Latest Vacancies at RTI International

Job Description

Digital Finance/Mobile Money Advisor is responsible for supporting activities to leverage mobile money and innovative payment schemes to scale up off-grid solutions in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. This is a full-time role based in Nairobi, Dakar, Pretoria or Abidjan. This position reports to BTG Cross Cutting Team Leader.

Responsibilities

• Lead all activities relating to digital finance and mobile money, including conducting assessments, identification of highest impact opportunities, contributing to annual work plans, implementing approved activities, and reporting on progress
• Assist off-grid companies to identify and realize opportunities to incorporate and/or scale-up the use of innovative payment schemes, such as PAYGO and digital finance mobile money technology, in off-grid electrification business models
• Identify and promote partnerships with mobile network operators, mobile money operators and digital finance providers to increase the accessibility of off-grid electrification products and services for a wider range of potential customers
• Advise BTG country advisors on issues relating to digital finance, mobile money and innovative payment schemes
• Review and provide feedback on proposed regulations for digital finance and mobile money in SSA countries

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field and 6 years’ relevant experience including substantive field experience in Africa or Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience
• Prior experience with mobile money and digital finance in SSA required
• Prior experience with off-grid electrification and pay-as-you-go (PAYG) business models preferred
• Effective communication skills and coordinating between various stakeholders, including government departments and private sector organizations, including mobile operators, Financial
• Institutions (FIs) and ideally, off-grid energy companies.
• Possess excellent organizational and analytical skills;
• Strong verbal and written English and French communications skills.

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RTI is recruiting for the recently-awarded East Africa Energy Program (EAEP) whose objective is to improve performance of the power sector in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and up to six more countries. It will be managed out of Nairobi; the work will focus on electrical utility performance, increasing on-grid connections, increasing regional integration through the East Africa Power Pool, and improving national project planning and delivery. RTI’s work will begin in January 2019 and conclude December 2022.

Deputy Chief of Party/Power Africa Coordinator’s Office Coordinator (DCOP/PACO Coordinator) is a mixed role responsible for all administrative, logistic, and financial aspects of the program while also serving as the point of contact for very significant and continuous engagement with USAID’s Power Africa Coordination Office (PACO) in Nairobi. As such, it requires not only admin, logistics, finance, and operational skills but extremely strong representational, diplomatic, and client skills as one of the project’s primary points of contact for USAID Power Africa. The position reports directly to the Chief of Party in Nairobi (COP).

Responsibilities

Management and Administration

• Serve as deputy to the COP, assisting him in management and decision-making and ensuring that project activities are meeting client and stakeholder expectations;
• Oversee admin, finance, and support team consisting of at least 14 individuals covering finance, contracting, HR, procurement, office management, administration, accounting, communications, monitoring & evaluation, event planning, and training/capacity building functions
• Oversight project operation reporting functions to ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement, including oversight to grants program;
• Ensure adherence to RTI and USAID administration policies and procedures;
• Oversee subcontract and/or grant to local partners; train and provide guidance to subcontract/grantee finance managers on managing project expense to annual work plan and contract budgets, as needed; ensure that all contractual documentation is complete and compliant with the terms of the reference in the contract.
• Provide leadership and support during project start-up and close-out with regard to setting up the project office, operations and logistics, recruitment, on-boarding and staff administration, etc.;
• Serve as the project liaison with human resources on employee relations matters and documentation for adverse events.

PACO Coordination

• Serve as primary liaison to USAID and PACO, ensuring professional, respectful, responsive, and efficient communication while simultaneously assisting the COP to respond to requests.
• Provide contractor’s support to PACO and USAID missions: ensure coordination, field requests for support and coordination.
• Oversee services such as: aggregation and analysis of technical reports, procure and produce printed materials, books, sponsorship packages;
• Oversee delivery of turnkey event hosting and management services.
• Support delivery of talking points for USAID mission counterparts related to technical work implemented at the country level
• Support PACO requests for communication in different channels and differing media; map stakeholders.
• Support PACO coordination with other branches of the US government engaged through Power Africa; with private sector companies; and with other development partners such as the
• World Bank, African Development Bank, and IFC, etc.

Qualifications

• Minimum of Master’s degree in public administration, financing, economics, accounting or a related field;
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in operations management, with 5 years direct international work experience in developing countries;
• Strong representational skills
• Prior experience managing administration / operations for large-scale USAID programs;
• Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and/or experiences in financial planning and management, and procurement, among other management support areas/functions, as required;
• Possess excellent organizational and analytical skills;
• Demonstrated skills, abilities, and experiences to manage sub-contracts and sub-grants;
• Excellent verbal and written English communications skills;
• Willingness and ability to live and work in Nairobi, Kenya with travel within the African continent.

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Responsibilities

Transaction advisors provide transaction support to advance Power Africa priority transactions by tracking statuses, engaging with stakeholders, and recommending specific technical assistance to expedite or remove obstacles to financial close.

Specific Responsibilities

• Transaction Development and Selection
• Assist Power Africa in analyzing potential transactions to select the ones most relevant to meet Power Africa’s goals, including advising on which projects should be classified as priority projects
• Review potential high impact projects and perform due diligence activities – including identifying funding sources and potential for Power Africa assistance
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders (government, developers, DFIs, investors, and donors)
• Advisory Services and Capacity Building to governments
• Assist in devising strategies to alleviate problem areas with IPP frameworks and assist in implementation of new frameworks, including policy reforms and project implementation
• Accelerate priority transactions by providing independent advice to government decision makers
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Activities
• Use existing mechanisms for monitoring and update/develop new ones where needed to track Power Africa goals/objectives, key milestones to complete transactions, and recommend actions for expediting transactions
• Prepare and maintain region and country budgets to track actual vs. budgeted expenses
• Prepare all required reports for USAID

Required Minimum Qualification And Experience

• Bachelor’s required with a Master’s preferred in engineering, finance, business or related fields;
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in the power sector with a preference for experience in East Africa;

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Strong oral/written communication skills and ability to communicate at multiple levels in the organization: and ability to coordinate activities with officials from host country government, US Government, NGO’s, and other agencies;
• Ability to build effective relationships with all clients, peers, and stakeholders
• Ability to work hands-on, independently, and within team.
• Demonstrated success managing and leading technical and administrative teams;
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team-oriented setting;
• Experience in general business administration and financial management
• English language proficiency