Senior Energy Specialist
Job #: req10885
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Energy
Grade: GG
Term Duration: 4 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Kampala,Uganda
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 2/23/2021 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
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. 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
Eastern and Southern Africa
Home to about half a billion of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.
The sub-region harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continues to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.
The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities: – Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment. – Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 – a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. – Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support is helping governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services. – Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities. With the influx COVID-19, we are mobilizing financial support and timely analysis and advice to countries across the subregion deal with the pandemic. – Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption: In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure. A number of East African countries are currently facing a debilitating Desert Locust infestation, threatening the already precarious food security situation. The Bank has put together a program to help affected countries deal with the scourge. – Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity. – Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Bank is a dedicated partner for Eastern and Southern African countries, helping them deliver strong development outcomes for their people. A brighter future for Africa is a better future for the world.
UNIT CONTEXT
The Energy & Extractives Global Practice (EEX GP) 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 Africa energy sector grouping consists of four Units across two regions of East and Southern Africa and newly created VPU of West and Central Africa. The position is based in Kampala, Uganda supporting the East Africa unit (IAEE1).
The Bank is engaged in all aspects of the energy sector development in Uganda, covering electricity generation, transmission and regional integration, and distribution; rural electrification; developing the off grid sector and promoting clean cooking solutions- through development policy financing, program for results, investment financing support, technical assistance and guarantee operations. The current portfolio comprises of two projects under implementation with US$243 million IDA/GEF financing, focusing on scaling up both on-grid and off-grid electricity connections, as well as extension and strengthening of the distribution and transmission infrastructure.
This position is based in Kampala, Uganda to support the design and implementation of existing and pipeline projects in Uganda. The focus will be across the entire energy sector portfolio including the electricity value chain and the broader electrification and regional integration agenda, and the related policy dialogue. There are projects under preparation in all of these engagements and the selected candidate is expected to play a key role in design and implementation in the IDA19-20 period.
Duties & Accountabilities
The East Africa unit (IAFE1) seeks a Senior Energy Specialist to work with Government and other donors while leading/coordinating World Bank’s Energy program in Uganda. The work entails strategic, advisory, and operational work in the electricity sector. The main responsibility will be to lead a complex ongoing sector dialogue and a portfolio of investment lending operations, as well as analytical work in Uganda. The responsibilities will also include supervision of Southern Africa Power Pool transmission interconnection projects that are linked to Uganda. The World Bank is engaged in multiple projects, technical assistance and analytical work in the energy sector in Uganda. These include projects focused on accelerating energy access for households, commercial enterprises, industrial parks, and public institutions using both grid and off-grid electrification; transmission and distribution network strengthening and expansion; promoting initiative for clean cooking solutions, and technical assistance on energy policy, regulatory and institutional framework, and design and delivery of a national electrification strategy.
The responsibilities of the selected candidate will include:
– Co-Lead the preparation and supervision of investment operations in Uganda – including energy access (both grid and off-grid) and transmission and distribution network strengthening and expansion, including regional integration projects; – Lead analytical and advisory work in the energy sector and related nexus areas, for example, macro-fiscal stabilization in Uganda; – Contribute to the Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) approach. The Africa Energy team is a key contributor to the WBG strategy for MFD with the objective to help countries maximize their development resources by drawing on a range of financing sources and sustainable private sector solutions. You will work with IFC and MIGA for the ongoing and new WBG collaboration on existing and potential PPP opportunities in Uganda. You will actively seek opportunities to apply MFD principles in our work program and build a strong internal WBG partnership with IFC and MIGA as well as networks with private sector partners that can contribute to the achievement of our development objectives; – Contribute to the climate agenda. The Africa Energy team is supportive of the climate agenda, both from mitigation and adaptation side, and to mainstream climate friendly approaches in the design and implementation of projects – Play an active role in the Bank’s policy dialogue with the authorities, development partners, and others on strategic energy issues. Strengthen the existing Energy Donor Working Group for coordinating all investments in the energy sector as well as sector dialogue with donors and the Government of Uganda. You will be encouraged to forge positive relationships with organizations and individuals which can better inform the energy strategies and result in higher quality implementation and impact of Bank-supported programs. This will require effective communication and outreach to key partners including client governments, academia, civil society organizations, media, other development partners and other Bank Group units; – Lead teams and provide guidance and mentoring to junior staff on operational, policy dialogue and analytical activities; – Develop and maintain close relationships with Country Management Unit; actively contribute to the dissemination of our activities, within the WBG and in external events. Provide inputs to operational products/outputs for sector and country briefings, analytical and advisory reports and studies, portfolio performance and monitoring reviews, and liaison between the energy and extractives practice and the country unit on energy issues.
Selection Criteria
– Master’s degree in engineering, energy planning/economics, business administration, 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 consistent record of successful engagement with complex projects; – Understanding of energy/extractives policies, regulations, technologies or strategies, private sector participation, and institutional development needed to support development and for the success of project and analytic work; experience leading and/or playing key roles in policy dialogue with clients and partners; – Strong experience in planning, designing, and implementing power infrastructure projects including renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution, and on-grid and off-grid electrification and access projects; Hands-on experience with infrastructure projects with power sector utilities will be a distinct advantage; – 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; – A consistent track record in carrying out high quality and timely analytical reports and activities would be advantageous; – Experience working on World Bank or other International Financial Institutions (IFIs) lending and non-lending operations is desirable; – Active listening skills, excellent interpersonal skills, able to influence the audience and build positive relationships with clients, different partners and colleagues across units and departmental boundaries in a multi-cultural environment with disperse teams located in different countries; – Experience working with large global teams, producing high-quality results and outputs with minimal supervision; proven record of teamwork and ability to lead and mentor junior staff, to advise and guide senior staff in your core skills, to produce high-quality policy and project related written outputs; – High level of excitement, ability to work independently, taking initiative, and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements; – Experience in fragile countries is desirable; – Experience of working in regional projects involving power pools is desirable; – Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including an ability to communicate complex issues in simple terms and to engage in evidence-based dialogue with clients;
Technical competencies – Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Translate 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 – Anticipate needs and requests in the field and conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners; – Integrative Skills – Understand 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 – Proven understanding of energy policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations. The WBG Core Competencies – Lead and Innovate – Develop innovative solutions with others. – Deliver Results for Clients – Achieve results and identify mission-driven solutions for clients – Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Initiate collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG, and bring differing ideas into the forefront; – Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Create, apply and share knowledge from across and outside the WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions – Make Smart Decisions – Recommend and take decisive action
Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe
More Information
- Job City Kampala
