Team Overview:
CHAI’s health financing group is building out a new team that will work on blended finance and climate finance for health, with a key initiative aimed at scaling solar electrification of health facilities. The program will work with governments to aggregate large numbers of health facilities into portfolios, enabling a shift away from traditional project- or pilot-based grant financing. Instead, it will leverage blended finance models commonly used by independent power producers (IPPs) and solar project developers, aligning incentives around system performance with the help of de-risking instruments.
By bundling facilities into portfolios, the program seeks to negotiate operations and maintenance (O&M) service contracts that link payments to outcomes such as system performance and uptime. Additionally, solar electrification of health facilities can extend energy access to off-grid communities. With creative financial structuring, revenues generated from these communities can be used to improve energy affordability for public health facilities.
There is flexibility for this position to be based in one of our program countries in East or Southern Africa pending country leadership approval. Up to 30% Travel can be expected.
Responsibilities
CHAI is seeking an Associate Director who will work as part of a new team within CHAI’s health financing group, that will work on structuring deals in blended and climate finance for health. This role will specifically work on supporting preparatory work in a number of African countries to arrange financing at scale to electrify hundreds of health facilities
Specific responsibilities include the following:
- Team Leadership and Development: Lead recruitment efforts, including drafting job descriptions, conducting interviews, and selecting candidates. Design onboarding programs to integrate new hires and foster a collaborative team environment.
- Operational Management and Strategy: Develop and maintain work plans, mapping tasks to project milestones. Oversee regular check-ins, team meetings, and feedback processes to ensure accountability, streamline workflows, and improve team performance.
- Analytics and Electrification Planning: Collaborate with CHAI teams to collect and analyze data for national health facility solar plans. Prioritize facilities for electrification based on need and system sizing, while coordinating with stakeholders to refine strategies and decision-making frameworks.
- Team Management and Support: Provide feedback, career development, and resolve challenges for team members. Foster a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
- Grant Management and Development: Oversee work plans and budgets to align with donor requirements. Lead annual reports, financial updates, and proposal development to secure funding, while exploring new business opportunities.
- External Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain relationships with donors, development banks, and solar industry stakeholders. Represent CHAI at international conferences to showcase initiatives and elevate its profile in global health and renewable energy sectors.
- Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) procurements: Design procurement processes for Eaas contracts. Support contract negotiations with energy service companies (ESCOs) and advise government partners on contract management to achieve energy and health outcomes.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 10-15 years of relevant professional experience in renewable energy, finance, or related fields.
- Advanced degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated leadership in managing teams and projects across multi-cultural settings with a focus on renewable energy or healthcare infrastructure.
- Proven track record in strategic planning, senior stakeholder engagement, and partnership development.
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with significant experience in financial modeling and data analysis using Excel or similar tools.
Advantages:
- Experience working in management consulting, investment banking, private equity, or the renewable energy sector is preferred.
Attributes:
- Strong leadership and communication skills, capable of motivating and guiding teams towards achieving strategic objectives.
- Highly adaptable and resilient, with a proven ability to navigate complex, high-pressure situations.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a demonstrated ability to solve complex problems independently in fast-paced environments.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, donors, and private sector partners.
- Deep commitment to CHAI’s mission, with a keen sense of ethical considerations and cultural sensitivities.
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous and unstructured settings, demonstrating flexibility and resourcefulness.
- Willingness to travel as and when required (estimated travel 20%-30%)
