SR Director at CLASP

Responsibilities include

Strategy

• Evolve our strategy: Interpret context, identify new approaches and partnerships, steer the goal setting process, seek alignment with CLASP’s climate strategies, and implement engagement strategies to guide the continued evolution of CLASP’s Clean Energy Access strategy. 
• Strategic alignment: Collaborate with program teams in developing a shared understanding of the strategy, goals and implementation approaches. 

Program Design & Implementation

• Develop programs, guide implementation, provide oversight: Facilitate the delivery of impact-oriented programs. Develop team structures, methods, staffing plans, balance priorities, and optimize resources to ensure effective program management, delivery, partnerships, business development and communications. Provide overall program oversight with accountability of the energy access program portfolio. 
• Track impacts and progress: Contribute to the development and implementation of program impact metrics. Work with the MEL team to monitor and evaluate the progress of project activities, identify opportunities for improvement, and communicate progress

Business Development 

• Identify and pursue opportunities: In collaboration with senior leadership, fundraising, and program teams, identify new opportunities for funding. Working collaboratively with relevant team members, explore and pursue opportunities, including establishing new relationships, strengthening existing ones and leading the business development process. 
• Proposals: In collaboration with senior management, fundraising, and relevant team members, develop concept papers, funding proposals and present to prospective funders.

Thought Leadership & Communications

• External representation: In collaboration with senior management, communications and programs teams, serve as the key spokesperson and strategic voice on our energy access strategy, portfolio of work and impacts to internal and external stakeholders.
• Research and communications: Help define gaps in data and evidence on energy access, prioritize research needs and guide research development. Contribute, or lead, on development of new research products. Present CLASP’s research in relevant internal and external global forums.    

Team management

• Lead and grow a high-performing team: Support the Regional Directors build and manage clean energy access teams that are based in their offices. In partnership with the regional directors, support the energy access team’s continued growth, facilitate training and professional development, and identify recruiting needs.   
• Backstop: In partnership with the Regional Directors, provide the overall technical and managerial backstop to ensure high quality, consistent and impactful delivery across the energy access programs. 

Representation & Senior Leadership 

• Enhance CLASP’s global brand: Provide strategic oversight to and identify opportunities to drive brand awareness, partnerships, and impacts.
• Organization leadership: As a member of the senior leadership team, contribute towards organization wide issues and serve as leadership ambassador across the organization. 

Qualifications

• Entrepreneurial approach to design, development, and execution of long-term initiatives, and a proactive, nimble, and strategic approach to problem-solving.
• 15+ years of experience in international program implementation; business- and partnership-development experience preferred.
• Bachelor's degree required. Graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, international relations, development, economics, environmental science) preferred.
• Experience in clean energy access, off-grid or weak grid in Africa is required, with global engagement preferred; broader energy sector, energy technology, financing or policy experiences are a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to raise funding for program development and implementation.
• Persuasive communication skills, both verbal and written; exceptional written and spoken English a must. Additional language skills a plus. 
• Demonstrated experience developing high-impact partnerships. 
• Demonstrated experience in growing and developing team members.
• Ability to work from the big picture to the small details.
• Ability to maintain composure, flexibility, and a sense of humor under tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and listening skills.