Programme Manager

About Energy 4 Impact and Mercy Corps

At Mercy Corps, we understand the pivotal role of universal energy access in shaping a more sustainable future — one defined by thriving economies, stable food and water supplies, and peaceful, effective governance. To realize this vision, we are addressing critical challenges at the intersection of energy access and climate-resilient development through our platform, Energy 4 Impact (E4I).

Our localized approach begins by building inclusive energy markets, and then leveraging them as a catalyst for sustainable development and humanitarian assistance. We offer multidisciplinary expertise, local know-how, and systems-centred approaches, coupled with global best practices in energy innovations, technologies, and business models. Having successfully implemented this model across Africa, positively impacting the lives of over 20 million individuals through enhanced energy access, we now aim to amplify our global influence. Our mission is to uncover innovative, transformative means of utilizing energy access to enhance the well-being of all people on our planet.

The Programme

E4I is implementing a three-year program called Financial Inclusion for Clean Cooking Access in Rwanda and Sierra Leone (FICCARS). The program seeks to address the challenge of access to finance and clean cooking among women living in cities, particularly in urban informal settlements and slums in these two countries.

The Position

This is a full-time position to manage the FICCARS programme and ensure quality delivery of outputs. The Programme Manager (PM) is primarily responsible for planning and leading delivery of programme activities, co-ordinating activities with implementing and commercial partners, and providing technical expertise to commercial partners on clean cooking technologies and business models.

Essential Responsibilities (90%)

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• Lead planning and execution of programme activities with implementing partners, commercial partners, and other departmental teams within Mercy Corps.
• Support the Head of Energy Research and Innovation in engaging and maintaining the relationship with the programme donor.
• Work closely with the Head of Energy Research and Innovation to engage and maintain relationships with key stakeholders who are programme focal points or sector enablers. This includes documenting and disseminating programme lessons and successes to inform further programming.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

• Track programme activities and outputs to ensure cohesiveness in program delivery among the programme team, implementation partners, commercial partners, and consultants.
• Directly manage and quality check delivery of activities and outputs commercial partners and expert consultants in the programme.
• Work closely with the Deputy Project Manager (DPM) in managing the in-country implementation partners.
• Lead budgeting and resource planning for the programme, ensuring adherence to Mercy Corps policies and standards, as well as donor requirements.
• Develop and oversee implementation of programme activities and workplans in adherence to Mercy Corps policies and programme standards.
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting of programme activities and results. This includes support in developing tools necessary for effective M&E, and analysis and reporting of evaluations.
• Work closely with Mercy Corps’ Regional Programme Team to prepare narrative and financial reports to the donor.
• Work closely with the DPM to plan and co-ordinate stakeholder workshops in the programme. This includes leading facilitation of events with implementing partners and other programme partners.
• Ensure effective documentation and filing of programme documents as per Mercy Corps’ Record Retention policy.
• Lead engagements with key stakeholders in the public and private sector and manage logs of engagements carried out throughout the program. This includes participating in relevant sector working groups in the countries.

COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING

• Ensure CARM is operationalised in FICCARS in accordance with Mercy Corps standards.
• Provide overall guidance to the FICCARS team and implementing partners on CARM management.
• Ensure that programme stakeholders are proactively informed of the programme CARM feedback channels.
• Ensure that appropriate action is taken for all programmatic feedback and that it is appropriately incorporated into programme activities and overall implementation strategy.

RESEARCH AND LEARNING

• Work closely with the DPM and Head of Energy Research and Innovation in carrying out research and learning initiatives with the program team and implementing partners to contribute to the programme's learning and adaptation needs.
• Coordinate periodic learning and reflective sessions with the program team, stakeholders, and partners to share monitoring data, lessons, and research findings.
• Represent the programme and E4I in conferences, workshops, webinars, industry events, and other sector meetings as a presenter, speaker, or participant.

CLEAN COOKING ADVISORY

• Co-ordinate with the procurement, compliance, and finance teams to select and contract suitable commercial partners to support under FICCARS.
• With commercial partners, develop implementation plans in alignment with FICCARS objectives.
• Provide expertise to commercial partners on clean cooking technologies, business models, pricing models, last-mile delivery, partnerships, consumer insights, M&E, reporting, and other areas as needed.
• Lead design and implementation of route-to-market activities with commercial partners.
• Work closely with the commercial partners and assigned consultant(s) to design and execute action research activities in the programme.
• Support the Head of Energy Research and Innovation in co-ordinating and facilitating capacity building workshops and events for the public sector, private sector, and national and local government on clean cooking, financial inclusion, and gender.

Institutional Support (10%)

• Provide ad-hoc advisory services in SME advisory programmes with clean cooking components.
• Building in-house knowledge and capacity on clean cooking technologies, business models, and best practices.
• Work closely with the Head of Energy Research and Innovation, the communications team, and the MEL and knowledge management departments to disseminate position papers/publications on energy trends, gaps and opportunities in the market that E4I and Mercy Corps are helping to addressing.
• Contribute to business development (BD) to build E4I’s energy portfolio. This includes supporting development of proposals, concept notes and presentations to donors, participating in design workshops, and/or participating in internal and external BD meetings as needed.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Energy Analysts, Programme Officers, Programme Assistants

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Head of Energy Research and Innovation

Works Directly With: The FICCARS team, the MEL team, in-country implementation partners, commercial partners, consultants contracted in the programme, the Programme Performance and Quality (PaQ) team, and the Regional Programmes Team (RPT).

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Graduate degree or equivalent in Energy, Environment, Economics, International Development, Urban Development, Climate Change, or other relevant subject.
• At least 7 years of progressive experience in energy implementation within the context of international development. Experience implementing energy programmes in urban areas is advantageous.
• At least 3 years’ experience with managing projects and teams in an international development organisation.
• Experience working with national and sub-national authorities, the private sector, and non-government organizations as programme partners.
• Strong demonstrable expertise in clean cooking technologies and businesses, particularly in the context of the private sector. Expertise in modern energy cooking solutions is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to work with, communicate effectively with, and manage ethnically diverse team members of varied work styles.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills in English. Please include links to published work as evidence.
• Demonstrated analytical skills and ability to synthesize/translate data into a high-profile narrative to draw insights and inform decision making.
• Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders.
• Experience developing programme reports for donors.
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
• Internationally recognized qualification in project or programme management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.

Success Factors

The successful Programme Manager will have outstanding ability to effectively manage activities, budget, and teams within the current and future program structure of Mercy Corps Energy 4 Impact in the region and will share the organization’s values. They will have expertise in clean cooking, including experience with providing advisory services to service providers. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya. It requires up to 15% travel to support in-country field activities.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

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 Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.