Program Assistant at PACT

Pact is an international nonprofit that works in nearly 40 countries building solutions for human development that are evidence-based, data-driven and owned by the communities we serve. Founded in 1971, Pact works with partners to build resilience, improve accountability, and strengthen knowledge and skills for sustainable social impact.

Department

Programs - Pact strives for a world where all people are heard, capable, and vibrant. The Programs Team helps realize this objective by bridging program management, technical support, and business development, enabling Pact to achieve its global strategy. We ensure program excellence through continuous learning, monitoring and evaluation and provide organizational and industry-wide thought leadership by leveraging a complementary set of cross-functional, multi-disciplinary skills, expertise, and experiences. The Programs team: influences progressive change through the development and implementation of global and regional strategies and business plans; supports advancement of innovative solutions; pursues new business opportunities; and drives effective internal and external engagement to maximize Pact’s impact across the globe. Across all aspects of its role, the Programs Department adheres to and promotes a culture of inclusion, accountability, and respect.

Position Overview

Pact is recruiting a Program Assistant for a one-year project focused on strengthening rural economic development and improving the commercial viability of mini-grids in Rivers State and Lagos State, Nigeria by supporting micro-enterprises’ transition from diesel generators to electric motors, mechanize of labor intensive activities, and start new enterprises that productively use energy. The project will be implemented from March 01, 2022 – January 31, 2023, with a possibility for extension and expansion. The Program Assistant will report and provide support to the project’s Program Officer.

The project will address four causes of limited demand for energy: 1) limited knowledge of productive use opportunities, including the economics of transitioning from diesel generators to electric motors; 2) limited business skills and financial literacy, which impedes small businesses from assessing the potential of productive use equipment to improve their operations; 3) supply chain and product quality challenges, and 4) to a varying extent, lack of financing options for purchasing productive use equipment. With Pact’s support, local economic activity, incomes, and demand for energy will increase, which will positively impact other socio-economic indicators in target villages, while increasing both the number of customers served by mini-grids as well as average revenue per user. We envision that with project support, local economic activity, incomes, and demand for energy will increase, which will contribute to broad-based economic growth, while increasing both the number of customers served by mini-grids as well as average revenue per user.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of materials and processes for topics identified for capacity building of micro-enterprises and households in target communities.
• Under supervision of the program officer, provide micro-enterprises with comprehensive, customized, and documented mentoring and technical assistance in business management, operations, and financial literacy.
• Under supervision of the program officer, collaborate with micro-enterprises on business plan development and review proposals for loan approval.
• Utilizing Pact’s proven revolving loan approach, coordinate with program manager and officer on strategies and approval for equipment financing for those micro-enterprises that require a loan to purchase new equipment or electric motors.
• Work with community leaders to establish or strengthen Village Electrification Committees (VECs), which manage revolving loan funds.
• Liaise with key project beneficiary leads in target communities including village heads, enterprise owners, business association leaders and VECs.
• Assess the market of locally available electric motors and productive use equipment through discussions with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and advice on quality products that match the needs and productive use opportunities identified by participating communities.
• Support technical needs assessments in target communities and advice on capacity building opportunities for implementation.
• Support Program Officer with reports and external writing, summarizing project results and evidence.
• Develop data collection tools, ensure quality of data, and contribute indicators to project reporting.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years of experience OR Master’s degree and 1+ years of experience in capacity building, business advisory, livelihoods, agriculture interventions, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Demonstrated technical skills in analyzing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data, and packaging the findings.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with governments, local private sector/business partners and community leaders.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal and creative problem-solving skills.
• Possess a deep understanding of, and connections to, the communities we serve.
• Strong writing and oral presentation skills, including fluency in English.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently or relocate (if required) to Port Harcourt in Rivers State and Lagos State.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.