Senior Associate – Energy Access Finance

This position is a full time limited term position ending 30th April 2023. 

Job Summary

In this role, you will be part of WRI Africa family, and will work closely with a multi-disciplinary team comprised of the energy program colleagues in Africa and the global office. You will be responsible for developing and executing a strategy for influencing financing for energy sector investment in Africa. This will include, but not limited to leading engagements with targeted government institutions, including the ministries of finance, private sector actors, and global institutions including philanthropies and development finance institutions. Additionally, you will provide expert advice to the development of appropriate and innovative models for end-user financing for energy access interventions, particularly in the agriculture and livelihood sector. Finally, you will support communications and fundraising efforts, as well as helping advance data efforts on energy demand, and clean energy access finance.

Job Responsibilities

Energy Access Finance Work (60% of time required)

• Provide lead in developing and articulating a strategy for influencing finance landscape for energy access and transition at sub-national, national, regional and global level
• Build partnership and lead engagements with strategic institutions including ministries of finance; private sector actors and regional/global institutions including DFIs and philanthropies in influencing policies and strategies for increasing investment in energy access interventions
• Provide lead in building partnerships with funders, including Development Financing Institutions (DFIs), philanthropic organizations and others, particularly in influencing funding priorities and models/approaches
• Support existing and new partnerships in developing innovative and appropriate financing models for funding the ongoing and/or new efforts
• Contribute to research and analysis particularly in the field of energy finance and development sector
• Support in the management of existing and new partnerships 
• Support research and writing of impact analysis

Engagement, Communications and Fundraising (40% of time required)

• Contribute to fundraising efforts for implementation and expansion of WRI Africa’s energy program
• Collaborate with partners to test and demonstrate new solutions to clean energy deployment and provide blogs and insights on the rapidly emerging themes and lessons from project experience
• Work closely with communications staff to ensure a compelling and consistent message from our work as a key strategy for impact
• Serve as an internal point of contact for various WRI programs, related Commissions and initiatives as it relates to Climate priorities
• Provide support on Institutional engagement efforts to identify opportunities among WRI’s network for targeted outreach and mobilization
• Preparing engagement and communications materials

Job Qualifications

• Master’s degree in environmental policy, energy policy, economics, international development, public policy or related field
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in energy and preferably, in the energy finance field
• Demonstrable expertise in engaging with national and sub-national government institutions particularly ministries of finance and planning
• Experience in conducting and publishing research on energy, sustainable development, environment, or related fields in Africa
• Excellent interpersonal skills in cross-cultural communication and engagement with diverse constituencies
• Strong knowledge of energy policy with a track record of working with energy sector stakeholders around energy policy development in Africa
• Experience working with DFIs such as the AfDB, as well as influencing private finance o International experience strongly preferred with prior work experience for an international organization and preferably in the international NGO sector is desirable.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with cover letter. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. Deadline for applications 10th March 2021

Program Overview

WRI’s Energy Program is comprised of three pillars: 1) energy access work; 2) energy efficiency and 3) clean energy work. Despite recent progress made in closing the energy access gap, close to 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to power. At the same time, the region’s population and economic growth far outpaces electrification efforts. Unless there is a paradigm shift in how countries plan their electricity systems, it is likely that global energy access goals will not be met – hampering the health, economic development and sustainability efforts. Access to finance – both domestic and international – for energy investments remain one of the key barriers to achieving sustainable energy for all. WRI’s energy access experts engage with the public sector, investors and civil society, building capacity to support energy access investments that alleviate poverty and promote development.

Over the last two years, the energy access pillar has been working closely with development organizations working in the agriculture/livelihoods, as well as health sector in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to demonstrate how integration of clean energy could accelerate their development outcomes. More specifically, our interventions in the agriculture and livelihood sector is focused on smallholder actors and working in collaboration with the larger programmatic goals. As such, our work does not target large private sector collaborations in the sector.

During the next phase, we will expand our efforts to cover other countries, including Ethiopia. WRI will seek to scale up its intervention by: (a) supporting with the development of business models and approaches to help unlock end-user finance for energy access and transition; (b) influence policy makers, particularly from the ministries of finance with the aim of promoting integration of clean energy in the national and sub-national level development policies and strategies; (c) building partnerships and engagements with strategic actors in the space, including Development Financing Institutions (DFIs), philanthropies and private capital to help unlock finance to the energy space (energy access and transition). To deliver on this ambition, WRI is seeking a Senior Associate – Energy Access Finance to be part of this expanding and exciting work. WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. You will be expected to identify and advance opportunities to strengthen attention to gender and social equity within your work to ensure WRI elevates solutions to climate and other urgent environmental issues through approaches that improve human well-being.

WRI Overview 

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. 

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect. 

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges, and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.  

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.   

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.