Jobs at RTI International

RTI is seeking a Capacity Building Specialist (Senior Program Specialist 1) for the East Africa Energy Program (EAEP) under the Power Africa initiative by USAID. This position will provide technical leadership and strategic direction of the East Africa Energy Program in aspects related to institutional strengthening and technical capacity building of the of electrical utilities, regulators, and governments in East Africa as required to advance objectives of the EAEP under Power Africa.

Responsibilities

• Conduct regular field visits to utilities, private firms, government institutions, regulators and employees to identify the capacity gaps existing and best modalities to fill them.
• Collaborate and create linkages with the industry, academic institutions and governments to ensure continued sharing of best practices & program sustainability.
• Organize and oversee the implementation of the regional annual training/capacity building, built from a participatory consultation in line with the priorities identified by regional and national partner institutions.
• Ensure the inclusion and consistency of capacity development plans in the programs for access to energy services and in the long-term regional energy program, particularly in relation to continuous performance improvement.
• Hold regular discussions with objective leads on training & capacity development needs & formulate strategies to successfully address them.
• Design & implement a capacity building package to develop a well-targeted scope of training modules for the energy sector in the region.
• Monitoring and follow up of all the training program participants to ensure performance improvement and value addition.
• Oversee and directly support MEL, tracking and development of utilities, private firms, government institutions, regulators and employees progress towards performance benchmarks and indicators ensure performance improvement and reporting.
• Provide mentorship and supervision to staff and consultants working on the capacity building component of the program.
• Carry out TNA, PTE and develop training curriculum and activity workplans
• Contribute to training logistics including budget estimates for various capacity building activities
• Any other duties that s/he may be assigned by project management from time to time.

Required Minimum Qualification And Experience

• Master's or Bachelor’s Degree in economics, social sciences, management or education, public administration or a related field, preferably focused on capacity building.
• Masters degree and 6 years of experience or Bachelors Degree and 10 years of experience is required
• Direct work experience in developing countries as a senior expert in training and capacity building required. Preference for experience working in the energy sector.
• Demonstrated ability to design capacity building strategies based on clear needs identification and understanding of the operating context, and experience of working with Governments Institutions & donor community.
• Proven experience in development of interventions to improve quality, efficiency and sustainability of regional and local partners is desirable.
• Proven expertise in energy sector systems strengthening, management, and developing the functional capacity of organizations to improve sustainability and contribute to a vibrant, effective energy sector. Familiarity with a wide range of capacity building techniques.
• Demonstrated strong management, coordination, teamwork, and planning skills, with proven ability to function effectively with multiple host country counterparts in both the public, private and local partners.
• Relevant experience implementing and managing energy sector training and technical assistance programs
• Ability to produce well written reports to tight deadlines
• Ability to manage and monitor a budget
• Project management experience
• Fluency in English required.

Skills And Abilities

• Excellent knowledge of MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to work well with others
• Ability to listen and communicate well both verbally and in writing
• Ability to work independently
• Attention to detail and accuracy

go to method of application »

The Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will be embedded within the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in Nairobi and will be expected to work closely with the Cabinet Secretary and senior staff in the Ministry. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum will also provide office accommodation, phone, computer and all associated office support for the Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor.

The Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will be recruited through, and employed by USAID’s implementing partner, RTI International, under the East Africa Energy Program (EAEP) and as such will be bound by the expressed terms and conditions of their consulting/employment agreement with RTI International. The Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will report directly to the Chief of Party, who is also located in Nairobi, Kenya. Maintaining consistent, open, and frequent communication with the EAEP Chief of Party and the rest of the EAEP team is requisite for successful completion of this scope of work. The Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor is expected to be a neutral arbiter, ensuring Power Africa priorities and areas of intervention are dutifully communicated to the Ministry and Ministry priorities are successfully communicated to Power Africa and the EAEP team for support.

This is a full-time resident position in Nairobi, Kenya for twelve (12) months, with the possibility of an extension.

Responsibilities

The advice and expertise provided by the Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will broadly cover the following areas, which are considered critical to accelerating growth in Kenya’s energy sector:

• Supporting implementation of the Energy Act of 2019, ensuring responsibilities are delegated appropriately, work plans are developed that correspond to individual institutions’ needs and requirements, and support requirements are identified, prioritized, and communicated.
• Strengthening enabling energy sector policy, legal and regulatory regime that attracts private sector investment for generation and transmission projects.
• Improving sector oversight, regulation, and strategy
• Enhancing the application of modern tools and practices to ensure optimal energy sector planning.
• Developing strategies to optimize geothermal development.
• Supporting technically, environmentally, and socially-sound development of the geothermal sector and special economic zones
• Creating a legal and regulatory framework to support growth in projects smaller than 1 MW and mini-grids.
• Identify and recommend sector reform and restructuring where necessary and approaches to improving utility management and operations.
• Coordination with the Eastern Africa Power Pool and other regional bodies to facilitate regional investment in the sector.

The work will very frequently require preparation of strategic memoranda, reports and presentations for the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, and participation in meetings at the request of the Minister. As part of their advisory role to the Ministry, it is also expected that the Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will interact and engage with key local and international stakeholders in Kenya’s energy sector.
Further, as the link between the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and the Power Africa initiative, the Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will be required to facilitate communication, and coordination between the Ministry and Power Africa.

Reporting

Within 30 days of deployment, the Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will develop a work plan detailing his/her activities and expected results for the period of this assignment in conjunction with Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Power Africa & PATRP.

In the day-to-day performance of his/her duties, the Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will report to both the Cabinet Secretary or his designee and to the EAEP Chief of Party. In this context, the Cabinet Secretary may provide technical guidance and direction to the Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor in so far as it remains within the scope of this assignment and aligns with Power Africa’s objectives.

The Senior Embedded Ministry Advisor will submit to Power Africa and PATRP weekly reports by close of business every Thursday, describing the work performed during the week and indicating the work schedule for the next succeeding week.

At the six (6) month mark during the planned twelve (12) month period of this assignment, Power Africa & PATRP and the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum will plan to undertake a joint review of the assistance provided to determine if it is achieving its stated objective.

Qualifications

• Masters degree or equivalent plus at least 15 years’ experience in the energy sector, in increasingly important positions requiring high trust and exceptional judgement and ability to advise
• A demonstrated record of working in Kenya
• A demonstrated record of high level contacts in the Kenyan power sector
• Excellent English writing and reporting skills
• Fluency in Swahili is considered a plus