Programme Manager- REACT SSA at Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

Responsibilities and Tasks

Programme Management

• Overall responsibility of REACT SSA portfolio management and technical delivery, ensuring strict compliance with donor contract requirements and reporting deadlines
• Coordinate effective implementation of programme activities, including the development of work plans and facilitating their timely implementation, developing annual programme budgets and monitoring budget expenditure.
• Provide technical and investments management leadership for the marketing, application, review, and selection of projects.
• Carry out ongoing portfolio management of selected companies, monitoring project implementation to achieve program goals. This will include reviewing investee reports and conducting regular site visits, ensuring projects are on track in meeting set milestones.
• Working with the Advisory Team, lead pre-investment capacity assessments of potential investees and providing capacity-building assistance where required.
• Review periodic narrative and financial reports, as well as disbursement requests from investees.
• Ensure effective investees performance and relationship management.
• Manage, lead, and implement continuous improvement initiatives for portfolio administration ensuring that solutions align with strategic goals.
• Develop and implement funds disbursement strategy and schedules.

Programme Reporting.

• Provide periodic reports on the programme, information trends and other relevant information as requested.
• Lead the development of periodic management and donor reports.
• Ensure effective and efficient use of financial resources, ensuring alignment between donor and AECF on REACT SSA budget at all times.

Monitoring Evaluation & Learning

• Contribute to the development and review Monitoring Evaluation & Learning strategy.
• Lead the planning and execution of investees’ performance monitoring activities, including data verification exercises to ensure the quality of programme results.
• Lead/ coordinate the portfolio learning agenda in a manner that contributes to the wider learning agenda of The AECF (in liaison with the Impact team) and promotes relevant advocacy efforts.
• With the support of the Impact team regularly apply learning, emerging innovations, and best practices from project evaluations, field visit reports, project reports across the programme, and from other development organisations and donors to new proposals.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with internal controls and risk management of the portfolio in accordance with the wider AECF Risk and Compliance Management Framework.
• Implement the programme risk and mitigation framework, in line with the overall AECF Risk and Compliance Management Framework.

People Management

• Provide direct line management to REACT SSA team across the region.
• Maintain good team communication, engender excellent team dynamics and actively manage all direct reports to ensure optimum performance across all programme staff.

Programme Development

• Support the Director of Investments Portfolio and Head of Programme, Renewable Energy with the designing of new programs, and development of strategy and/or position papers.
• Support the Director of Investments Portfolio and Head of Programme, Renewable Energy to draft concepts and proposals.
• Contribute to the establishment of appropriate linkages with the relevant state/ government departments, donors, private sector bodies, and civil society.
• Participate in meetings and events that create visibility and advance the brand of AECF.
• Participate in the dissemination of The AECF periodic progress and impact reports

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in the areas of Business Management, Energy, Economics, Rural Development, Project Management, Development Studies or any related studies.
• Minimum of 8 years experience in programme management with 4 years at a senior level in the Clean Energy and Climate Technologies sector or similar/related role; Experience and evidence of programme development, and implementation.
• Proven track record working with small & medium enterprises in the clean energy sector through different growth stages.
• A deep understanding of the clean energy sector including knowledge of the complex renewable energy landscape (regulatory, legal, technical, financial, social) in sub-Sahara Africa.
• Strong experience supporting the development of new financing solutions for RE uptake and increasing the utilization of existing solutions.
• Strong understanding and practical experience in project cycle management, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting at a high level.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to grow a team and deliver progressively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead workshops and trainings.
• Good interpersonal/people skills and ability to work in cross-cultural teams.
• Willingness to travel frequently within the region.