Careers at The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)

Key Responsibilities:

• Pipeline management, screening & progression: Support development and day-to-day intake of opportunities, conduct initial screening and assessment against relevant strategic and eligibility criteria; and maintain clear visibility across the pipeline and portfolio. Help drive promising opportunities forward through Global Energy Alliance)’s internal review and approval processes, coordinating information, materials, actions and follow-up across relevant teams.
• Research, analysis & opportunity development: Conduct company, market and sector research, market-intelligence scanning and commercial, operational and financial analysis to assess business models, identify key constraints and support needs, and inform prioritization and decision-making. Prepare high-quality briefs, company profiles, concept notes, review materials, presentations and other decision-ready outputs.
• Ecosystem coordination & convenings: Support engagement and partnership coordination across developers, technical assistance providers, investors, funders, associations, Mission 300 partners/aligned initiatives, and other relevant stakeholders; coordinate convenings, follow-up and joint workstreams; and map relevant partners, facilities and initiatives to identify opportunities for collaboration and complementary support. Collaborate across Global Energy Alliance 's Grids of the Future, Powering Opportunity, country and regional teams to connect this work with related initiatives.
• Delivery support and monitoring: Track approved engagements through implementation, including key milestones, deliverables, budgets, reporting requirements and dependencies; follow up across internal teams, companies and service providers to maintain momentum; and identify and escalate emerging delivery risks, bottlenecks or issues requiring attention.
• Knowledge, insight & learning: Maintain program documentation, templates, stakeholder maps, trackers and knowledge repositories; support management and partner reporting; contribute to knowledge products and market-facing materials, including case studies, playbooks, insight pieces and, where relevant, regulatory or policy engagement materials; and analyze information across the pipeline and portfolio to surface recurring needs, market trends, execution bottlenecks and lessons that can inform future program design, partner engagement and strategic priorities.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Economics, Business, Finance, International Development, or a related discipline; Master's degree is an added advantage.
• Approximately 2-5 years of relevant experience, ideally spanning one or more of: energy / energy access, consulting, finance or investment, development finance, private-sector development, venture or enterprise support, program delivery or programme management.
• Working knowledge of distributed renewable energy and energy-access models, including mini-grids, standalone solar systems and productive-use technologies, and familiarity with grid-adjacent distributed energy solutions such as battery storage, interconnected/grid-connected mini-grids, and metering or digital utility systems.
• Experience with energy-access companies, donor-funded programmes and climate-tech ecosystems; exposure to investors, catalytic or blended finance and African energy markets is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated stakeholder-engagement skills, with experience working across developers, regulators, technology providers, donors, technical assistance providers, investors, or other ecosystem actors.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability, including the ability to quickly understand companies, business models and unfamiliar market contexts; interrogate incomplete information; and translate findings into clear, decision-ready briefs, concept notes, analyses and presentations.
• Excellent research and writing skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information clearly for senior and external audiences.
• Exceptional organisation and reliability, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines and follow through with limited supervision.
• Proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, with comfort using trackers, data and other program -management tools; experience with dashboards or data-visualization tools is an advantage.
• Comfortable in fast-paced, mission-driven, matrixed environments; genuine interest in energy access, development finance and private-sector development.
• Experience in technical assistance, company assessment, impact investing, grant-making, portfolio management or other emerging-market private-sector support models would be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in French would be an added advantage.

Women and candidates from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Core Behavioural Competencies:

• Analytical Strength - structures problems, analyses data and synthesizes complex information into clear outputs.
• Execution & Organization - detail-oriented and dependable; manages multiple workstreams and follows through without being chased.
• Communication - clear, concise writing; prepares compelling materials and coordinates effectively across stakeholders.
• Collaboration - works effectively across teams, cultures and time zones with humility; discreet with sensitive company and pipeline information.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset - proactive, resourceful and comfortable navigating ambiguity and helping bring structure to evolving areas of work.
• Mission Alignment - committed to inclusive energy access, private-sector development and impact at scale.

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Role Summary

• Global Energy Alliance is seeking a Kenya based GOTF Lead to serve as an embedded resource supporting Kenya Power through the foundational stage of its grid modernisation programme and into the early implementation of selected pilots. The consultant will help the utility move from early alignment into a structured programme of work by leading the initial assessment, facilitating development of a Utility Charter, shaping a phased three-year roadmap, and maintaining continuity into first phase delivery.
• S/he will work on a day-to-day basis alongside Kenya Power teams while remaining closely coordinated with the Global Energy Alliance team supporting the programme and will help strengthen day-to-day working relationships between Kenya Power, Global Energy Alliance, and other relevant technical or financing partners.

Key Responsibilities

Utility Engagement and Pilot Development

• Act as primary liaison with Kenya Power.
• Facilitate development of a Utility Charter and a phased three-year modernisation roadmap through structured engagement with relevant teams.
• Define priority pilot areas and support development of technical concept notes covering digitalisation, flexibility, loss reduction, and BESS integration.
• Coordinate workshops and capacity building programmes with utility teams.

Regulatory and Institutional Coordination

• Maintain working relationships with EPRA, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, and other relevant sector institutions, and support scaling of pilots and innovations.
• Assess regulatory frameworks affecting distributed energy resources, storage, flexibility, and renewable integration.
• Identify barriers and propose practical pathways for pilot implementation.

Ecosystem and Partner Engagement

• Engage technology providers, universities, startups, and potential co-funding partners around the GOTF programme.
• Facilitate coordination with other technical advisors and financing stakeholders supporting Kenya Power.

Technical Advisory and Fundraising Support

• Provide advisory on grid digitalisation, digital twins, distributed BESS use cases, DER integration, and flexibility strategies.
• Support preparation of funding proposals and donor materials.
• Represent GEA at key national and regional events.

Reporting and Documentation

• Provide monthly progress updates to the GEA team and Kenya Power, as required.
• Support preparation of concept notes, technical briefs, and stakeholder mapping.

Qualifications

• At least 15 years of senior experience in the power sector, at a utility, regulator, advisory firm, engineering firm, or sector institution.
• Strong track record in utility modernisation, digitisation, transformation, or operational improvement programmes.
• Established working relationships across the Kenyan power sector, including familiarity with Kenya Power and key sector stakeholders.
• Good working knowledge of distribution utility operations, including reliability, losses, and grid performance.
• Familiarity with grid digitisation, digital twins, GIS-based asset management, SCADA, AMI, renewable integration, battery energy storage, and demand-side flexibility.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to synthesise complex inputs into clear materials for executive audiences.
• Self-directed, well organised, and comfortable operating in an embedded role with limited day-to-day supervision.

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Scope of Work

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the identification and framing of priority modernisation challenges with GOTF anchor utilities (KPLC, AEDC, ESCOM) and regional partners, translating utility priorities into targeted innovation opportunities.
• Support innovation scouting across African and international markets, including ecosystem outreach, technical due diligence, expert evaluation, and cohort selection.
• Coordinate the design and mobilisation of pilots with anchor DisCos and other partner utilities, including implementation coordination, field engagement, and user testing.
• Apply structured monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks to generate technical, operational, financial, and development evidence from pilots.
• Support the connection of validated innovators to philanthropic, blended, and commercial capital, working with venture partners, and development finance institutions.
• Coordinate ecosystem partnerships across innovation platforms, funders, regulators and industry stakeholders, including proposal development, MoU coordination, and joint workplan management.
• Contribute to knowledge products including case studies, playbooks, whitepapers, and regulatory or policy engagement materials.
• Support the day-to-day running of the Innovation workstream, including reporting to GEA leadership, coordination with the wider GOTF Africa team, and cross-linkage with adjacent programmes (BESS Consortium, IMG/DRE, M300/CDMU).

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Economics, Business, Public Policy, or a related discipline; Master's degree an added advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in the power sector, climate innovation, utility engagement, venture support, or programme management.
• Working knowledge of grid modernisation, distributed renewable energy, battery energy storage, interconnected mini-grids, digital utility systems, and productive-use technologies.
• Experience with utility partnerships, innovation programmes, or climate-tech ecosystems; direct exposure to African markets strongly preferred.
• Track record of stakeholder engagement across utilities, regulators, technology providers, and investors.

Key Skills:

• Structured problem-solving with the ability to distil complex inputs into decision-ready materials.
• Programme and stakeholder management in multi-partner environments.
• Analytical mindset with a data-driven approach to pilot design and evaluation.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including briefing notes, concept papers, and executive-level materials.
• Comfort operating in the foundational period of a new workstream, with initiative and follow-through.

Success Metrics (KPIs):

• Innovation cohorts identified, selected, and supported through the pathway.
• Pilots launched with GOTF anchor utilities against agreed milestones.
• Follow-on capital mobilised into validated innovators.
• Strength of ecosystem and utility partnerships activated and sustained.
• Evidence products (case studies, playbooks, whitepapers) delivered and disseminated.