GB JOBS: Operations Officer, Lighting Africa Program at International Finance Corporation (IFC)

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. We create opportunity for people to

escape poverty and improve their lives. We do so by providing financing to help businesses employ more people and supply essential services, bymobilizing capital from others, and by delivering advisory services to ensure sustainable development.

IFC’s Sustainable Business Advisory (SBA) teams work with companies to adopt responsible business practices which transform markets and improve people's lives. We work with a range of industrial sectors including agribusiness, infrastructure, oil, gas, mining, services and manufacturing. 

Across six regional teams, Clean Energy Specialists within the Business Line work to increase investment flows into clean energy by demonstrating the commercial viability of, and removing specific barriers to the scale-up ofrenewable energy technologies that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase access to modern energy services for the poor.

Lighting Africa (www.lightingafrica.org) works to reduce market barriers for the private sector to reach and provide modern lighting to 250 million people in Africa without electricity by 2030. This is in support of achieving the energy access Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with an emphasis on clean energy solutions. Lighting Africa is currently finalizing its pilot phase undertaken in Kenya and Ghana, and wishes to replicate its activities throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa faces deep development challenges and the lack of access to reliable energy sources makes these challenges even more daunting. Currently, about 587 million in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lack access to electricity. Africa’s growing un-electrified households and businesses are estimated to spend annually US$10 billion on low quality fuel-based lighting such as kerosene and candles. Fuel-based lighting is expensive, inefficient, hazardous, and pollutes the environment. Poor quality light negatively affects health, hinders the development of small and medium enterprises, and impedes learning in schools and homes.

There are alternatives to fossil fuel-based lighting. Recent technological advances in compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and in particular light emitting diodes (LED) promise clean, durable, and high-quality lighting as a solution for those who are not yet connected to the electrical grid.

The Lighting Africa program works with lighting product manufacturers, distributors, consumers, financial institutions, development partners, and governments to help build a market for reliable lighting products.

IFC is recruiting an Operations Officer, Lighting Africa Program. This is a key position for the regional expansion of the program in Nigeria. The position is based in Lagos. The incumbent will report to the Lighting Africa Program Manager based in Kenya. In addition, s/he will also coordinate with the Global Clean Energy Specialists who oversee IFC’s global clean energy program portfolio, with the Clean Energy team in Nairobi, as well as the Infrastructure Investment cluster team leader.

If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Operations Officer will be in charge of leading the implementation of Lighting Africa in Nigeria, all the way from designing the specific services provided by the program to managing its implementation with clients at the company, sector and policy levels.

The specific responsibilities of this position include:

• Business Development and Advisory to off-grid lighting and mini-grid companies
As part of the Lighting Africa team, the Operations Officer will provide advisory services aimed at catalyzing commercial markets for clean energy products and services in Nigeria by operating at the firm, sector and policy levels. S/he will oversee a small team of external consultants to work withequipment manufacturers, distribution companies and financial institutions to build replicable business models for lighting in off-grid markets in Nigeria. In particular, s/he will identify and support companies with direct advisory and business development support to off-grid industry stakeholders to promote and scale up high potential business models. The Operations Officer will also cover the market intelligence function and analysis cycle, from content design to review and quality control of final publications, and will oversee final report production and dissemination where required.

• Engagement with stakeholders

Continuously update and keep the industry stakeholders in the country abreast of the activities of Lighting Africa, leveraging IFC colleagues who have client relationships with the stakeholders. Key stakeholders include:

• Ministry of Energy officials [may also involve Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ]
• Off-grid lighting companies (as relevant) and sector players
• Distribution and supply chain partners
• Financial institutions
• Associations representing the renewable energy sector in general and relevant standard bureaus
• Other IFC internal divisions, World Bank Group and other stakeholders as required

• Reporting

Report on project progress, budgets and M&E to IFC management and donors, e.g. through IFC’s project supervision reporting system and donor reports, as required.

• Measurement & Evaluation

Set up tools to monitor and track the program performance in line with the log-frame.
Manage individual projects as the Task Team Leader ensuring timely execution and completion of Management Information System reporting requirements. The successful candidate will have volume and development impact targets defined by the Clean Energy Team Leader.

• Other Responsibilities

• Draft TORs, hire and manage third party consultants to execute projects.
• Additional tasks will be discussed with the incumbent and added or removed depending on the development of the project.

Selection Criteria

• Masters level education in business, engineering, finance, economics, or related subject.
• 8+ years of commercial sales/marketing experience or business development experience with a specific focus on rural and social marketing, as well as SMEs, and experience interfacing with the supply chain and end consumers.
• Successful experience managing complex relationships, resolving differences, and achieving successful outcomes among multiple and diverse sets of stakeholders, from government representatives down to rural retailers.
• Deep knowledge of the Nigerian market is essential.
• Demonstrated expericence launching new products; candidates having knowledge and/or experience with clean energy technologies and markets have a competitive advantage.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to present the program to high level company and government representatives.
• Capacity to operate successfully in a high pressure, fast-paced, and multicultural environment.
• Positive, go-getter attitude, willing to continuously learn, share experiences and knowledge, and encourage innovation.

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