Hivos Climate and Energy Advocacy Officer Job in Nairobi Kenya

The Advocacy Officer - Climate and Energy will be part of the Global Climate and Energy team and the Hivos Regional Office for East Africa.
 

Vacancy Name: Advocacy Officer - Climate and Energy
 

Number of hours: Full time (40 hours a week)
 

Region: East Africa
 

Office: Regional Office, Nairobi Kenya

Hivos opts for 100 per cent renewable energy, both in the Netherlands and in developing countries. Energy is a vital driving force for development. 

Access to energy can alleviate poverty, improve living conditions and propel economic development. 

Continuing along the fossil fuel route to harmful climate change will have disastrous effects, especially for developing countries.  

Hivos stimulates sustainable development fuelled by clean energy.

Climate and Energy Advocacy

Hivos objectives on energy are: 

(1) to improve access to sustainable produced energy for cooking, lighting and productive activities, 

(2) to develop renewable energy markets and promote entrepreneurship in the renewable energy sector and

(3) to call for more attention to decentralized sustainable energy and gender in policy and investments.

Much of the scarce resources of donors and recipient countries are spent on supporting large scale fossil fuel based energy production and consumption. 

Hivos advocacy aims to shift this towards renewable and decentralized energy production to prevent further climate change and biodiversity losses and at the same time address the full energy needs and rights of the poor. 

New developments such as the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative of the UN, provides ample opportunities for Hivos and local civil society organizations to influence decision-making and funding into this direction. 

From 2013 to 2015 Hivos wants to strengthen its position in this field to influence governments and private sector at a national and international scale.

Responsibilities 

• To coordinate existing advocacy strategies and initiate new advocacy activities of Hivos in East Africa
• To support and cooperate with civil society organizations engaged in energy access advocacy work in East Africa
• To manage on a daily basis the existing energy advocacy contracts with partners in East Africa
• To develop networks and strategies with the private sector to engage them in energy access advocacy
• To develop advocacy positions and materials in close coordination with the global climate and energy team
• To represent Hivos East Africa in (advocacy) meetings in East Africa and act as spokesperson for Hivos on these issues
• Identify and analyze new approaches and cooperation for energy access and just and climate smart energy systems
• To contribute to the Hivos overall organizational and policy development

Requirements

• A master's degree in environmental policies, sustainable energy, environmental and natural resource management, economics of natural resources or other relevant field. (Bachelor degree with several years of relevant experience)
• 5 to 7 years work experience in a relevant sector
• An excellent understanding of energy and development policies and experience in advocacy work
• Excellent communication skills including public speaking in English and Kiswahili
• Strong interpersonal communication and negotiation skill with private sector, civil society organizations, government officials and community
• Good understanding of and strong affinity with civil society, in particular with non-governmental organizations
• Capacity and willingness to strategize and work closely with relative new stakeholders for Hivos such as specific energy related private sector actors and government bodies
• Having respect for humanitarian or humanist principles and willing to work in a non- discriminating, neutral, impartial and gender equal environment

Reporting Line

The Program Officer is part of the Green Entrepreneurship team in Nairobi and reports directly to the Global Coordinator for Climate, Energy and Development in Hivos Head Office under supervision of the Regional Director in Nairobi.

Like to apply?

Please send your CV plus motivation letter to: jobs@hivos.or.ke, reference number:  Adv/POmay2013. 

The deadline is Friday May 24th 2013. 

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.