Description

***Position is subject to Funding approval*** 

Project: International Consultancy for the Development of Off Grid Renewable Energy Projects

Location: Sub-Saharan Africa (with significant time in Nigeria)

Availability for assignment: May 2026 – December 2027 

 Risk Level:     ☐ Level 3       ☐Level 2         ☐Level 1 

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.  

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data) 

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions

into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future. 

The Program / Department / Team 

Energy 4 Impact is Mercy Corps’ platform for shaping market systems in clean energy access. We work at the intersection of policy and institutions, enterprise growth and finance, ecosystem coordination, and evidence and market intelligence. Our comparative advantage lies in blending the advisory capabilities of a specialist firm with the geographic presence and community reach of an NGO. We translate program investment into strategic, market-credible solutions: building the conditions under which private investment flows into previously high-risk energy access markets.

The Position Overview 

Energy 4 Impact seeks a Senior Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Technical Expert to support NESP III in providing engineering and technical advisory services for largescale renewable energy projects (>15 MW). The expert will contribute to technical assessments, grid integration analysis, and preparation of technical documents for tenders and project implementation. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide technical leadership on utility-scale solar or hybrid renewable energy (RE) project development.

• Conduct grid integration studies, network analysis, and generation modelling.

• Prepare technical specifications, BoQs, tender documents, and engineering packages.

• Support technical due diligence for largescale RE proposals.

• Ensure compliance with international engineering standards and grid codes.

• Contribute to the development of technical guidelines and frameworks for RE integration.

• Deliver technical trainings and support stakeholder engagement.

• Collaborate with NESP advisors and local experts to ensure alignment with program objectives.

• Support reporting, documentation, and knowledge transfer activities.

Complementary Responsibilities 

• Introduce best practice grid stability and storage integration approaches to strengthen Nigeria’s future energy mix.

• Develop bankability enhancing tools, such as risk matrices, technical checklists, and quality assurance protocols for mini-grids.

• Support capacity building for state level electricity market actors under the new Electricity Act.

• Contribute to the development of a utility-scale RE project pipeline screening tool for NESP.

Safeguarding Responsibilities  

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.

• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members  

Required Qualifications 

Education 

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or related field.

Languages

• Excellent command of English (C1 level, CEFR). 

Professional Experience 

• General: At least 12 years of experience in the energy sector.

• Specific: Minimum 10 years in renewable energy utility-scale projects (>15MW)

• Demonstrated experience in power system engineering, including network analysis and generation modelling 

• Demonstrated experience using GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS, etc.) for site identification and planning. 

• International experience: At least 7 years in at least two countries with economies in transition outside West Africa.

• Regional experience: At least 5 years of professional experience in West Africa, including a minimum of 1 year in Nigeria.  

• At least 5 years of experience working on development cooperation projects 

Skills 

• Strong understanding of grid codes, interconnection standards, and utility-scale RE engineering.

• Excellent technical writing and documentation skills.

• Strong stakeholder engagement and training facilitation abilities.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program 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. 

Success Factors

The ideal candidate is a highly analytical and strategic engineer with deep experience designing and evaluating large‑scale renewable energy projects. They bring strong knowledge of power systems engineering, grid integration, and utility‑scale project development processes. They are adept at translating complex engineering concepts into clear technical documents, guidelines, and tender materials. This expert is comfortable advising government agencies, financiers, and private developers, and excels in environments where technical precision and policy alignment must go hand‑in‑hand. Their international exposure and experience in emerging markets allow them to navigate regulatory, technical, and operational challenges with confidence. 

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Africa and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.  Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard. 

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. 

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. 

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 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.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).