SENIOR ENERGY EXPERT – Practical Action: based in either UK, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal or Zimbabwe
SENIOR ENERGY EXPERT – Practical Action
ABOUT Practical Action
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in
poverty can change their world. We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS: Practical Action
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are to:
- Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can
adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living - Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce
avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires. - Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
- Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of
hazards and minimising their impact on lives and livelihoods.
HOW WE WORK: SENIOR ENERGY EXPERT – Practical Action
We work on holistic solutions that change systems and have a framework to help us achieve our
aims:
Analyse the root causes of a poverty and vulnerability
Define the change at scale we need to make
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Develop activities along three complementary paths: Demonstrate, Learn and Inspire.
Demonstrate that our solutions are sustainable in the real world
Learn by capturing evidence and adapting our approach
Inspire wider support to multiply our impact.
OUR ORGANISATION
Practical Action is an unconventional, multi-disciplinary changemaking organisation
A highly innovative community development charity operating in Africa, Asia and Latin
America. Practical Action community projects use ingenious ideas to design, test, refine
and prove new ways to overcome poverty and disadvantage and then ‘open-source’
knowledge of what works so that it can be implemented at a greater scale by others.
A world-class consulting operation that helps socially responsible business, government
policy makers and other development organisations. This draws on learnings from our own
development work as well as the combined brainpower of a roster of over 2,000 expert
consultants. Practical Action Global Consulting helps to extend the reach of our
influence by providing the best advice to others, whose work can make a bigger difference.
A well-respected specialist development publisher. Practical Action Publishing brings
together development practitioners, researchers and thought leaders to create publications
that stimulate discussion, strengthen peoples’ capabilities and inspire sustainable change.
practicalaction.org
ABOUT THE ROLE: SENIOR ENERGY EXPERT – Practical Action
Our Vision
Practical Action’s vision is of a world that works better for everyone.
Scope
Title: Senior Energy Expert
Reporting to Head of Change Ambition
Direct reports Up to two staff members
Relationships Energy Change Ambition Area; Regional & Country Teams and
energy-focused staff across Practical Action
Location based either in the UK or in one of our country offices in Kenya, Rwanda,
Senegal or Zimbabwe.
About the role: SENIOR ENERGY EXPERT – Practical Action
Reporting to the Head of Energy, this is a specialist role working to deliver Practical Action’s
energy strategy around humanitarian energy, clean cooking, energy for agriculture and
energy-powering adaptation. This role will contribute to the strategic direction and planning
of Practical Action’s work in energy, by providing technical input to energy programs and
developing and leading consultancy work that is relevant to our mission.
The role is within the Impact, Influence, and Innovation team, which provides thought
leadership, external outreach, and technical direction to the organisation.
Accountabilities
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Act as Practical Action’s subject matter expert for our Energy programme, driving forward
our strategy through innovative programmes, research and consultancy.
Provide technical support to country offices for programme design, high-quality technical
delivery, and project management.
Lead and contribute to business development, including preparing proposals, winning work,
and programme/contract management.
Raise Practical Action’s energy profile globally.
Support the creation of Practical Action’s approach to use carbon credits in energy access
programmes.
Build and maintain strong relationships and networks in the energy access sector.
Contribute to energy thought leadership by developing specialist content for blogs, articles,
websites, and policy briefs.
Support the coordination and promotion of Practical Action’s energy strategy acrossour regional
offices and through internal forums.
Represent Practical Action at meetings and events in the UK and internationally.
Person Specification: SENIOR ENERGY EXPERT – Practical Action
- Postgraduate degree in a relevant subject or equivalent combination ofqualifications,
knowledge, and experience. - Experience of working in international development.
- In-depth knowledge of the energy access sector.
- Direct experience delivering energy access programmes and/or consultancies.
- Previous experience with energy carbon markets would be an advantage.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills across cultures and mediums,
including proven technical writing and presentation/communication/advocacy
skills. - High standards of written and spoken English. Some knowledge ofFrench,
Spanish or Arabic would be useful. - Strong analytical skills.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills with the ability to build and maintain strong
working relationships and networks. - Strong project management abilities, including finance and contract management, client and
stakeholder management and managing inputs from team members, consultants, and partners. - Strong personal empathy with Practical Action’s mission, vision, andvalues.
- Ability and willingness to travel overseas several weeks a year.
Skills, Abilities and Competencies: - Collaborative and collegiate working style with the ability to work effectively with diverse
groups of colleagues and stakeholders in multiple geographic locations. - Ability to engage internal and external stakeholders. Understanding of how to develop
productive working relationships. - Sensitivity to cultural differences.
Self-motivated with the ability to identify opportunities and partnerships and translate these
into partnerships, programmes and consultancies that advance Practical Action’s mission. We are seeking a self-motivated Senior Energy Expert to play a key role within the global energy team.
This role provides a unique opportunity to use your in-depth knowledge of the energy access sector and your experience working in international development to deliver on our business plan and contribute to the achievement of SDG7.
You will work within the Impact, Influence and Innovation team, providing technical inputs to our global strategy and flagship programmes across the areas of humanitarian energy, clean cooking, energy for agriculture and energy powering adaptation. We are looking for an energy access technical expert, who is an excellent communicator and collaborator, with strong analytical skills and direct experience delivering programmes and/or consultancies.
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You are both inspired and inspiring about Practical Action’s work who can build and maintain strong working relationships and networks.
Why join us?
The opportunity to work for an organisation that is making a positive difference to the lives of people worldwide, a friendly and supportive culture, working with values-driven and highly engaged colleagues, work-life balance and flexible working – these are just some of the reasons we think Practical Action is a great place to work.
This will be a global role based either in the UK or in one of our country offices in Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal or Zimbabwe.
About us: Practical Action
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in
poverty can change their world. We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We are a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
Additional information
Practical Action believes that having a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture based on respect will enable us to be an effective organisation. We seek to create an inclusive workplace in which people are accepted as individuals, regardless of their differences and where they feel their contribution is valued. Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups.
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We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that
people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more
perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels
heard, respected, and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including criminal checks and terrorist financing. Please note that should we recruit a suitable candidate before the closing date, we will close applications earlier than the specified date.
The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in the country from which they will be based. The final salary for this role is dependent on the country of base and job market conditions.
Closing date for applications: Monday 7th August 2023
Interview Process: A two stage interview process.
HOW TO APPLY: SENIOR ENERGY EXPERT – Practical Action
If you want to work for a international development organisation with significant people and
programme ambitions, then we would like to hear from you. To view the full recruitment pack go to Practicalaction.org/jobs. Please submit a copy of your CV and a supporting statement that describes your suitability for the role to [email protected].
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