Sustainable Energy Specialist

CDB - Caribbean Development Bank

St. Michael, Barbados

THE ROLE

Sustainable Energy Specialists fulfil the function of operations officers who are collectively responsible for the identification of potential capital projects and TA interventions for inclusion in the Bank’s pipeline. Project preparation, appraisal, and implementation supervision activities account for a significant portion of the responsibilities of the position. The Sustainable Energy Specialist is accountable for due diligence, probity, and professional excellence in the discharge of the position’s key responsibilities. He/she is expected to stay abreast of advances in the electricity sector and sustainable energy development in general, identify areas for improvement of operational policy, procedure, and practice, “lessons learned” and best practices to support project development activities and project performance assessments. The Sustainable Energy Specialist will monitor developments and trends in electric power systems policies and operations, especially as related to the transition to increased integration of renewable energy, electricity system modernization, and resilience. He/she will work directly with clients to contribute to the achievement of their development priorities, relating to the electricity/sustainable sectors, and the Bank’s strategic objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Sustainable Energy Specialist will be required to:

Contribute as a team member to the screening of requests for assistance and the preparation and appraisal of assigned projects. Inputs will include, inter alia, assessment of the electricity sector of the country from which the request originated, ensuring that the developmental need is appropriately addressed in the project design, as well as ensuring that all issues related to compliance with CDB’s policies and procedures are identified and resolved at the preparation stage and/or during the appraisal process;
Identify new opportunities using, among other methods, existing contacts and lead the development of capital and technical assistance projects in the energy sector. Among these should be opportunities for the integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency across all social and economic sectors, including education, industry, agriculture, transport, and water;
Develop and build relationships at the technical/professional level with clients and key specialists in other multilateral and bilateral institutions and other international organisations, to promote cooperative activities and generate new business for the Bank;
Stay abreast of developments in assigned BMCs, and trends globally in relation to technologies, policies, strategies, electricity system development and provide information and analyses towards the revision, when necessary, of the Bank’s policy and strategies for the energy sector and develop relevant knowledge products;
Stay abreast of policies and regulatory issues of climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, electricity infrastructure modernisation and other issues in BMCs in consultation with relevant government and development institutions/agencies;
Provide technical inputs, when necessary, on energy sector-related matters to inter-departmental working groups;
Provide technical guidance to executing agencies on CDB’s policies and procedures during the design, preparation, and implementation of electricity sector projects;
Supervise approved projects through to completion, including, inter alia, review of project reports for consistency with CDB’s policies, procedures and approved financing agreements, review of and comment on technical and other reports, timely preparation of project supervision reports, including Back-to-Office reports, ensuring the collection of data to facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of projects and providing assistance to clients in resolving any project-related issues during implementation;
Participate in or contribute to internal and external fora on the energy sector to facilitate advocacy of Bank products and services, information dissemination and knowledge-building, including technical support in the preparation of speeches/presentations by senior officers of the Bank.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Sustainable Energy Specialist should have:

A master's degree from an accredited university in Renewable Energy, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Economics, Finance, Business Administration, or a field directly related to energy;
A minimum of eight years’ relevant professional experience in the design/planning/construction/operation/maintenance of any aspects of renewable energy generation (preferably solar PV, wind power, hydropower, geothermal energy); or in electricity generation, transmission (including lines and sub-stations) and distribution systems in the context of an electric utility or industrial plant environment;
Sound knowledge of the latest trends and developments in technologies and strategies for operation, management of electricity systems, the energy sector and of variable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and financing mechanisms;
Familiarity with issues of sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation as it relates to the electricity/sustainable energy sectors in the Caribbean Region;
Experience working in the Caribbean or in developing countries with similar conditions.

The following is considered an asset for this position:

Familiarity with electricity system expansion planning and operations models, including key inputs, outputs, and Integrated Resource and Resilience Plans;
Familiarity with electricity regulation and key performance indicators for electric utility operations;
Demonstrated knowledge of project cycle management, energy policy development, energy planning and management, and energy regulation;
Familiarity with environmental and social standards and due diligence issues related to electricity system projects;
Experience in electricity system investment project design and appraisal;
A professional electrical license or membership with an international professional electrical engineering association/institute.

Function-specific Competencies

The Sustainable Energy Specialist must have:

Demonstrated ability to achieve results and an aptitude for problem-solving;
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with the public and persons at all levels in government and in institutional settings;
Strong analytical skills and the ability to gather information, assess risk, consider the impact, and articulate the implications of decisions to both internal and external stakeholders;
Ability to effectively adapt to tight deadlines, heavy workloads and sudden or frequent changes in priority to accomplish objectives;
Excellent written and oral communications skills including an ability to communicate complex issues in simple terms and to engage in evidence-based dialogue with stakeholders/clients.

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