Senior Energy Specialist – World Bank, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Simon Tyrus CaineFebruary 7, 2023

0 7 minutes read

Job #: req21127
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Energy
Grade: GG
Term Duration: 4 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Freetown,Sierra Leone
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 2/27/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Contents

Description Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region:UNIT CONTEXT DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES Selection Criteria COMPETENCIES FOLLOW US

Table of Contents

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges.

The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development.

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With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region

We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.

Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential.

Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.

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In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 350 projects totaling more than $38 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives.

Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.

Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID.

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

UNIT CONTEXT

The Energy & Extractives Global Practice of the World Bank Group is made up of more than 300 professionals, a lending program in the order of US$5-7 billion a year, an active portfolio of some $40 billion, and a rich program of Advisory and Analytical Work.

The EEX GP focuses on: providing affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to meet the needs of fast growing economies and to ensure universal access to modern energy services for people in client countries; and, strengthening policy and institutional frameworks to promote transparent and equitable growth of the extractive sectors for public benefit.

There is a strong emphasis on private sector resource mobilization and catalyzing financing from commercial and other sources of development and climate finance.

The position is of an International Specialist mapped to Washington DC but based at Freetown, Sierra Leone for four years period as part of the West and Central East Africa unit (IAWE4).

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The Bank is engaged in all aspects of the electricity sector –generation, transmission, distribution, rural electrification and off-grid– through development policy financing, program for results, investment financing support, technical assistance and guarantee operations.

Assisting the government with policy reforms to attract investments in generation and renewable energy along with the promotion of the regional energy trade, undertaking sector reforms on tariffs and regulations, analytical work on energy subsidies, modernizing the electricity network for the needs of a modern economy and increasing energy access are among the key areas of the Bank’s deepening engagement in the sector.

The World Bank access focused portfolio in Africa includes support includes efforts to support countries to achieve SDG7 on universal energy access by 2030.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

The World Bank seeks to recruit a Senior Energy Specialist as an internationally recruited staff to join the Energy Team based out of Freetown in Sierra Leone with focus on leading our Sierra Leone engagement that includes a (i) Regional Development Policy Lending, (ii) part of National Development Policy Operation, (iii) regional interconnection projects like CLSG and facilitating regional energy trade between Sierra Leone and other Africa West countries, (iv) implement the regional emergency solar project with solar PV and battery storage, (v) two energy Investment Projects focusing on transmission and distribution investments, (vi) extensive advisory work on reforms and on private sector participation in distribution and financial turnaround of distribution utility, EDSA.

The Senior Energy Specialist would lead a team of 3 other Specialists (one Energy Specialist based in Freetown and two other Specialists based in DC) working on Sierra Leone to achieve results on doubling of energy access in Sierra Leone, turnaround of distribution utility (EDSA) and enhance private sector investments in energy sector of Sierra Leone.

The work program would also include advisory tasks and/or lending focusing on sector reforms, subsidy analysis and broader sector economic analysis.

The Senior Energy Specialist would be task leader of some of the above mentioned investment project as well leading dialogue with Government and collaborate with other Global Practices like MTI, Governance, Climate change to reduce fiscal impact of energy sector given difficult macro-economic conditions resulting from Ukraine war and Covid; increase clean energy low cost generation in the grid and work with donors for a coordination strategy on off grid electrification as per National Electrification Strategy.

The Senior Energy Specialist is expected to actively seek opportunities to apply private sector mobilization in our work program and build a strong internal WBG partnership with IFC and MIGA as well as networks with private sector stakeholders that can contribute to the achievement of our development objectives.

The work would also involve coordinating with other donors where WB leads the energy sector donor coordination group in Freetown.

The Senior Energy Specialist will be expected to forge strong partnerships with organizations and individuals in the region which can better inform the Bank’s energy strategies and result in higher quality implementation and impact of Bank-supported programs.

This will require effective communication and outreach to key stakeholders including client governments, academia, civil society organizations, media, other development partners and other Bank Group units.

The Senior Energy Specialist will be expected to provide guidance and mentoring to junior staff on operational, policy dialogue and analytical activities.

The Senior Energy Specialist would report to the Practice Manager of IAWE4 who is based at the Bank HQ in Washington DC and work alongside a group of professionals based in Washington DC and throughout the Africa West region.

Selection Criteria

* Master’s degree in energy planning/economics or equivalent areas relevant for energy/extractives sector development;
* At least 8 years of combined experience in the World Bank, other international institutions and/or companies, government agencies, and/or power sector utilities with demonstrated track record of successful engagement with complex projects;
* Demonstrates solid understanding of energy/extractives policies, technologies or strategies, Private sector participation, and institutional development needed to support development and for the success of project and analytic work.
* An excellent track record in carrying out high quality and timely analytical reports and activities would be advantageous;
* Experience of analysis and advice on regulatory reform, economic analysis of sector reform impacts (subsidies etc.) and cost of service.
* Experience leading and/or playing key roles in policy dialogue with clients and stakeholders.
* Experience on sector reforms, including turnaround of distribution companies would be advantageous
* Experience working on World Bank or other International Financial Institutions (IFIs) lending and non-lending operations is desirable;
* Demonstrates active listening skills and the ability to influence the audience (such as counterparts in government, international partner organizations, academia, and Bank colleagues, senior staff and managers).
* Experience working with large global teams, with an ability to produce high-quality results and outputs with minimal supervision is required;
* High level of excitement, ability to work independently, taking initiative, and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements;
* Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to build strong partnerships with clients, different stakeholders and colleagues across units and departmental boundaries in a multi-cultural environment with virtual teams located in different countries;
* Excellent oral and written communication skills, including an ability to communicate complex issues in simple terms and to engage in evidence-based dialogue with clients. and
* Demonstrates strong knowledge of at least one of relevant thematic business lines such as Energy Access; Economics, Markets & Institution; Oil & Gas; Mining; Energy Efficiency; Renewable Energy; Energy Finance; Hydropower; Power Systems & Technologies.
* Translates technical analyses into policies, operations and/or research as they relate to any of the following thematic business lines: Energy Access; Economics, Markets & Institution; Oil & Gas; Mining; Energy Efficiency; Renewable Energy; Energy Finance; Hydropower; Power Systems & Technologies.

COMPETENCIES

* Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level;
* Policy Dialogue Skills – Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners;
* Integrative Skills – Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations;
* Energy Sector Technologies – Deep experience applying knowledge (hydrocarbon, power generation, transmission and distribution, renewables, and energy efficiency) to policy-related decisions and advice;
* Energy Policy, Strategy and Institutions – Solid understanding of energy policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations;
* Lead and Innovate – Develops innovative solutions with others.
* Deliver Results for Clients – Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for clients.;
* Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG, and brings differing ideas into the forefront;
* Create, Apply and Share Knowledge– Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside the WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions; and
* Make Smart Decisions– Recommends and takes decisive action.