Strategy Manager - Off-Grid Talent at Energy 4 Impact

Energy 4 Impact (E4I) is a non-profit company that seeks to alleviate poverty in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) through accelerated access to sustainable, renewable energy, particularly in off-grid areas. Supported by a small head office in London, most of their staff of 70 are based in Kenya (the regional HQ), Rwanda, Tanzania, and Senegal.

They help grow micro, small and medium-sized energy enterprises in poor rural and peri-urban areas, and in turn improve the quality of life for millions of people. They do this by advising businesses, thus enabling them to secure the financing and resources they require to support innovative, pioneering business models and technologies in new markets.

About the role

Capital Raising Advisory

• Responsible for business and financial and capital raising advice to early and later stage off-grid SME companies, including transactional support
• Provide support to SME clients on business models, partnership facilitation, project development, investment readiness, financial modeling and investor due diligence
• Be the go-to in-house expert on capital raising and manage and mentor junior advisory team members on capital raising advisory
• Help E4I to continuously develop its internal processes and institutional knowledge of energy access financing, business models etc
• Support organizational efforts to identify and secure new funding from potential donors in East Africa and other parts of Africa

Mini-grid Policy and Regulation

• Provide technical assistance on mini-grid and other off-grid policy, regulations, tenders and financial support mechanisms to public organizations, donors and private sector players
• Provide advice on the following topics: licensing, concession agreements, tariffs, compensation for and integration with the arrival of the main-grid, PPP and ownership/operating models, results-based financing grants and fiscal support models
• Help E4I to build its internal processes and institutional knowledge of energy access policies and regulations in SSA
• Contribute to the management and implementation of donor programs, including budgeting and reporting, both internally and externally
• Support organizational efforts to identify and secure new funding from potential donors in East Africa and other parts of SSA
• Work with E4I’s Monitoring and Evaluation department to develop M&E frameworks at a program and individual country level

Desired Candidate Profile

Does this sound like you?

• A Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field is desired, Master’s Degree preferred
• 4 - 10 years of relevant experience
• Fluency in French and English is required
• You have practical transactional experience carrying out due diligence on lending or equity transactions for SMEs and/or small energy projects, preferably in renewable energy and developing country context
• You have strong potential to become an advisor on energy or mini-grid policy, including for example on tariff models
• You have a good understanding of the unique challenges faced by governments and off-grid businesses in SSA
• You have the ability to develop partnerships and strong and effective relationships with key energy access industry leaders, governments, donors and other stakeholders
• Experience working with rural and off-grid business models and financing, as well as an understanding of the unique challenges faced by businesses operating in Africa, is a huge plus
• Ability to work on various client engagements simultaneously
• A can-do and collaborative mindset – comfortable with the ambiguities and demands of a rapidly evolving and uncertain environment with a team from diverse backgrounds
• You are a quick learner and ability to disseminate learnings internally to others