Council Member Engineering : Accra, Ghana

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) established the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) as a Regional Regulator to regulate cross-border electricity trading among ECOWAS Member States.

For the effective functioning of ERERA’s activities, the Commission intends to recruit a competent and qualified person for the post of Council Member Engineering to be a member of the ERERA Regulatory Council.

The Council Member Engineering, ensures jointly with the other members, the regulation of cross-border electricity exchanges, in accordance with the provisions of Community texts. He shall be appointed on full-time basis and for a non-renewable term of five (5) years.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Council Member Engineering is responsible, among other things, for:

• Participating in the Council’s deliberations.
• Guiding the Council in the development of the Council’s Regulations and ensuring, in particular, compliance with all the technical standards and related to the regional power network and interconnections l within the framework of implementing its overall mandate of regulating cross-border electricity exchanges and settling disputes;

• Assisting the Chairman of the Regulatory Council in carrying out his responsibilities, particularly the organization, monitoring and supervision of all ERERA’s activities, the preparation of the annual report, as well as the preparation and implementation of ERERA’s budget;
• Supervising the benchmarking of the power sector operators (comparative analysis of the technical, economic and financial performances of the operators at the regional level and periodic update);
• Supervising the review of the ECOWAS energy master plan.
• Steering institutional reforms, energy policies, liberalization and regulation of the energy sector.
• Follow-up of activities related to the development of electricity infrastructure, in the ECOWAS sub-region.
• Management and monitoring of technical information in the regional electricity market.
• Monitoring of the viability of the regional electricity system.
• Improvement of the regulatory tools in Member States
• Development of a regional framework for environmental protection and energy efficiency.
• Alignment of standards in the regional electricity market.

Remuneration
In addition to the basic salary indicated above, Council Member Engineering will receive allowances and benefits under ECOWAS Staff Rules and the Regulation relating to the organization and functioning of ERERA.

Qualifications/Experience/Competencies

Candidates for the post of Council Member Engineering will be appointed on the basis of their moral integrity and competence. They should have successfully held a management position in their previous functions.

1. a) Degrees and Qualifications

• Candidates must hold a Minimum of Masters’ Degree in Electrical/Mechanical or related field.

1. b) Experience: Candidates for this position must have:

• No less than twelve (12) years proven professional experience in energy particularly in regulation or relating to the conception and management of power systems. Experience in the development and management of cross border interconnected power network would be an advantage Experience in a management position;

• Experience in a management position, preferably in a regulatory body;

• No less than five (5) years experience in team management, preferably in a supervisory capacity, within an international organization;
• Good knowledge of energy policy issues, in particular electricity sector institutional reforms, as well as legal issues related to cross-border electricity exchanges and electricity market management.
• Good knowledge of Community institutions and mechanisms within the ECOWAS region, as well as proven experience in the area of electricity sector regulation in Africa. Experience in international relations and negotiations will be an added advantage.

Competencies

• Diplomacy and excellent interpersonal skills and ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries;
• Provide excellent organizational and project management skills, and proven ability to work with others to manage and resolve organizational issues.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds with respect to diversity.
• Proven effective written and oral presentation skills, particularly ability to effectively interact with the public, donor community, the media, diplomatic missions, government agencies, regulatory institutions, other national utilities, and financial and technical partners
• Demonstrate analytical problem solving and decision making; has proven ability to plan, organize and work in an independent manner
• Keep abreast of available technology, understand and apply technology to work of the office
• Good knowledge of political matters in West Africa and of the political mechanisms of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, etc.
• With strong analytical and summarizing skills, the candidate must be able to identify problems and contribute to providing solutions. He must display a sense of independence while demonstrating great capacity for team work.

Others

The Council Member Economist must be a citizen of an ECOWAS Member State, exercise their civil and political rights and shall have a clean criminal record.

Age

Not limited

Language

Must be fluent in one of the official languages of the Commission: English, French and Portuguese. A working knowledge of another would be an advantage.

Council Member Engineering