Senior Energy Specialist

Nom de l’employeur : THE WORLD BANK

Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2018, the WBG committed $67 billion in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to its members and private businesses, of which $24 billion was concessional finance to its poorest members. It is governed by 188-member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with more than 16,000 staff located globally.

Background / General description

Over 1.2 billion people are without access to electricity worldwide, most of them concentrated in about a dozen countries in Africa and Asia. Another 2.8 billion rely on wood or other biomass for cooking and heating, resulting in indoor and outdoor air pollution attributable for 4.3 million deaths a year. Providing reliable electricity to the unserved and inadequately-served people of the world is central to eradicate extreme poverty and create shared prosperity. The World Bank Group supports the Sustainable Energy for All initiative and is committed to working towards accomplishing the initiative’s three goals by 2030: i) universal access to electricity and clean cooking fuels; ii) doubling the share of the world’s energy supplied by renewable sources from 18 percent to 36 percent, and iii) doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

In terms of extractive industries, about 3.5 billion people live in countries rich in oil, gas or minerals. Many of these countries suffer from poverty, corruption and conflict stemming from weak governance. Too often, mineral, oil and gas resources have become a source of conflict rather than opportunity. Non-renewable mineral resources play a dominant role in 81 countries, collectively accounting for a quarter of world GDP, half of the world’s population and nearly 70 percent of those in extreme poverty. Africa has about 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves, 10 percent of the world’s oil, and 8 percent of the world’s natural gas.

The Energy & Extractives Global Practice of the World Bank Group is made up of more than 300 professionals, a lending program in the order of US$5-7 billion a year, an active portfolio of some $40 billion, and a rich program of Advisory and Analytical Work. The EEX GP focuses on: providing affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to meet the needs of fast growing economies and to ensure universal access to modern energy services for people in client countries; and, strengthening policy and institutional frameworks to promote transparent and equitable growth of the extractives sectors for public benefit.   There is a strong emphasis on private sector resource mobilization and catalyzing financing from commercial and other sources of development and climate finance.

The Africa Energy Program is growing rapidly, covering reforms (sector and corporate governance, energy security and the environment, regional energy trade, public-private partnerships, energy efficiency, etc.) and investment support in power generation, power and gas transmission and distribution, rural energy services, renewable energy development, low-carbon and climate friendly initiatives. The current portfolio of the Africa energy group is over US$12 billion, with an additional $1.8 billion in guarantees. New lending is approximately US$2 billion per annum, with a growing share of renewable energy and regional activities. The Bank’s Africa Energy Program uses a variety of instruments, including investment project financing, guarantees for public private partnerships, development policy financing, and program for results. In addition, the team manages a strong knowledge agenda to inform the policy dialogue in the sector.

The Africa energy sector grouping consists of four Units: Units (i) East and Southern Africa (ii) Francophone West Africa (iii) Central Africa and anglophone West Africa and (iv) Central and Southern Africa. Each of the four Units is managed by a Practice Manager. The four units together have over 90 staff with over 30 in various field locations, and more than half of the operational and advisory activities are managed and led by field-based staff.

The Francophone West Africa Unit (GEE07) is seeking an experienced Senior Energy Specialist to contribute to the Africa Energy portfolio of lending and non-lending activities and support teams on regional integration and design and regulation of energy markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Bank is engaged in all aspects of the electricity sector – generation, transmission, distribution, rural electrification and off-grid– through investment financing support, technical assistance and guarantee operations. Assisting the government with policy reforms to attract investments in generation and renewable energy along with the promotion of the regional energy trade in the Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Africa power pool, modernizing the electricity network for the needs of a modern economy and increasing energy access are among the key areas of the Bank’s deepening engagement in the sector.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3-year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Senior Energy Specialist will be responsible, to supervise, prepare, appraise, negotiate energy projects in the Cameroon and eventually in other countries, including regional integration operations. These could include sector/policy reform programs, public-private partnership projects, grid network strengthening projects, and electricity access enhancement projects. S/he will actively participate in overseeing implementation of energy operations with the aim to enhance quality and accelerate implementation. The Senior Energy Specialist would play an active role in Bank’s policy dialogue with the authorities, development partners, and other stakeholders on strategic energy issues and implementation of ongoing energy sector reforms.

The Senior Energy Specialist will also maintain sufficient knowledge of individual operations and activities (including those not managed by him/her) to be able to identify and help resolve project-specific or systemic issues. The candidate will also be required to support and/or manage analytical and advisory work related to Ethiopia and EAPP related energy projects.

The Senior Energy Specialist will be expected to forge partnerships with organizations and individuals which can both better inform the Bank’s energy strategies and result in higher quality implementation and impact of Bank-supported programs. This will require effective communication and outreach to key stakeholders including client governments, academia, civil society organizations, media, other development partners and other Bank Group units.

The Senior Energy Specialist will be expected to lead teams and to provide guidance and mentoring to junior staff on operational, policy dialogue and analytical activities. Information about these projects is available on the World Bank’s website.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, economics, finance or related field;
• At least 8 years of combined experience in the World Bank, other international institutions and/or companies, government agencies, and/or power sector utilities with demonstrated track record of successful engagement with complex projects;
• Strong experience in planning, designing, and implementing power infrastructure projects including renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution, as well as on-grid and off-grid electrification projects would be preferred;
• Hands-on experience with infrastructure projects with power sector utilities will be a distinct advantage;
• Experience in working on World Bank lending and non-lending operations is desirable;
• Familiarity with the Cameroonian energy sector, including the ongoing power sector reform process would be preferred;
• Experience in working with large global teams, with an ability to produce high-quality results and outputs with minimal supervision would be preferred;
• An excellent track record in carrying out high quality and timely analytical reports and activities, including those related to power sector finances, power flow modeling would be advantageous;
• Strong experience of working with external clients at all levels of seniority is required;
• High level of excitement, ability to work independently, taking initiative, and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to effectively dialogue with and relate to clients and stakeholders; and
• Proficiency in English and French is essential.

Competencies

• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
• Policy Dialogue Skills – Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
• Integrative Skills – Working to develop an integrated view across all facets of current sector.
• Energy Sector Technologies – Direct experience with depth in at least one area: hydrocarbon, power generation, transmission and distribution, renewables, energy efficiency, low carbon strategies, etc.
• Energy Policy, Strategy and Institutions – Familiarity with energy policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.
• Lead and Innovate – Develops innovative solutions.
• Deliver Results for Clients – Proactively addresses client’s stated and unstated needs.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.
• Make Smart Decisions – Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward.

The World Bank Group values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of World Bank Group member countries to apply, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.  Sub-Saharan African nationals, Caribbean nationals, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.