Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, February 02, 2023 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
About the Position
Based in Lusaka, Zambia, the ZECDP Program Manager will lead all activities including project identification and development, securing financing for new cooperatives, climate change mitigation analysis, ZECDP administration, logistics, procurement, and staff supervision. The Program Manager will also lead all stakeholder relationship management activities. This includes relationships with the Zambia Rural Electrification Agency (REA), other Government of Zambia entities, USAID Zambia, and Zambia-based development partners. Developing a collaborative ZECDP approach is fundamental to the success of the program.
The ZECDP Program Manager position is at the nexus of cooperative formation and development, financing for renewable energy projects, and stakeholder engagement. NRECA International is seeking applicants with prior experience in at least one of these three areas and will supplement gaps with short-term technical assistance from our team of specialists.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
• As Program Manager for the USAID-funded ZECDP project, serve as the principal NRECA representative to USAID with overall management responsibility for all activities undertaken in this program.
• Provide guidance, training and mentoring to REA to develop the tools, methodologies and work practices needed to establish and support new electric cooperatives to serve grid- and off-grid communities in Zambia.
• Responsible for all ZECDP activities including securing financing for new cooperatives, ZECDP administration, logistics, procurement, workplan compliance, and staff supervision, stakeholder relationships, among others.
• Lead formation of new electric cooperatives identified and analyzed within the ZECDP. This includes overseeing the community engagement process, community education and membership drives, planning for new electric cooperative formation, cooperative registration, board election and creation, training, utility startup activities, utility staff hiring and training, etc.
• Analyze the climate change mitigation impacts of the new clean energy cooperatives and report these positive impacts to NRECA International team members, USAID, and Zambian stakeholders.
• Ensure that gender-inclusive and non-discriminatory development methodology is practiced to form sustainable and thriving cooperative enterprises.
• Supervise work activities and oversee the final work product of all ZECDP staff. Plan and coordinate inputs and activities of NRECA subject matter experts who support ZECDP.
• Identify key challenges, solutions and alternative development strategies that may arise and offer proactive risk management and mitigation plans.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing, in a clear and precise manner with a diverse audience to include cooperative members, employees, communities and vendors.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines and multiple projects at various stages of development using effective organization skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to organize and manage time, multi-task, operate under pressure and prioritize projects (or work) using effective organization skills.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word, Outlook, Power Point) in the day-to-day essential duties of the job.
• Experience and knowledge on how to interact with government clients and agencies to build collaborative partnerships.
• Experience and knowledge of rural development, rural infrastructure, and/or rural electrification projects would be a plus.
• Experience and knowledge on cooperatives or community-based organization formation and training experience, particularly in rural settings.

Qualifications
• Undergraduate degree in engineering, business administration, international development, economics, or related field.
• At least seven years of professional experience.
• Prior supervisory experience of staff in international projects is a plus.
Reporting Relationships:
• The program manager will report to the Senior Vice-President, NRECA International.
• Local office team members will report to the program manager.

About the Organization
NRECA International (NRECA) is a rural development organization with the mission to increase access to reliable electric service in developing countries. Since 1962, NRECA’s programs have focused on improving and expanding electric infrastructure, establishing self-sustaining and well-managed electric utilities, and providing technical assistance to national electrification planners. NRECA is currently working on three continents to provide expertise in the establishment and support of electric cooperatives; renewable energy on- and off-grid utility design and start-up; geospatial platforms for electrification investment planning; universal electrification access strategy planning; utility benchmarking and service improvements; construction supervision; smart grid planning and implementation; and engineering design and analysis.
NRECA Is implementing the Zambia Electric Cooperative Development Program (ZECDP), a five-year initiative designed to support increased electricity access in rural Zambia through the development of sustainable electric cooperative enterprises. Supported by the USAID Cooperative Development Program, the achievement of the ZECDP objectives will lead to several outcomes:
• Increased access to electric service in multiple rural communities.
• Demonstrate a community-based electric cooperative business model that aggregates local community resources to support investment in electricity services.
• Support income generation by supporting investment in productive uses of electricity in each electric cooperative utility.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 84

Level of Education: Associate Degree

Job application procedure
Applicants should send an up-to-date CV, contact information and a cover letter describing relevant experience, to nreca.international@nreca.coop 




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