UNOPS hosts Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Secretariat/Programme in Vienna, Austria. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an independent organization with a global mandate to accelerate progress on the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. We work at the intersection of energy, climate, and development. We collaborate with governments and partners worldwide to end energy poverty, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy solutions, and combat climate change.
Our vision is a world where everyone, everywhere, can lead a dignified life on a healthy planet, powered by sustainable energy. We promote this vision by pushing for higher ambitions, stronger policies, greater finance flows, increased localization and green jobs, and faster results toward an energy transition that leaves no one behind.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. Since then, our CEO has served as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.
This position is located within the Mini-grid Partnership team. The main objectives of Mini-grid Partnership programme are:
SEforALL believes distributed renewable energy (DRE) technologies are vital to countries’ efforts to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Over the past decade, breakthroughs have made these technologies (including mini-grids and solar home systems) more affordable, faster to deploy, and more impactful than ever before. These advances make DRE a compelling proposition for expanding energy access, particularly in rural and remote areas where most underserved populations live.
As part of its efforts to create a thriving DRE market, SEforALL engages in, and in some cases drives, partnership platforms to help coordinate efforts, share knowledge and advance thought leadership in the DRE and energy access space, more broadly. Doing so helps to create a more cohesive and efficient DRE sector.
One such partnership platform is the Mini-Grid Partnership (MGP). The MGP’s remit is to foster deeper collaboration and coordination amongst the mini-grid sector’s key players to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy mini-grids in communities facing energy poverty challenges. Today, the MGP is a consortium of over 300 members across government, private sector, civil society and philanthropy, with operations co-led by SEforALL as Secretariat and by the Alliance for Rural Electrification.
In addition to the MGP, SEforALL also engages in and supports other complementary sector co-ordination and intelligence platforms and events including the Community of Champions, the Household Solar Funders Group, the End-user Subsidy Lab, the Mini-grid Action Learning Event, the recently formed CORE initiative and the Results-Based Financing Leadership Group (among others).
SEforALL is also spearheading a significant project in Zambia, in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). The project aims to scale up Zambia’s mini-grid sector by establishing a comprehensive data baseline, validating the technical and financial feasibility of mini-grids, and activating the market for the rollout of the “1,000 communities” program. This initiative focuses on supporting the deployment of an initial 100 mini-grids as a proof of concept to assess financial viability, identify operational challenges, and evaluate socio-economic impacts. The insights gained from this phase will inform strategies for scaling up the deployment to the remaining 900 communities, ensuring a sustainable and impactful nationwide rollout.
The project emphasizes stakeholder activation, sustainable program design, and the transfer of knowledge and technology to local communities, aiming to build in-country capacity and create a replicable model for other regions. By focusing on these strategic objectives, SEforALL is laying the groundwork for a successful expansion of clean energy access in Zambia, with the potential to serve as a model for similar efforts in other countries.
Purpose and Scope of Assignment
Under the guidance of the Programme Manager, Energy Access Partnerships, this role supports the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement for the 1000 Initiative. The position focuses on assisting in the identification and mapping of key stakeholders, cultivating partnerships, and establishing mechanisms for regular consultation and feedback. This includes supporting communication efforts through the development of content for various platforms, assisting in the organization of events, and contributing to the creation of program materials. The role also involves supporting knowledge building and sharing, and providing analytical support for program development, all within the framework of advancing the 1000 Initiative's goals.