Job Title/Grade: Senior Global Practice Specialist II, Principal Global Practice Specialist – Climate Change and Clean Energy (Grades 10 - 13)
Department : Development Innovations / Environment Sector**
Reports to : Global Practice Manager, Sustainable Cities
Organization and Values
DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.
DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.
DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.
Function of the Position:
The Senior Global Practice Specialist / Principal Global Practice Specialist (SGPS/PGPS) will have a background in clean energy and climate change mitigation and will support DAI’s quickly growing environment portfolio, including by delivering exceptional technical performance on projects, leading and supporting new business efforts, and developing technical solutions, knowledge management, and products with a primary objective of winning new business in the USAID and USG markets. This is a position with significant potential for growth and leadership in developing and implementing a DAI portfolio of innovative projects to promote renewable energy and low carbon development in international settings. The SGPS/PGPS Climate Change and Clean Energy will be based within the Development Innovations / Environment Sector and will:
- Deliver excellent technical assistance and innovation to USAID and other donor-funded projects being carried out by DAI teams worldwide.
- Identify new business opportunities related to renewable energy and low carbon planning and lead the preparation and writing of innovative, winning proposals.
- Maintain and strengthen DAI's reputation as an international thought leader in clean energy and climate change, including by spear-heading cross-company initiatives to develop innovative solutions for catalyzing green investment into vulnerable communities.
- Develop and test innovative approaches in the above areas that are incorporated into winning proposals and put DAI at the forefront of climate change and clean energy service providers to USAID and other donors.
- Create worldwide partnerships for the delivery of clean energy and climate mitigation services.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Time will be allocated across these three responsibilities according to corporate need and personal capabilities; in 2021 and 2022 the priority will be placed on business development and growth.
Technical
- Delivers technical expertise to field projects in the areas of clean energy and climate change policy resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable, inclusive, and equitable economic growth. Works with Chiefs of Party and program directors to ensure projects are following or advancing best practices, achieving expected targets, meeting client expectations, and takes full advantage of programs to capture and share innovations being developed by project teams. This includes supporting technical project delivery and other assignments to ensure high quality delivery of projects.
- Undertakes short-term technical assignments providing expertise to DAI projects including training, high quality technical reports, assessments, recommendations and other deliverables as requested.
Business Development and Growth
- Using market knowledge and analysis, works with team members to identify and prioritize new opportunities that will make a significant impact, provide a return to DAI shareholders, and offer interesting and rewarding opportunities for international and local technical staff to help solve the climate crisis and other development challenges.
- Leads and/or supports the development of winning proposals as “champion” and/or lead or supporting writer. Works with proposal teams to formulate convincing technical approaches, develop responsive technical narratives, competitive staffing and management structures, and provide inputs into the proposal budgeting process.
- Builds and grows strategic client relationships, especially with USAID, but also with other implementing and donor organizations.
- Identifies and develops a network of consultants (especially local consultants) that can provide surge capacity for the sector. Works with the broader Development Innovations team to promote synergies on business development between practices and sectors.
Brand Development and Project Support
- Works with DAI’s technical sectors to identify and highlight innovative approaches being implemented in projects around the world. Using this knowledge base, participates in diverse clean energy and climate change networks and events that provide strategic opportunities to showcase work being carried out by DAI.
- Seeks out opportunities to expand internal and external understanding of DAI’s work in clean energy solutions, advance the use of innovative tools and approaches, draft articles for DAI publications, and develop and maintain external networks of partners, clients, and individual consultants that DAI can tap to identify business opportunities and deliver outstanding results.
- Identifies, captures and shares information and lessons learned from past and present projects with proposal teams and other field projects. Updates key tools and lessons learned on the DAI website and other platforms.
Required Qualifications
- Grade 10: Minimum of 9 years of relevant professional experience and a bachelor’s degree; or 7 years of relevant professional experience and a master’s degree;
- Grade 11: Minimum of 11 years of relevant professional experience and a bachelor’s degree; or 9 years of relevant professional experience and a master’s degree;
- Grade 12: Minimum of 13 years of relevant professional experience and a bachelor’s degree; or 11 years of relevant professional experience and a master’s degree;
- Grade 13: Minimum of 17 years of relevant professional experience and a bachelor’s degree; or 15 years of relevant professional experience and a master’s degree;
- Demonstrated experience leading, designing, and/or evaluating projects and programs that deliver technical assistance in renewable energy, energy efficiency and low carbon development, including enabling frameworks for attracting investment into equitable, inclusive and sustainable clean energy solutions.
- Familiarity with a wide range of clean energy strategies, including their appropriateness in various types of low resource settings.
- Demonstrated experience leading technical teams for both delivery of clean energy and climate change project, and development of winning proposals.
- Ability to take on both leadership and support roles in the development of proposals and in carrying out technical assistance.
- Excellent writing skills and demonstrated experience leading and writing winning technical proposals for USAID or other international donor clients. Has the ability to work independently and effectively across technical areas, develop technical approaches that integrate or leverage resources in different parts of the company, and adjust technical content to meet client evaluation criteria.
- Ability to travel to countries in which DAI has projects or new business opportunities for proposal reconnaissance and the provision of technical support to projects, barring times or locations DAI Security Office has deemed unsafe. Travel requirement expected to be up to 33% of the time
- Possesses technical knowledge and skills as evidenced by project results, publications, reports, proposals, and/or public presentations
Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
Strongly Preferred Qualifications
- Fluency in Spanish or French is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success developing winning USAID proposals.
- Experience with one or more of the following other environmental topics would be valuable: sustainable cities, disaster risk management, climate services, carbon markets, climate justice, gender-based programming, climate smart agriculture, conservation finance, ocean plastics, waste and water resources management, green infrastructure, sustainable fisheries, coastal zone management, and/or marine protection.
Supervisory Requirements:
Experience in leading project delivery and proposal teams.
DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
How to apply:
To apply please visit our career site or use the link here.