Energy Transaction & Finance Expert (International Experience) at Mercy Corps

The Program / Department / Team

• Energy 4 Impact is Mercy Corps’ platform for shaping market systems in clean energy access.
• We work at the intersection of policy and institutions, enterprise growth and finance, ecosystem coordination, and evidence and market intelligence.
• Our comparative advantage lies in blending the advisory capabilities of a specialist firm with the geographic presence and community reach of an NGO.
• We translate programme investment into strategic, market-credible solutions: building the conditions under which private investment flows into previously high-risk energy access markets.

Purpose / Project Description

• Energy 4 Impact is recruitingtwo Energy Transaction and Finance Expertsto provide high quality financial, transactional, and regulatory advisory in support of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP III).
• Under this assignment, the experts will prepare systems for the development, financing, and scaling of off grid renewable energy projects—including mini grids, productive use of energy (PUE), electric mobility, and solar for health systems in Nigeria.
• The role requires deep expertise in renewable energy transactions, tariff and pricing methodologies, financial modelling, and power sector incentive mechanisms, as well as strong familiarity with Nigeria’s regulatory and financing landscape.

Consultant Activities
The Consultant will undertake the following responsibilities:

• Provide transactional advisory on renewable energy (RE) projects, including structuring, risk assessment, and financial closure support.
• Support the preparation of financial documents required for accessing debt or third-party financing for mini-grid and PUE projects.
• Develop business plans, financial models, and investment cases for off grid RE projects.
• Design tariff tools, pricing methodologies, and cost reflective tariff structures for standalone and interconnected mini grids.
• Prepare and evaluate financial components of tenders, including grant mechanisms, RBF schemes, and procurement packages for mini-grids and PUE projects.
• Advise on the design of financial incentives, subsidies, and market mechanisms to stimulate private sector investment in off grid renewable energy.
• Facilitate trainings, workshops, and stakeholder engagements on financial modelling, tariff setting, and investment readiness, with a focus on mini-grids (standalone and interconnected) and PUE.
• Support cross team collaboration and contribute to meeting summaries and reporting.
• Conduct market assessments to identify high potential mini grid and PUE investment opportunities.
• Map financing institutions (DFIs, commercial banks, impact investors) and develop engagement strategies.
• Integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into financial models and investment frameworks.
• Identify and facilitate linkages to opportunities that leverage climate finance instruments (e.g., results-based climate finance, carbon credits, P-RECs, etc.)
• Integrate mitigation strategies (e.g., insurance instruments, blended finance structures) to de-risk off grid RE investments.
• Support developers in improving bankability through improved documentation, governance, and compliance.

Consultant Deliverables
The Consultant will deliver the following:

• An advisory package on renewable energy projects, including project structuring options, risk assessments, bankability analysis, and recommended steps toward financial closure Transactional advisory on renewable energy projects for selected renewable energy projects.
• A dossier of financial documentation containing lender‑ready financial statements, projections, supporting schedules, and compliance documents required for debt or third‑party financing of mini‑grid and PUE projects.
• A business and investment case portfolio including detailed business plans, dynamic financial models, and investment case summaries for off‑grid renewable energy projects.
• Tariff tools and pricing methodologies
• A toolkit on tariff design, featuring cost‑reflective tariff models, pricing methodologies, and standardized tools for standalone and interconnected mini‑grids.
• Inputs into tenders, comprising financial evaluation criteria, reviewed tender submissions, grant mechanism structures, and recommendations for RBF and procurement packages for mini‑grid and PUE projects.
• An advisory note outlining proposed financial incentives, subsidy structures, and market mechanisms to stimulate private sector investment in off‑grid renewable energy.
• A capacity building report documenting training modules, workshop materials, participant outcomes, and stakeholder engagement activities on financial modelling, tariff setting, and investment readiness.
• Inputs into regular reporting and knowledge outputs in alignment with client requirements.
• A market opportunity assessment identifying high‑potential mini‑grid and PUE investment opportunities, supported by data analysis and investment-readiness indicators.
• An engagement strategy that maps the RE and PUE financing landscape in Nigeria and containing tailored engagement pathways and partnership opportunities. Strategy should also include a brief on opportunities to leverage climate finance mechanisms.
• Recommendations on risk mitigation strategies to de-risk off grid RE and PUE investments.
• Repository of tools and templates to strengthen governance, compliance and bankability of developer proposals.

Timeframe / Schedule:

• This assignment will take no longer than 50 days between May 2026 to December 2027 for each expert, subject to performance and fund availability throughout this period.

The Consultant will report to:

• The consultant will report to the Senior Technical Analyst, Energy 4 Impact.

The Consultant will work closely with:

• The Team Leader, the MEL and Reporting Expert other technical and finance experts in the project, experts from implementing partner, the government counterparts, the finance and operations team.

Required Experience & Skills
Education:

• Master’s degree in energy economics, finance, accounting, business, or related field.

Language:

• English proficiency at C1 level (CEFR).

Professional Experience:

• General: At least 8 years of professional experience in RE projects, at least 3 of which in power sector regulation.
• Specific: Minimum 7 years of experience in RE project transactions and finance.
• At least 2 years infourof the following: Tariff tool development; Financial modelling; Pricing mechanisms; Tariff methodologies; Subsidy allocation; Commercial negotiations; RE incentive mechanisms.
• International experience: At least 3 years of international experience in two countries outside West Africa.
• Regional experience: 6 years of experience in West Africa, including 5 years in Nigeria.
• At least 5 years of experience working on donor-funded projects.

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

• Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate.
• By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation.
• We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.
• We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.