-Saharan Africa is desirable.

Skills

Climate Change, Electricity, Finance, Microsoft Excel, Renewable Energy, Research and Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Project Management, Communication, Reporting.

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