Project Officer E-Mobility & Social Entrepreneurship at Siemens Stiftung

About the Project:

The Kenyan and German governments have formed a climate and development partnership which covers areas such as expanding energy sources, electrical mobility projects and the green hydrogen
economy.
As part of this bilateral partnership, Siemens Stiftung will run a social venture support program for e-mobility solutions in Kenya, co-funded by a German donor. The program will identify and support early-stage social enterprises working in the e-mobility sector in their innovation and growth journeys.
The program will support the social enterprises in tackling a pivotal technological or market challenge that their funding situation may otherwise not allow them to tackle.

Over a 3-year period, the program has three main objectives:

1. Seamless Project Management: Strong planning, implementation, budget spending, compliance and reporting as per donor, project and organizational guidelines.
2. E-Mobility Private Sector Research & Development: Selected social enterprises receive financial support to conduct technical Research & Development projects to deepen theirimpact, improve their technology and drive value creation in Kenya and Eastern Africa.
   1. Two open calls with up to 8 companies selected for the program.
   2. All R&D projects achieve their set objectives within the timelines.
   3. Key insights published sector-wide through research reports.
   4. Dissemination of findings through webinars.
3. E-Mobility Business Growth & Capacity Development: Selected enterprises receive cohort based or individual technical assistance to improve their impact and business. Those trainings
   1. might be in the area of investment readiness, carbon finance, innovation and design methodologies or organizational development topics such as HR.
   2. Needs assessment informs learning and development journeys for participating companies.Network of technical experts and consultants built and selection and matching of mentors, coaches and trainers.
   3. Up to 30 enterprises benefit from technical assistance & capacity development.
   4. Evaluate the impact of the program activities.

To support the implementation of this exciting program, we are looking to contract a Project Officer based in Nairobi, Kenya to help manage and implement all aspects of the project. The selected individual will provide their services via Consultancy Agreement to Siemens Stiftung. We expect this to be a full-time commitment for the duration of the project. Tentative start date is November 2023.

Responsibilities:

• The Project Officer E-Mobility & Social Entrepreneurship will support the project activities and work closely with the Project Manager (based in Nairobi) and the Siemens Stiftung E-Mobility team (based in Munich, Germany) to ensure that the project goals are reached, and its implementation is a success.

This includes the following main responsibilities:

• Support the Project Manager in the implementation of the various selection rounds for enterprises joining the program (for funding or capacity building). This entails:
• Support the promotion of the selection rounds, including: Outreach activities, preparing Question and Answer sessions for interested companies, supporting development of promotional and application documents.
• Support the selection of enterprises. This entails: systematizing application documents, coordination and communication to applicants, following guidelines to ensure a fair and objective selection process.
• Support the identification of trainers, mentors, coaches and technical consultants through online research, networking and seeking referrals.
• Support engagement and communication with enterprises participating in the programs, e.g. their attendance of events/trainings, to collect data, gather feedback, etc.
• Support the Research & Development projects and reports:
• Supporting the companies in implementing their R&D projects by providing information, research and guidance where necessary
• Research relevant information on processes, industries and training/capacity development opportunities
• Data analysis: Support the analysis of e.g. customer data or sales data for reports or market update publications; Support the collection and analysis of Monitoring and Evaluation Data;
• Organize contacts and data in useful formats
• Write drafts for internal and donor reports, explaining the activities and results from the projects. Create charts/graphs to visualize data.
• Conduct market research to identify trends, players, needs and opportunities in the e-Mobility sector in Kenya and Eastern Africa
• Support the organizing of various events in the program (Q&A webinars, round-tables, trainings, etc) through engaging suppliers, arranging logistics, drafting and managing communication with stakeholders and attendees, etc.
• Support knowledge management and project documentation, e.g. through taking photos, keeping records, arranging receipts, etc.

Our Ideal Profile:

• Excited to tackle the multiple socioeconomic and environmental challenges and opportunities related to mobility and transportation using a private sector approach. You are interested to support budding businesses solve technological and market questions in order to move the sector ahead.
• You have some experience working with start-ups and/or SMEs in Kenya and understand their internal realities, how they work innovatively to meet customer needs, and typical challenges
• they face on their growth journey.
• Technological questions such as battery production, charging infrastructure, drive train improvement or brake systems excite you and you are willing to dive into the technological aspects of e-mobility as part of this role. Optional: You have a technical background, e.g. engineering training or worked in a technology-driven organization before.
• At least 2-3 years of full-time work experience with a track record of achieving strong results.

Your profile covers at least 4 of the 6 points below:

• Coordinating the delivery of projects that involve multiple parties/stakeholders (e.g. program implementation, research projects, events, trainings, external publications or
• similar).
• Carrying out market research on previously unknown topics or issues, deriving insights and organizing them in a useful format that adds value to the project or
• business.
• Strong writing skills: Previous involvement in writing internal or external reports.
• Engaging organizations or suppliers to build relationships and get required information.
• Data Analysis: You have carried out analysis of datasets in a project or business to draw insights, creating charts/graphs to visualize the data or insights, and you enjoy
• working with spreadsheets.
• External Representation of your organization with external stakeholders. Your written and verbal communication is effective, and you know how to adjust your communication style to different audiences.
• You are reliable, diligent and thoughtful. You don’t miss important details.
• Track record of working self-dependently, achieving set out objectives in a self-organized manner and ability to prioritize various tasks and assignments.
• You are ready to push yourself, try new tasks and learn fast about new issues and topics.
• Digital Skills: Proficiency in using digital tools, such as email, video calling, project management software, and online platforms for communication and event coordination
• Relevant bachelor degree

Other Information about this opportunity:

1. Albeit being a full-time commitment, this is a consultancy position, not an employment opportunity.
2. The role reports to and works closely with the Project Manager based in Nairobi.
3. This is a hybrid role, with some in-person in-office days, and some work-from-home days, depending on workflow. Regular on-site visits (e.g. at participating companies or with training consultants) as well as in-person project meetings (e.g. with project assistant in Nairobi) are an integral part of the role.
4. Working hours entail usual office working hours with occasional evening or rare weekend engagements. (e.g. networking or trainings)
5. Occasional in-country travel (depending on the location of selected companies and projects).
6. Consultancy fee paid monthly upon submission of reports and invoices.