A. Position Information

Job Title: Project Officer, Africa Energy Access and Transition Initiative

Employment: Full time

Working hours: Monday to Friday reporting in the office from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 P.M

Supervisor: Thematic Lead for Just Transition and Energy Access

Reportees; None

Duration of Contract; One-year renewable contract subject to satisfactory performance

Duty station: PACJA Secretariat, Nairobi Kenya

About PACJA

PACJA (Pan African Climate Justice Alliance) is a consortium of more than 2000 organizations from 48 African countries, and brings together a diverse membership drawn from Faith-based Organizations, Community-based organizations, Non-Governmental organizations, Trusts, Foundations, Indigenous Communities, Farmers, and Pastoralist Groups with a shared vision to advance a people-centred, rights-based, equitable, just and inclusive approach to climate response. The tremendous growth of the Alliance membership and mandate has necessitated a rethink of its governance, which seeks to accord more role to its base at the sub-national/national level by establishing National Platforms that will henceforth serve as Pillars of mobilization in countries and sub-national levels. This is consistent with the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030, which underscores people and local communities’ role in achieving their stated goals.

PACJA’s Programme mirrors three thematic areas, namely Resilient People Societies and Economies (ReSPE), Just Transition and Energy Access (JTEA), and Climate Finance (CF). PACJA works with people at the frontline of climate change, especially women in rural settings, and believes that environmental and climate justice will be achieved only if governments recognize the right to justice and respond with policies, resources, and actions to meet the needs and aspirations of their citizens and that vulnerable groups such as women, indigenous peoples (IPs), youth, people living with disabilities (PWDs), must be included in all aspects of decision-making processes especially in climate financing and in climate information and services (CIS).

The Africa Energy Access and Transition Initiative

The Africa Energy Access and Transition Initiative is a project jointly implemented by PACJA and WWF. Its main goal is ‘promoting energy sector development in Africa in alignment with 1.50C pathways’.

A window of opportunity exists for scaling up RE access as initial costs have now become competitive. In addition to mitigating greenhouse emissions, such scale-up will promote economic development, increase energy access (EA) and provide other benefits to all stakeholders. WWF and PACJA believe that a stronger CSO engagement will enhance RE awareness and enhance the technical capacities of decision-makers and investors concerning opportunities, benefits, as well as practical transition modalities that disfavour fossil fuel as the energy solution of choice. The different forces pushing for further development and investments in fossil FF solutions also need to be exposed, held accountable and balanced by forces pushing for the development of clean RE.

The desired change is: “Emissions in SSA are reduced by accelerating investments in sustainable RE and progressively phasing out fossil fuel investments”.

Some presumed prerequisites that are needed to achieve the desired change(s) are listed below:

• Governments have adopted national and regional/multi-country strategies and policies that promote RE and inhibit new FF energy plants.
• Existing financial barriers are removed and National, Regional & Overseas investments in clean RE have significantly increased.
• Inclusive and participatory decision-making processes within the energy sector are in place and governments, private actors and relevant powerholders are held accountable.
• National and regional CSOs are empowered to proactively engage as watchdogs in national, regional and international RE space to address corruption, rights-based approaches, transparency, social inclusion, energy inequality, GHG emissions and environmental degradation.

By adopting the following four workstreams, WWF believes that a mobilized network of CSOs (of which WWF is a part) can stimulate RE transition at subnational, national and regional levels by: –

i. Supporting efforts to strengthen RE financial instruments
ii. Supporting policy, strategies and regulatory changes at both regional and national levels for promoting a friendly RE enabling environment.
iii. Using environmental, economic and financial evidence of risks associated with FF to influence divestment by governments, financial institutions and investors.
iv. Support private sector investments and “regional market opening” to catalyze a thriving RE trade (demand-supply balance).

To implement these workstreams, the intervention will deploy, among others, the formation, mobilisation and empowerment of national and regional CSO networks to engage in policy and regulatory processes for stopping coal plants and advancing RE transformation.

Project Officer job Profile

Under the strategic direction from the Just Transition and Energy Access Thematic Lead the incumbent will be responsible for supporting the day-to-day implementation of the assigned PACJA project. S/he will be responsible for planning, coordinating implementing project activities, including scheduling, timely and quality reporting, organized requisitions, and documentation.

B. Duties and Responsibilities

a) Support national governments adopt policies that promote renewable energy transition, energy efficiency in the charcoal value chain, and inhibit the development of new fossil fuel-based power plants
b) Work with other stakeholders to lobby regional development banks and Chinese financial institutions to reduce investments in coal energy plants and increase investments in renewable energy
c) Empower National and regional CSOs to proactively engage as watchdogs in national, regional, and international renewable energy space to address corruption, rights-based approaches, transparency, social inclusion, energy inequality, GHG emissions, and environmental degradation.
d) Work with stakeholders towards inclusive and participatory decision-making processes within the energy sector and ensure governments, private actors, and relevant powerholders are held accountable.
e) Timely development and submission of high-quality project reports
f) Advise the line manager on the trend in the renewable energy discourse for strategic interventions

C.Required Competencies

a) An agile, strategic, and critical thinker, with the ability of setting process, performance, and outcome goals.
b) Excellent communication skills in both verbal and written English, ability to speak French will be an added advantage
c) Ability to pay attention to details
d) Excellent planning and organizational skills to manage own workload and co-ordinate
the work of others.
e) Ability to work autonomously and in a team

D. Qualifications and Experience

a) A degree in a Social or Environmental Science, Energy Policy, Project Management, or a related field
b) Certification in project management will be an added advantage.
c) At least three (3) years of work experience in a similar position
d) Minimum three (3) years’ experience in the implementation of advocacy, conservation, energy, and climate change projects.

E. Terms of Appointment

This is a full-time position with a 1-contract renewable subject to performance and availability of funding. successful candidate being based at the PACJA Secretariat in Nairobi-Kenya

F. How to Apply

Interested candidates should send their motivation and detailed CV to hr@pacja.org copying info@pacja.org by 11th /06/2021.