Vacancy Announcement for Field Officer -Technology Mentoring

Application Deadline: 8th November, 2016.

Job Title: Field Officer-Technology Mentoring

Reports to: Country Manager

Position Type: Full time (Lake Zone Regions-Field Based)

1.0 Background:

Energy 4 Impact works to improve the effectiveness of energy product/service providers by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises to strengthen, expand and diversify their business and improve their ability to raise capital and scale-up. To do this, Energy 4 Impact provides high quality financial, technology, engineering and project management services. Over 7 million people have benefited from our programmes in Africa.

2.0 Purpose:

Energy 4 Impact (E4I) supports the growth of energy-focused micro, small and medium sized enterprises, as a means to drive economic prosperity and contribute to energy access in the region in a way that is inclusive of people living in poverty. As one of the Energy 4 Impact’s programmes, The Partnership on Women’s Entrepreneurship in Renewables (wPOWER) seeks to empower women clean energy entrepreneurs and expand clean energy access for poor and rural communities. Working at the grassroots level in Tanzania, wPOWER promotes entrepreneurship of small-scale clean technologies such as solar products and clean cookstoves to drive green growth and directly integrate women into the energy access value chain.

A programme in Tanzania aims to integrate 200 women in Rural Lake Zone region into the renewable energy supply chain by providing them with business and technology training and mentorship, and supporting them to access to finance and marketing opportunities.

Energy 4 Impact wishes to recruit a Field staff who will do a full time work in the position of “Field Officer-Technology Mentoring” who will promote the programme’s objectives by helping improved cook stoves and briquette entrepreneurs by supporting their linkage to financial institutions as well as promote briquette making businesses and retailers to leverage credit from financial institutions.

3.0 Main duties and responsibilities of the Business Mentor include:

 Assist in the recruitment of cookstove and briquette business under the programme;

 Identify potential businesses in areas of operation that could be recruited

 Input into due diligence of recruited businesses through assessment of their technology skills

 Developing and delivering technological training to entrepreneurs under the programme

 Inputting into the design and development of a business and technological development training manual that will guide entrepreneurs through technical aspects such as different types of technology, product design and production process

 Delivering of technical trainings to entrepreneurs

 Organizing additional technical trainings tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs based on needs identified in all businesses inclusive the programme i.e. Solar PV, clean cookstoves, briquettes

 Providing mentoring services to entrepreneurs to enable them to improve on technical aspects of their business such as product design, quality control and manufacturing

 Identify technical needs of the business and providing practical solutions to arising technology issues

 Developing action plans with entrepreneurs to enable them to improve on technical aspects such as product performance and quality

 Monitoring the progress of each entrepreneur, identifying further trainings and technical development needs

 Communicating with the business development coordinator to ensure that technical and business support is aligned to meet common goals

 Inputting into research and development activities to increase the technical capacity of the project and improve the technology support offered

 Assisting in the technology related studies and market assessments

 Inputting into the design and promoting the use of the technical factsheets, guides and standards

 Researching mechanization needs of businesses and associated costs to enable them to scale up production

 Close support of the value chains for solar PV and cookstove products i.e. working hand in hand with manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers

 Support the Loan Guarantee Fund team in technical due diligence of loan applications and assisting entrepreneurs in utilizing loans effectively in the technical related aspects

 Work together with Capital Access Officer to identify the entrepreneurs in needy of loan to improve their businesses on the technical part

 In collaboration with CAO, make a business inspection visits at field for verification of entrepreneurs’ businesses who are in needy of loan

 Support the Business Development Services Coordinator with quality control on field information and in undertaking analytical studies

 Doing various analyses related to the technology needs of entrepreneurs in relation the their business growth to foster business expansion and diversifications

 Dealing with all safety issues to entrepreneurs in their business premises and in the open market areas where they showcase their businesses/products

 Inputting into programme reporting and providing feedback to the Business Development Services Coordinator on developments around the enterprises and field activities

 Inputting the technical part of it in the monthly progressive report and ensure that the inputted information are correct and concise

 Organizing and reporting various success stories and lesson learnt from entrepreneurs in an analytical way and submit to BDS Coordinator for review and inputs

 Assisting programme management and project staff in other activities as and when necessary

 Assist the programme/project in all other activities which will be assigned by supervisor/s

 Monitoring and Evaluation

 Data collecting, analyzing, and providing feedback to the BDS Coordinator and Country Manager

 Supporting the M&E Coordinator with quality control on field information

 Support the M&E in undertaking analytical studies

 Reporting

 Prepare and submit a field weekly and monthly reports to BDS Coordinator and Country Manager. A pre-defined template will be used to capture key information such as: number of briquettes and clean cookstove’s producers and retailers, number of clean cookstove and briquette businesses particularly participating in the programme etc

 Communications

 Documenting and compiling case studies and stories from entrepreneurs

 Providing the communication officer with impactful stories on a monthly basis

4.0 Qualifications, skills and experience

o Holder of a minimum of Full Technicians Certificate (FTC) in industrial, electrical fitter or electrical engineering or a bachelor degree in relevant field.

o Trained in clean cookstoves and solar PV system/products from a recognized institution

o Minimum of 2 years’ hands on experience in clean cookstoves, briquette, solar PV products and maintenance, particularly in rural settings

o Hands on experience as a trainer, facilitator and advisor in energy technology production, installation, utilization/operations and maintenance.

o Ability to work on multiple tasks simultaneously with minimal supervision.

o Good communication and writing skills

o Analytical and troubleshooting/maintenance skills related to clean cookstoves/briquette and solar technologies and business performance.

o Ability to create, impart technical skills and guide an enterprise to achieve the desired technology performance.

5.0 How to apply?

Qualified candidates should apply via email with a detailed CV highlighting relevant experience, current Physical address and expected salary, a daytime phone contact and the names of three professional referees to recruitment@energy4impact.org under the reference “Application for the Position of Field Officer-Technology Mentoring” so as to reach us by latest 8th November, 2016.

Energy 4 Impact is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of gender, race, religion, national origin or disability.