Energy Specialist (Knowledge), PESR1 at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/21/007
Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Grade: PL5
Position 50103197

The Position

• The main objectives of the Energy Specialist (Knowledge) position are to help further develop and disseminate the knowledge and information on all work streams of the Division by:
• Articulating, scoping and prioritizing research needs on key trends and recent developments of the African energy sector;
• Gathering the information necessary to generate and disseminate distinctive insights and knowledge on the African energy sector using specific formats and appropriate platforms;
• Conceptualizing, overseeing and writing briefs, articles, case studies, etc. that capture specific sector challenges and convey valuable insights from the African Development Bank and its partners effectively;
• Developing the Africa Energy Portal content with improved functionalities and features and maintaining the website to effectively make it a one-stop-shop for all data, news and information on the African energy sector.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Energy Policy, Regulation and Statistics Division Manager, the Energy Specialist (Knowledge) will perform the following:

• Collect and synthesize knowledge and information necessary to support the Bank’s policy dialogue efforts in the energy sector;
• Produce information in support of the Bank’s programs and projects in the energy sector, such as energy bulletins, blogs and analytical case studies;
• Disseminate distinctive insights and knowledge within and outside the Bank using specific formats and appropriate platforms, e.g. by producing and collecting a variety of sector-specific reports, policy briefs, country profiles, and other knowledge materials on energy-related issues in Africa;
• Conduct effective outreach and communication by coordinating blogs, newsletters, webinars, media interviews and events in relevant platforms;
• Create visually attractive content for use on specific formats and platforms such as the Africa Energy Portal, using data collection, analyses, and visualization for specific audiences;
• Perform regular client satisfaction surveys of the Africa Energy Portal audiences and make the necessary adjustment to reflect the needs and requirements of users;
• Engage and enhance partnerships with stakeholders in the energy space including Development Finance Institutions, Think Tanks, Universities, Private sector, and professional associations;
• Liaise and collaborate with departments of the Bank in charge of IT & Communications to ensure coordination and the good functioning of the Africa Energy Portal; and help solve any technical issues related to the hosting and management of the Portal as well as all communications-related matters.

Selection Criteria
Hold at least a Master’s degree Energy, Economics, Finance, Business Management, Development Studies, or equivalent;

• Have a minimum of five (5) years relevant professional experience;
• Strong writing and editing skills;
• Holistic view on the energy sector in developing countries, including a good understanding of the key trends and developments in frontier-markets;
• Abilities in collection, analysis and dissemination of information and knowledge;
• Comfortable with multi-tasking, ability to work efficiently under pressure and keep tight deadlines
• Track-record of producing high-quality briefs and analytical documents.

Desirable Skills:

• Deeper knowledge on key regional issues linked to electricity access gap, power utilities, regulation, regional power pools, renewable energy, climate change in Africa;
• Knowledge of website/database content management applications and/or Mailchimp platforms are desirable;
• Strong interest in energy, climate change and sustainable development in Africa.
• Background in media, communication, research and/or academic research is desirable
• Ability to support interaction with a range of target audiences and building and maintaining successful networks with key stakeholders.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Communication - Good listener with demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas
• Problem Solving
• Client Orientation
• Team working and relations
• Ability to make effective and timely decisions

 Technical Competencies:

• Proven experience working on energy policy issues, particularly in African countries;
• Practical knowledge of approaches to structural economic reforms including political economy aspects of sustainable energy and complementary reform policies; as well as familiarity with sustainable development.
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, MS Projects).
• Ability to use various tools available and applied by the Bank such as SAP, Mailchimp and Drupal.