Consultant - Senior Technical Advisor

Consultant - Senior Technical Advisor

Description

Background:

Energy 4 Impact - Mercy Corps (E4I-MC) manages programs that increase access to energy and productive use of energy (PUE) for poor and vulnerable communities in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), Asia and other developing markets. We work with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and end users to help them grow their business, trial new business models and technologies, and raise new capital

Purpose / Project Description:

The Consultant will provide advisory services, portfolio‑level support, team training, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) assistance, and communications support for PREO, and potentially other programs as well. He will advise on developing the E4I growth strategy for catalysing finance, and potentially also help with the technical design of concept notes and proposals.

PREO

Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) catalyzes the growth of PUE enterprises in SSA and Asia. The program, which is funded by FCDO and IKEA Foundation, has been running since 2018 and runs until September 2027. PREO provides grant capital and technical assistance (TA) for early-stage PUE innovations, and shares the learnings through a knowledge management platform. It helps SMEs and other organizations test and demonstrate PUE business models, thereby enabling them to gather critical business data, attract private capital and scale up further. PREO is currently funding 41 PUE organizations in SSA across sectors such as electric mobility, solar irrigation, cold storage, and the circular economy. PREO is jointly implemented by the Carbon Trust (the prime contractor) and E4I-MC.

Consultant Objectives:

PREO

• Help Program Director and Head of Programs to deliver PREO successfully in line with the program objectives.
• Help deliver TA effectively to PUE organisations.
• Help prepare quality reports for publication.
• Help to create strong relationships with PREO grantees and gather robust monitoring and evaluation data on grants.
• Support PREO program communications.
• Advise on program and financial management of PREO.

Other

• Provide ad hoc support on other programs as required
• Support development of E4I strategy for catalyzing finance as required
• Support technical design of bids as required.

Consultant Activities

The Consultant will conduct the activities below:

PREO (at portfolio level)

• Develop a pipeline of PUE innovators that can benefit from PREO grants through RFPs or direct sourcing.
• Coordinate due diligence process to long list and short-list potential grantees for funding by Carbon Trust.
• Prepare investment memos and supporting materials for the PREO Investment Committee.
• Support MC-E4I team members that manage relationships with PREO grantees.
• Help develop and maintain a MEL methodology and framework for PREO together with the MC-E4I MEL Team and Carbon Trust.
• Help develop M&E plans for PREO projects, ensure quality review of data provided by companies and make sure these are delivered to CT as per expectations.
• Conduct reviews with PREO grantees to monitor the implementation of their projects against deliverables and capture data on pre-agreed impact indicators.
• Help develop knowledge management reports around PREO projects and PUE markets, with a particular focus on sustainable business models and coordinating with external partners as required.
• Support the origination, design and delivery of TA assignments for PUE SMEs. These assignments may include feasibility studies, go-to market strategies, financial readiness support, technical evaluations, and advice on supply chains and procurement.
• Work closely with the Communications Teams at Carbon Trust and MC-E4I to support drafting of public reports, social media campaigns and other communication activities.

Consultant Deliverables

The Consultant will:.

• Participate in the selection process of companies during the CfP when an opportunity arise.
• Technical Leadership
• Oversee the delivery of projects from W4-6 and any other new wave of PREO grantees, including closing W4-5 projects and delivery of W6
• Lead the delivery of PREO TA assignments.
• Attendance and coordination of internal and external coordination meetings
• Support the development of PREO publications.
• Support the delivery of PREO newsletters and other communications.
•  Prepare MEL and program presentations for the PREO donors as required,

Timeframe / Schedule:

• 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027
• Regular deliverables throughout the year
• It is envisaged that the consultant will work around 10-15 days a month.

The Consultant will report to:

• Head of Programs, Energy 4 Impact

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Energy 4 Impact Director of Programs and Advisory
• Energy 4 Impact Advisory, finance and communication Team

Required Experience & Skills:

Experience

• At least 7 years’ experience in at least one and preferably several of the following areas:
• Experience contributing to support energy donor programs, preferably in an African energy access context
• Experience contributing to the design and implementation of regranting programs
• Proven experience helping early‑stage innovators strengthen their investment readiness via tailored technical support and facilitation of financing opportunities
• Experience working in a fast-moving entrepreneurial environment and an understanding of the unique challenges faced by local businesses.
• Experience working with rural and off-grid business models in Africa and other developing markets (Pacific Islands).
• Proven experience in designing, packaging, and promoting knowledge products for the energy sector
• Demonstrated ability to communicate successes and lessons learned through compelling storytelling and targeted outreach
• Track record of mobilizing funding and cultivating partnerships for energy‑access initiatives
• Proven experience training and equipping teams to support entrepreneurs effectively, including designing data‑collection systems and tracking technical‑assistance needs

Qualifications

• Graduate or Postgraduate Degree in Business Management, Economics, Finance, International Development, Energy, Environment, Climate Change or other relevant subject.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong network in energy access space, including SMEs, investors and donors.
• Strong understanding of the off-grid market, entrepreneurial space, and impact investing sectors, preferably in an African context.
• Ability to mentor clients and help them develop commercial or technical solutions.
• Ability to critique and develop financial models.
• Strong advisory and facilitation skills
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship‑building abilities
• Effective engagement coordination and delivery management
• Financial and donor compliance insight
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities
• Capacity‑building and knowledge‑transfer skills
• High adaptability and cultural intelligence
• Strong written and oral communication skills as well as ability to write high quality reports and proposals.
• Effective public speaker or workshop facilitator.
• Fluent English.

Personal qualities

• Team player.
• High energy.
• Problem solver.
• Attention to detail and a focus on results.
• Ability to think outside the box, to see the big picture and connect the dots.
• Ability to work calmly under pressure.
• A can-do and collaborative mindset.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
• Ability to work with diverse teams in a muti-cultural environment.
• Willingness to travel internationally
•  Passion for working in the development and impact sector.

Team Engagement and Effectiveness
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

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Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC

and have signed on to the