Country Manager Senegal
Reports to: Africa Regional Director
Based in: Dakar, Senegal
Expected start date: ASAP
Purpose
Background
GVEP (Global Village Energy Partnership) International works to increase the effectiveness of energy product/service providers by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises to strengthen, expand and diversify their businesses and improve their ability to raise capital and scale-up. To do this, GVEP provides high-quality financial, technical and project management services as a means of driving economic prosperity and contributing to clean energy access in a way that is inclusive of people living in poverty.
The Country Manager for Senegal is responsible for managing the team in the Senegal Office, and will report directly to the Africa Regional Director. He/she is also responsible for the delivery of all projects in Senegal and will have a dotted line relationship to the Africa Program Director.
The Role
The Country Manager will provide oversight and guidance for activities and budgets, and will represent GVEP in Senegal and strive to create new business in the country.
Key activities and deliverables of the role will be:
i) manage the local office in Dakar on a day-to-day basis to ensure that its deliverables are met on time and on budget; co-ordinate available resources between different projects and oversee staff’s work plans;
ii) Ensuring proper coordination on all project matters among project staff harmonise GVEP’s activities and projects in Senegal to ensure optimal use of shared resources and realisation of synergies within and beyond those programmes.
iii) provide advice and direction for the implementation of GVEP’s advisory services and project activities in Senegal;
iv) maintain good relations of GVEP with relevant government agencies and beneficiary enterprises;
v) plan and manage the country budget, including the office and individual project budgets, in compliance with the GVEP operations manual, financial management and budgeting procedures;
vi) ensuring that all required reports for the projects involving activities in Senegal, both technical and financial, are delivered to a high standard and on time to the Programme Director and the GVEP Senior Management;
Key responsibilities include:
1.) Coordinate and oversee activities under the various projects and programmes in Senegal;
- be responsible for effective project planning and execution in Senegal;
- Provide leadership to the staff team for the identification of entrepreneurs to partner with, and ensure support through training, business development and mentoring is well delivered by the staff team.
- Supervise externally contracted consultants who are hired to conduct specific pieces of work, when necessary and mandated in their ToRs;
· Coordinate and oversee the collection of data for monitoring and evaluation purposes, including enterprise sales data, loan disbursement and repayment data, and completed business development activities; Ensure that all required reports on activities and deliverables for GVEP’s programmes, both technical and financial, are delivered to the highest quality by the programme management.
2.) Team management
· Provide a strong leadership to the team of staff under your supervision to ensure they provide required business development services to the entrepreneurs working with GVEP’s projects
· working with the staff team, develop annual, quarterly and monthly work plans to ensure smooth project implementation
· conduct regular monthly, quarterly and annual review meetings with the staff team to monitor work progress
· provide direct support to staff in the field through field visits and monitoring
· Ensure coordination and communication and enhance team work in the staff Conduct staff performance management processes
· Facilitate coordination and communication between the staff team in Senegal, the Regional office and HQ
3.) Budget management
· plan and manage the budget for activities conducted in Senegal under the listed projects based on the work plan agreed with management;
· ensure that this budget is properly and effectively used to perform these activities and services to the entrepreneurs, and that all expenses of the staff under supervision are accounted for in evidence of expenditures as well as results;
· Report on the budgets to the finance team in GVEP and provide financial reports to the relevant programme managers at regular intervals.
4.) New business development
· help identify funding opportunities and support business development staff in creating high quality proposals for funders;
· maintain regular contact with funders and relevant government staff to ensure GVEP understands the wider strategic setting and initiatives under discussion which might have relevance to GVEP work;
· attend workshops and conferences relevant to GEVP’s sector;
· Give media interviews about GVEPs work as required, coordinating with the GVEP communications team.
5.) Other duties may be assigned by the Programme Director or the Africa Regional Director as and when required.
Requirements:
· Educated to post graduate level in a relevant subject such as economics, energy or environmental studies;
· At least 5 years of direct work experience with international donor programmes, with strong project management skills and a track-record of delivering programme results, ideally in Africa.
· Experience working with rural or small businesses, and an understanding of technology and distribution challenges of solar companies and other Energy SMEs, preferably in Senegal .
· Experience working with Financial Institutions (commercial banks, microfinance) will be an added advantage as well as with Governments and Government agencies.
- Extensive experience creating and refining business plans, technical reports, writing narrative and financial reports;
- High level of inter-personal and presentation skills and an ability to communicate clearly and collaborate with colleagues, SMEs, governments and other stakeholders;
- A can-do and collaborative mind set – comfort with the ambiguities and demands of a rapidly evolving environment.
- A passion for bringing in new business
· Developed leadership skills and strong ability to manage a team, develop work plans, monitor progress and provide targeted feedback;
· Fluent in English and French is a must( oral and written).
The position will require regular travel within Senegal
HOW TO APPLY:
Send your CV plus a cover letter(in English) indicating your expected salary outlining how your knowledge, skills and experience match the job specification to recruitment@gvepinternational.org to reach us by latest 15th November, 2014
GVEP International is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.
