Job title: CIC Manager
Reports to: [Head of Advisory Services/Regional Director]
Based in: Nairobi, Kenya
Organization
GVEP is a UK charity working to accelerate access to renewable energy in East and West Africa, and the Caribbean. GVEP provides demand-driven, practical, and intensive support to innovative SMEs delivering energy products and services to off-grid communities. We identify promising, innovative and scalable business models and work closely with managers and entrepreneurs to strengthen their proposition for funding and growth. We train micro-entrepreneurs in underserved communities to formalize and grow their businesses, and provide specialist knowledge to larger businesses in the areas of technology and engineering, strategic and management advisory, project and corporate finance, impact and venture capital, entrepreneurship and law. Our team is comprised of professionals with a variety of backgrounds and skillsets that support business development to address energy inequality in a sustainable and significant way.
We assist clients to refine business plans, investor pitches, grant applications, complete project feasibility work, prepare for due diligence, develop financing strategies, and engage with investors, grant-makers and banks. We facilitate partnerships with complementary market participants, support strategic planning, marketing and distribution, supply chain management, and financial management.
We work both on an ad-hoc basis with individual businesses we find compelling and worthy of support, as well as with businesses that are involved in our programmes including:
1. The Climate Innovation Centre (CIC) which provides incubation, capacity building and financing to Kenyan entrepreneurs developing innovative climate mitigation/adaptation initiatives.
2. Energy SMEs (ESME) programme which provides technical assistance, project development support, and cash grants to energy SMEs in 5 countries in Africa.
3. Capital Access for Renewable Energy Enterprises (CARE2) which supports micro, small and medium energy enterprises in East Africa with a focus on investment readiness.
4. Spark Fund, a joint initiative with Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, which supports cookstove businesses in Kenya with funding and technical support.
Role
The CIC Manager will be GVEP’s point person for our involvement with the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (“CIC”), an incubator we and our consortium partners (PwC, Strathmore University, and KIRDI) helped establish in Nairobi in 2012 with funding from the World Bank. The person filling this role will be responsible for managing the GVEP/CIC relationship, and leading our work to help make CIC a successful, financially self-sustaining institution. The person who holds this role will be responsible for interacting with CIC managers (CEO and others) to help the CIC deliver high quality value-added incubation services. The position will also involve spending perhaps 20-30% of the time on direct support for SMEs by completing advisory/consulting assignments for CIC client entrepreneurs who are being incubated. The position will report to the GVEP [Head of Advisory Services/Regional Director] and will be based primarily at the CIC on the campus of Strathmore Business School, but is likely to require perhaps 1 day per week in the GVEP office. The following are illustrative responsibilities:
• Advisory: Providing consulting services to clients in business and financial planning, strategic decision-making, technology choice, capital raising and other areas (many of these assignments may rely on specialized knowledge which exists within the broader GVEP team).
• Support to the CIC CEO and his/her managers in developing and implementing the CIC’s strategy, policies and methodologies, to support the development of the CIC as a world class climate technology incubator
• Proof of concept (“PoC”) grants: Assisting clients to complete the PoC application process, which can result in grants of up to $100k for clients to pilot innovative business models.
• Procuring consultants: Helping the CIC procure consultants as necessary to carry out specialized assignments for the benefit of its clients.
• Client outreach: Organising client outreach activities such as workshops and seminars on a variety of topics relevant to CIC clients and other stakeholders.
• Quality management: Maintaining a high standard of support provided to CIC clients both in your own engagements, and by working with CIC staff to ensure they are delivering value-added services to clients with good attention to detail and a focus on results.
• Budget management: Ensuring that all staff and contracted parties are implementing their activities within the allocated budgets.
• Coordination: Ensuring proper communication and coordination between GVEP and consortium members, the CIC staff, donors/funders, consultants, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Harmonization with GVEP: Ensuring both CIC and GVEP benefit from optimal use of shared resources, and identifying and facilitating synergies with other GVEP programmes and staff.
• Documentation of results: Documenting achievements and developing case studies and documentaries in coordination with the communications office for records and for publicity.
Requirements
• 5-7 years’ experience in project development, strategic or management consulting, or business development services.
• Expertise in the energy sector including renewables development, operations, or financing.
• An understanding of the unique challenges faced by African businesses.
• Good team building and motivational skills with an ability to work with a diverse mix of professionals and deliver; a strong communicator with advanced oral and written skills.
• A can-do and collaborative mindset – comfortable with the ambiguities and demands of a rapidly evolving environment.
This position is likely to require light, if any, travel.
To apply please send your CV plus a covering letter (in English) outlining how your knowledge, skills and experience match the job specification to peter.george@gvepinternational.org.
GVEP International is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.
Reports to: [Head of Advisory Services/Regional Director]
Based in: Nairobi, Kenya
Organization
GVEP is a UK charity working to accelerate access to renewable energy in East and West Africa, and the Caribbean. GVEP provides demand-driven, practical, and intensive support to innovative SMEs delivering energy products and services to off-grid communities. We identify promising, innovative and scalable business models and work closely with managers and entrepreneurs to strengthen their proposition for funding and growth. We train micro-entrepreneurs in underserved communities to formalize and grow their businesses, and provide specialist knowledge to larger businesses in the areas of technology and engineering, strategic and management advisory, project and corporate finance, impact and venture capital, entrepreneurship and law. Our team is comprised of professionals with a variety of backgrounds and skillsets that support business development to address energy inequality in a sustainable and significant way.
We assist clients to refine business plans, investor pitches, grant applications, complete project feasibility work, prepare for due diligence, develop financing strategies, and engage with investors, grant-makers and banks. We facilitate partnerships with complementary market participants, support strategic planning, marketing and distribution, supply chain management, and financial management.
We work both on an ad-hoc basis with individual businesses we find compelling and worthy of support, as well as with businesses that are involved in our programmes including:
1. The Climate Innovation Centre (CIC) which provides incubation, capacity building and financing to Kenyan entrepreneurs developing innovative climate mitigation/adaptation initiatives.
2. Energy SMEs (ESME) programme which provides technical assistance, project development support, and cash grants to energy SMEs in 5 countries in Africa.
3. Capital Access for Renewable Energy Enterprises (CARE2) which supports micro, small and medium energy enterprises in East Africa with a focus on investment readiness.
4. Spark Fund, a joint initiative with Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, which supports cookstove businesses in Kenya with funding and technical support.
Role
The CIC Manager will be GVEP’s point person for our involvement with the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (“CIC”), an incubator we and our consortium partners (PwC, Strathmore University, and KIRDI) helped establish in Nairobi in 2012 with funding from the World Bank. The person filling this role will be responsible for managing the GVEP/CIC relationship, and leading our work to help make CIC a successful, financially self-sustaining institution. The person who holds this role will be responsible for interacting with CIC managers (CEO and others) to help the CIC deliver high quality value-added incubation services. The position will also involve spending perhaps 20-30% of the time on direct support for SMEs by completing advisory/consulting assignments for CIC client entrepreneurs who are being incubated. The position will report to the GVEP [Head of Advisory Services/Regional Director] and will be based primarily at the CIC on the campus of Strathmore Business School, but is likely to require perhaps 1 day per week in the GVEP office. The following are illustrative responsibilities:
• Advisory: Providing consulting services to clients in business and financial planning, strategic decision-making, technology choice, capital raising and other areas (many of these assignments may rely on specialized knowledge which exists within the broader GVEP team).
• Support to the CIC CEO and his/her managers in developing and implementing the CIC’s strategy, policies and methodologies, to support the development of the CIC as a world class climate technology incubator
• Proof of concept (“PoC”) grants: Assisting clients to complete the PoC application process, which can result in grants of up to $100k for clients to pilot innovative business models.
• Procuring consultants: Helping the CIC procure consultants as necessary to carry out specialized assignments for the benefit of its clients.
• Client outreach: Organising client outreach activities such as workshops and seminars on a variety of topics relevant to CIC clients and other stakeholders.
• Quality management: Maintaining a high standard of support provided to CIC clients both in your own engagements, and by working with CIC staff to ensure they are delivering value-added services to clients with good attention to detail and a focus on results.
• Budget management: Ensuring that all staff and contracted parties are implementing their activities within the allocated budgets.
• Coordination: Ensuring proper communication and coordination between GVEP and consortium members, the CIC staff, donors/funders, consultants, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Harmonization with GVEP: Ensuring both CIC and GVEP benefit from optimal use of shared resources, and identifying and facilitating synergies with other GVEP programmes and staff.
• Documentation of results: Documenting achievements and developing case studies and documentaries in coordination with the communications office for records and for publicity.
Requirements
• 5-7 years’ experience in project development, strategic or management consulting, or business development services.
• Expertise in the energy sector including renewables development, operations, or financing.
• An understanding of the unique challenges faced by African businesses.
• Good team building and motivational skills with an ability to work with a diverse mix of professionals and deliver; a strong communicator with advanced oral and written skills.
• A can-do and collaborative mindset – comfortable with the ambiguities and demands of a rapidly evolving environment.
This position is likely to require light, if any, travel.
To apply please send your CV plus a covering letter (in English) outlining how your knowledge, skills and experience match the job specification to peter.george@gvepinternational.org.
GVEP International is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.
