Consultant at International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Job description

Gender is an important strategic theme for IFC. Central to IFC’s gender work is helping clients build robust business performance by making them aware of, and invest in, the value women can bring either as a defined consumer segment, as employees, as business leaders or as entrepreneurs and suppliers. IFC’s commitment to advancing gender equality is anchored in the business case and client demand for “gender-smart” solutions. IFC continues to stimulate and respond to market demand by expanding women’s access to credit, saving, housing, and insurance products, by advising companies on their workforce and talent management, and by building the capacity of women in supply chains and as entrepreneurs through SME financing and a new entrepreneurship training curriculum.

IFC’s Gender Secretariat supports staff and clients in implementing gender-smart solutions. It sets a strategic agenda, develops common targets, improves knowledge, develops practical gender approaches, measures results, and forges key partnerships that strengthen the private sector’s contribution to integrated development solutions.

Gender and renewable energy program: Energy poverty is a key challenge to achieving economic development. In Africa, over 600 million people have no access to energy and off-grid renewable energy solutions are key to accelerating access, opening up new markets and catalyzing development. Gender gaps exist in energy access as women face unique barriers as consumers, entrepreneur and employees of renewable energy and utilities companies. Reducing these gaps can have a positive impact on women by reducing the health effects of pollution, freeing up time spent by women and girls in sourcing alternative energy sources to undertake other activities including attending school and opening up businesses. Women can also play a key role as employees and managers of renewable energy companies. The Sub-Saharan Africa gender and renewable energy program will work towards reducing these gaps through focused initiatives in research, firm and sector level interventions and promoting the voice and agency of female employees in the renewable energy sector.

The Gender Secretariat is seeking a passionate, energetic and experienced senior gender and renewable energy sector expert ideally based in Nairobi, Kenya who works with the regional gender lead to deliver the gender and renewable energy project.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

IFC is recruiting a gender specialist consultant with experience in renewable energy, conducting gender gap assessments in renewable energy projects and designing and delivering firm level gender advisory services. . H/she will spearhead the implementation of IFC’s regional renewable energy program executing tasks at sector and firm levels in line with the project components, i.e; 1) lead research and provide insights on gender gaps in renewable energy in Africa; 2) provide private sector investors with new evidence on gender gaps; 3) provide firm-level technical expertise around closing employment, supply chain and access gaps and; 4) lead a network of senior women professionals in the sector. This role will report to IFC’s Regional Gender Lead and work closely with IFC staff in the renewable energy program.

Below is the detailed scope of assignment:

• Project design:
  • Develop a project implementation plan for the gender and renewable energy program clearly articulating activities and deliverables across all project components
  • Develop and incorporate customized gender metrics in renewable energy investments in the region in line with identified gaps and project contexts
  • Develop firm-level advisory proposals across women’s employment, supply chain diversity and community engagement
  • Design research tools and templates for undertaking various research and case study work in renewable energy sector
  • Develop training tools for staff and clients on identifying and closing gender gaps in the renewable energy sector
  • Contribute to work with the regional results measurement team to develop a robust set of metrics and measurement methodologies for gender aspects of advisory and investment projects.
• Project delivery:
  • Engage at least 10-15 companies in the renewable energy sector for their participation in a peer learning platform
  • Ensure all companies take 2-3 commitments towards reducing gender gaps in their business
  • Report progress against commitments on a quarterly basis
  • Identify and engage 3-5 companies for firm-level gender advisory services across women’s employment, supply chain diversification and community engagement, undertake gender assessments and measure the impact of these interventions on staff and overall business performance
  • Develop and lead the publication of 3-5 company case studies. Leverage the results to demonstrate and create awareness on the business case for closing gender gaps in renewable energy projects and profile IFC’s leadership in this space
  • Engage companies to nominate professionals to engage in the ‘Powered by Women’ network and deliver network engagements while seeking collaborations to strengthen it
  • Identify strategic partners critical for the overall delivery of IFC’s energy and gender program across in the region
  • Represent IFC to stakeholders at multiple levels including companies, NGOs, government, private sector associations
  • In collaboration with the regional gender lead, undertake fundraising efforts to expand the program’s reach and impact
  • Act as technical expert on gender for IFC’s projects in renewable energy sector
  • Travel as necessary to countries within the Africa region; and undertake ad-hoc tasks in tandem with the regional lead and renewable energy teams.
• Communications and Reporting:
  • Develop performance indicators in collaboration with the M&E team for each of the program components, track and document performance against the monitoring and evaluation plan
  • Develop professional and robust donor reporting tools and ensure comprehensive tracking and reporting of progress to donors within the stipulated timelines
  • Develop a proactive communications and stakeholder engagement plan to raise the profile of the program in the region and beyond including development of high quality case studies, blogs, social media campaigns, stakeholder engagement events and presentations
  • Conceptualize IFC led events and identify opportunities to collaborate with partners to build the project’s profile.
• Knowledge Management:
  • Conduct cutting edge research on women and renewable energy in the region in collaboration with partners in the sector
  • Develop specific reference, learning materials, case studies and training initiatives, toolkits etc in response to internal and external demand.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The candidate should be an experienced professional with energy, economics, private sector expertise, experience in implementing private sector gender-smart solutions, comprehensive expertise in gender audits/assessments at the firm level, experience in designing/applying a methodology to establish the business case for expanding women’s access to energy. The candidate should have excellent project management skills and can interact with clients at the policy level or with senior counterparts in private, public and non-governmental sectors.

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in economics, energy, business, development or other relevant discipline required
• At least ten years of professional experience in a position with decision-making responsibility in the private sector
• Work experience in the renewable energy strongly preferred, experience in Africa region is essential
• Proven ability to conceptualize, design and implement client engagements and to produce complex analytical reports for clients
• Demonstrated track record of accomplishments on private sector and gender equity approaches
• Thorough understanding of the international development agenda especially on energy access, and key stakeholders such as UN, G-20, Energia, Energy4All, private sector partnerships etc .
• Strong ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend solutions
• Ability to work effectively under time pressure with high capacity to produce quality work
• Excellent communication skills in English, mastering of French would be good, proficiency in another language spoken in Africa a plus
• Highly collaborative, curious, innovative and entrepreneurial while flexibly able to adapt to working in a large development financing institution
• Willingness to travel regularly within Africa.