Background
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP and Sustainable Energy 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at Headquarters (HQ), Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Energy is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions – alongside poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, and gender equality - to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience.

As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the first objective of UNDP is increasing energy access for those furthest behind. By speeding up investment in distributed renewable energy solutions, especially for those hardest to reach and in crisis contexts, it aims to increase access to clean and affordable energy for 500 million people. Second, UNDP will work to accelerate the transition to renewable energy through systems changes that support inclusive, green economies, particularly in countries with low levels of renewable energy generation or poor energy-efficiency improvement rates. This work will capitalize on technological gains, clean energy innovations and new business models in the energy sector.

UNDP and Energy in Africa 

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to approximately 600 million people without access to clean, affordable energy, making the region a key focus of UNDP’s new Strategic Plan energy objective and scaled up energy offer. 

UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa’s (RBA’s) Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa, or “Africa Promise”, aims to “strengthen UNDP’s position as Africa’s premier enabler and integrator for the 2030 and the 2063 Agendas”. Affordable and sustainable energy constitutes one of the six Strategic Impact Areas of UNDP’s Africa Promise, focusing on energy interventions to play their role as enablers of development. RBA’s Africa Promise pledged to provide at least 100 million people with access to Energy by the end of the current Strategic Plan. Other Impact Areas such as Women and youth empowerment, as well as Structural transformation, will both contribute to and benefit from an increased access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy in the region. 

Similar RBA’s Regional Programme for Africa (2022-2025) constitutes the vehicle for realizing UNDP’s Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa. The new Regional Programme will explicitly situate itself as a regional catalyst and incubator for people, prosperity, planet and peace.

The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP)

The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) is a new technical assistance program for minigrids, developed by UNDP with initial funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and executed in partnership with the African Development Bank (AFDB) and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The program’s objective is to increase access to electricity by improving the financial viability and promoting scaled-up commercial investment in renewable energy minigrids (‘minigrids’). The programmatic approach aims to achieve greater impact by creating new minigrid markets across the continent, which, in aggregate, will create scale and momentum, attracting private sector interest and investment. 

The program architecture has two main elements:

  • A cohort of AMP National Projects (2022-2027), each with a set of tailored activities structured across four components: (i) policy and regulations, (ii) business model innovation with private sector, (iii) scaled-up financing and (iv) digital, knowledge management, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). 
  • The AMP Regional Project (2022-2026), acting as the knowledge, advocacy and coordinating platform of the Africa Minigrids Program. The regional project is structured across five components: (i) knowledge tools for both public and private actors; (ii) tailored technical and operational assistance to countries; (iii) communities of practice, (iv) digitalization for minigrid cost-reduction, and (v) M&E.

The program is initially supporting three rounds of AMP National Projects, totaling 21 in number, which will be implemented over the course of four years. The first round (2022 – 2026) includes 11 national projects: Angola, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan; The second round (2023 – 2027) includes 7 national projects: Benin, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome & Principe, and Zambia. The third round (2023 – 2027) includes 3 national projects: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia.

UNDP’s broader Africa Energy Programming Portfolio 

In addition to the AMP, UNDP has an extensive portfolio of energy programming and projects – supported by a range of donors - in the African continent, including, but not limited to, energy programs in the Sahel, in humanitarian/crisis settings and linking energy and health.  

SIDA support 

The Government of Sweden, through Sida, has funded a four-year, USD$40m global Strategic Collaboration Programme designed to strengthen UNDP capacities to achieve its overall sustainable development vision for poverty eradication through a more integrated, coherent approach to the environmental and climate dimensions of the UNDP Strategic Plan. Sida funds will be used to hire new staff and consultants, including to support elements of this consultancy.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Africa Energy Access Specialist will provide strategic advice and technical inputs into UNDP’s sustainable energy programming in the Africa region. Reporting to the Principal Technical Advisor for Climate Change Mitigation, the Africa Energy Access Specialist will have the following responsibilities: 

1. Lead AMP program-level activities 

  1. Provide strategic direction for the overall AMP at the program-level;
  2. Coordinate UNDP’s internal activities and stakeholders for AMP national projects during the design phase, up to CEO endorsement; 
  3. Support the PTA in liasing with the GEF Secretariat and coordinate activities aimed at addressing AMP-related requests from the GEF during program implementation;
  4. Develop technical and strategic position papers, presentations, advisory and briefing notes, as needed to enhance AMP implementation;
  5. Act as the main focal point for AMP with other UNDP teams (e.g., UNDP’s Sustainable Energy Hub, the Climate Promise, etc.);
  6. Together with AMP’s regional project, develop and deliver guidance, training and capacity building to UNDP Country Offices and/or national implementing partners to enhance AMP national project implementation;
  7. Explore new resource mobilization and strategic opportunities for AMP, including for example GEF-8 programming, and development of programming in new thematic areas, such as productive use of electricity and potential scaling up opportunities with non-traditional source of funding.

2. Support AMP regional project’s strategic direction, execution, monitoring and evaluation 

  1. Supervise the AMP Regional Project Manager;
  2. Provide strategic direction for the regional project activities, as outlined in the project document and taking into account adaptive management principles, to be reflected in an updated detailed project implementation plan;
  3. Provide quality assurance for the execution of key project outputs and activities to ensure delivery of project results; 
  4. Provide technical inputs related to key project outputs and activities and project interactions with governance bodies; 
  5. Liaise with with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) on high-level project implementation matters; 

3. Working with other UNDP energy colleagues, provide strategic advice and technical support, more broadly, for UNDP’s energy access programming in Africa, including energy programming in Sahel, humanitarian/crisis settings and linking energy and health

  1. Strengthen linkages and coordination between UNDP’s various energy access programming activities;
  2. Provide strategic direction and technical inputs into the design and implementation of UNDP’s various energy access programming activities; 
  3. Contribute to technical and strategic position papers, presentations, advisory and briefing notes, as needed to advance UNDP’s various energy access programming activities ;

4. Strengthen partner/donor relations and networks in connection to energy access initiatives in Africa

  1. Liaise and coordinate with development partners (i.e. government, NGOs) and donors, building strategic alliances and a strong/relevant UNDP value proposition;
  2. Build and maintain effective working relations with key practitioners, professionals, business and community leaders, and policy-makers in the clean energy and energy access space in Africa;
  3. Identify and pursue opportunities for deepening cooperation among key stakeholders;
  4. Identify and advise on opportunities to mobilize additional funding and resources to increase UNDP’s impact and contributions to expanding energy access in Africa;
  5. Present at industry meetings and events, including delivering talks and presentations;
  6. Participate in technical working groups.

Institutional Arrangement

  • The Africa Energy Access Specialist will be home-based; 
  • The Africa Energy Access Specialist will be expected to work full-time;
  • The initial contract will be for one year, with the possibility of being renewed, based on good performance; 
  • The Africa Energy Access Specialist will report to, and be directly supervised by the Principal technical Advisor (PTA), Climate Change Mitigation;
  • The Africa Energy Access Specialist will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment; 
  • The Africa Energy Access Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
  • The Africa Energy Access Specialist will work closely with: (i) AMP Regional Project management unit team members, including the Project Manager, Digital Specialist and the Project Associate; (ii) staff at UNDP’s BPPS Climate Hub; (iii) staff with the UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub; (iv) UNDP country offices; (v) UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, (vi) development partners and donors; 
Competencies
Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiencesLEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiencesLEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
Act with Determination:  LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater resultsLEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater resultsLEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaborationLEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaborationLEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivityLEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivityLEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Thematic Area Name Definition
Business Direction & Strategy Entrepreneurial Thinking Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate
Business Development Knowledge Generation Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
Collective Intelligence Design Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions
UNDP Representation Ability to represent UNDP and productively share UNDP knowledge and activities; advocate for UNDP, its values, mission and work with various constituencies
Business Management Digital Awareness and Literacy Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skilfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed
Working with Evidence and Data Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
Monitoring

Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme

performance and results
Required Skills and Experience
Min. Education requirements
  • Master’s degree in Business or Public Administration, finance, science, engineering, policy, economics, international relations or other relevant field
Min. years of relevant work experience 
  • A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience including at least 5 years in the area of climate change mitigation/clean energy;
Required   skills 
  • A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience with the design and/or implementation of climate change mitigation/clean energy development projects financed by a multilateral or bilateral development agency, or development bank;
  • Experience working in developing country contexts; 
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
  • Experience in the design and/or implementation of climate change mitigation/clean energy development projects specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa is an asset; experience in the Sahel is an additional asset. 
  • Experience working in off-grid electrification is an asset;
  • Experience in an international organization is an advantage, as is direct knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices.
  • Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of French is an advantage;
Required Language(s) 
  • Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English;
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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