Off-Grid Team Lead at Tetra Tech Nigeria

Ref No: 15400000138
Locations: Lagos, Abuja
Job: Energy Consultant
Schedule: Full-time

Job Summary

• Tetra Tech, ES Inc., a subsidiary of Tetra Tech dedicated to international development, is recruiting for a Off-Grid Team Leader/Business Technical Advisor in Nigeria.
• The Team Leader (TL) will manage a small team of transaction advisors to deliver the activities outlined in the current Work Plan, and oversee the development and delivery of the activities in the future to achieve new connections in Nigeria.
• The team will provide Technical Assistance (TA) to off-grid energy companies to accelerate transactions, as well as investors and Financial Institutions (FIs) to increase access to finance for off-grid companies and potential customers.
• The team will also look for opportunities to help build the institutional capacity of off-grid Government Departments to improve the enabling environment for off-grid energy companies in Nigeria.
• In addition to managing the local team of experts required to deliver the Work Plan activities, the TL will also lead on the provision of business focused Technical Assistance (TA) to off-grid companies, to help develop and implement their business models to increase their numbers of new electrification connections and generation from off-grid energy systems, in particular solar lanterns and home systems (SHS).
• This will include supporting their financial planning, cost analysis, and developing long-term business strategies to ensure that they can convince financial institutions and investors of their bankability and low risk.
• The TA will also help companies more effectively distribute and retail their products, including developing new partnerships with other distribution and retail companies, and further developing their distribution and marketing strategies.

Responsibilities
Manage Technical Advisory team and oversee the delivery of current Work Plan activities, including the following:

• Distribution, retail and marketing-focused Technical Assistance to at least 5 solar lantern and solar home system (SHS) off-grid energy companies in Nigeria, including assessing potential demand and identifying potential partners for companies to reach these customers.
• Business-focused Technical Assistance (TA) to at least 5 solar lantern, solar home system (SHS) and mini-grid off-grid energy companies in Nigeria to help them develop and implement their business models, financial planning, access to finance, and distribution and retail strategies, and link them with relevant investors with suitable terms, including loan periods, interest rates and required collateral levels, and, if required, the provision of Technical Assistance to FIs to reduce their risk and increase their willingness to lend with suitable terms.
• Support to at least 3 off-grid energy companies to develop their mobile payment strategies.

Provide Other Transaction Advisory Services as required, including the following:

• Identify new potential high-impact energy companies for support, determining financial viability of business plans and potential for USG assistance.
• Identify critical issues and problems for design and execution and assist in accelerating closure for off-grid energy companies, providing independent advice to Nigerian government decision makers as needed to move closer to project milestones.
• Identify domestic and external financing sources and develop and maintain a database of available financing sources for off-grid energy companies, including investors, institutional investors, commercial banks and international finance institutions.
• Identify private sector stakeholders, including off-grid energy companies, distributors and others in the country and facilitate matchmaking between stakeholders.
• Maintain and update a database of off-grid energy company transactions and provides updates on transactions to Power Africa.
• Coordinate provision of technical assistance to off-grid energy companies with other donors to avoid duplication of efforts.
• Identify areas of support required by private sector that can be provided by Power Africa. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and a minimum of 10 years’ experience of managing International Development programs, ideally energy programs in Nigeria.
• Ideally over 10 years of working with energy companies, commercial investment banks, private equity and/or financial or legal services companies or firms in the international energy or finance sector.
• Significant management experience, with skills to analyze and resolve a wide range of problems arising in transaction structuring and project development.
• Relevant, ideally postgraduate, degree in economics, finance or business.
• Based, or willingness to be based, in Nigeria and with significant experience of Sub-Saharan Africa off-grid energy sector, and ideally project finance.
• Experience of analyzing and structuring financial transactions, ideally of energy companies, including financial models and investment deals, including the provision of targeted Technical Assistance (TA).
• Proven written and oral communication skills, teamwork and interpersonal skills dealing with high-level donor, government agency and private sector company staff.
• Skills in monitoring and evaluation of energy programs, a plus.
• Demonstrably nuanced understanding of the nexus between energy, poverty and gender, and a background in gender, energy and the environment, preferably with established social (gender) and economic analysis skills.