Job at Nexant Abuja for a Renewable Energy Power Expert
Nexant is a globally recognized software, consulting and services leader
that provides innovative solutions to utilities, energy enterprises,
chemical companies and government entities worldwide.
Founded in 2000
and headquartered in San Francisco, Nexant and its 650+ employees work
from 32 global offices providing deep technical expertise and regional
knowledge to improve customer engagement, boost operational efficiency,
reduce costs and achieve superior business results.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Renewable Energy Power Expert - PATRP
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
About the Job
- Nexant seeks a Renewable Energy Power Expert to serve as a
long-term resident in Abuja, Nigeria for the Power Africa Transactions
& Reforms Program (PATRP), the contractor enabling partner for the
US Government’s Power Africa Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa.
- This $64 million, 5 year technical assistance project is
designed to bring more electricity to sub-Saharan African via a deal /
transaction-centered approach.
- The country needs to formulate a comprehensive framework to
create a realistic, credible, and clearly defined long-term strategy to
grow its renewable energy capabilities, including developing an
integrated renewable energy plan and associated investment, reinforcing
its existing initiatives by developing both an integrated renewable
energy plan and a systematic major increase in investment in research,
market development, and regulation of renewable energy.
- The country’s regulatory authority also needs capacity building
assistance to improve its organizational structures, policies, and
procedures--including its oversight and regulatory capacity - over the
renewable energy space.
- The Power Africa initiative seeks to shift the typical
international development paradigm to a transaction centered approach
that provides host country governments in sub-Saharan Africa, the
private sector, and international donor agencies with a focal point to
galvanize collaboration around priority electricity generation,
transmission, and distribution transactions-with a focus on those that
involve private sector participation and finance - helping to bring them
to financial close and online in an expedited time frame.
- Nigeria is a priority country for Power Africa. While renewable
energy is a very important part of that country’s energy mix, it has
not been emphasized. Renewable energy has considerable potential in
Nigeria, and in particular could bridge the major energy gaps in rural
areas.
- The scale of opportunities is only just becoming apparent as new
grid technologies, such as concentrated solar power, are emerging as
in competitors with conventional power generation. Changes in
technology also mean that solar, wind, and other forms of renewable
power, with the appropriate type of financing, could bring
transformational change to household energy needs.
Duties and Responsibilities
Renewable Energy Resources:
- Provide assistance with resource estimation, including examining and ranking primary locations of renewable energy
- Recommend improvements to and costs of additional renewable energy infrastructure
- Examine local markets and uses for renewable energy, including the tariff that can be obtained
- Establish and/or manage a system for data management and analysis
- Advise on the management of national renewable energy resources
using databases, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), decision tools,
and data analysis.
Technical Issues:
- Review existing grid connected renewable energy integration
strategy/program, planning methodology for renewable energy projects
etc.
- Perform preliminary due diligence on intermittent and base load
renewable power plants under consideration, including their technical,
environmental, community/social strengths, weaknesses and commercial
viability
- Assess and discuss critical design, interconnection, integration issues with grid connected variable renewable power plants.
Tenders:
- Review and appraise current policy, regulation, planned
capacity, and the enabling environment to attract more IPPs and private
sector investment into the renewable energy power sector
- Conduct preliminary due diligence as per Power Africa procedures
on any priority transactions included in the pipeline of future
renewable energy power projects contemplated by the government, and
develop a screening framework, in collaboration with the government and
other Transaction Advisors, which can be used to evaluate, rank, and
prioritize the transactions.
- Develop policies and procedures to promote fair and open competition in awarding of licenses and transparency in contracting
- Assist the government conduct fair and open bidding processes,
including determining sale terms and conditions and proper evaluation of
bid adequacy
Renewable Energy Policy, Laws, & Regulations:
- Assist in developing national renewable energy policies and laws
- Advise on international best practices with respect to legal,
policy, and regulatory regimes governing the renewable energy sector
- Provide assistance in regulatory management and oversight
Health, Safety, & Environment (HSE):
- Provide environmental management expertise and built capacity in
host country institutions to effectively deal with environmental
issues
- Assist and provide advice on environmental analyses, which
included the following (i) environmental and social impact assessments,
(ii) onshore and offshore environmental analysis, (iii) consultations
with local stakeholders, (iv) air and noise monitoring, (v) assessment
of best environmental management practices, and (vi) mitigation and
monitoring plans
- Advise on Equator Principles compliance audits to assess environmental and social risk in project finance transactions
- Develop, implement, and monitor environmental regulations
- Develop a process to conduct safety inspections
- Provide advice on sector oversight, including the preparation of remediation, restoration, and abandonment plans
Capacity Building:
- Develop and administer capacity building programs - transfer of
technical, financial, and commercial expertise - to plan and implement
activities associated with renewable energy via seminars, workshops,
and tutoring
- Organize roundtables, workshops, site visits, and other forms of
training for technical and policy staff to support engagement
objectives, and established information and professional networks and
partnerships among these parties
- Provide recommendations to improve government access to
individuals with technical skills in the sector, and advised government
staff to improve access to training and educational opportunities.
- Identify capacity constraints and staff needs of relevant units
- Promote effective public participation and stakeholder engagement
- Strengthen the governance capacity and capability of key
government organizations to plan, integrate, and to sustainably provide
services.
- Through meetings, interviews, and review of the resumes of those
involved in the renewable power sector, and discussions with other
development partners involved in the renewables sector, identify
strengths and weaknesses of the various government institutions involved
in developing the renewables sector to identify needs and
opportunities for training and development of the technical staff of
the government’s institutions
- Build technical capacity of staff in renewable energy
development, sector management, and oversight, including (i) sector
research and analysis, (ii) issue identification, (iii) policy
formulation and analysis, (iv) monitoring and evaluating, and (v) impact
assessments
Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's (preferred) in a related topic
- At least 10 years’ experience-including in developing
countries-in origination, structuring/execution and post-deal
maintenance of various renewable energy power sector transactions
- Extensive experience in power sector reform issues in the developing world
- Experience in the renewable energy power sector in Nigeria or West Africa is a plus
Remuneration and Benefits (U.S.)
Nexant offers competitive salaries based on candidate's qualifications.
Nexant also offers three weeks paid vacation per year, eleven paid
holidays per year, a 401(k) plan with employee matching funds and an
overall comprehensive benefits package.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply