Quality Assurance & Certification expert - Off-grid solar at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Job Description

Background

SNV will be tendering for a donor-funded multi-country Programme in Sub Saharan Africa (14 countries), which is anticipated later this year and will focus on Off-Grid Renewable Energy market development with a strong emphasis on consumer awareness, private sector development and creating an enabling environment for Solar Home Systems markets.

Overview of the Position

The Quality Assurance & Certification Expert will set-up or further develop an existing quality assurance programme for pico-solar products, including a quality testing framework, and promote adoption by governments, businesses and consumers and coordinate with other large off-grid solar programmes. The Expert will work in close coordination with Lighting Africa, which has developed a quality assurance framework in order to protect consumers and prevent the eroding of confidence in off-grid products in the process. This framework includes test methods, quality standards, and a product testing and verification program that has evaluated 225 off-grid solar products since 2009.

This position reports to the Team Leader of the programme and works with Country Focal Points and other experts.

Key Responsibilities

• Set-up or further develop an existing quality assurance programme for pico-solar products aiming to set a baseline level for quality, durability and to ensure truth in advertising in order to create trust in the market and products;
• Implement measures to avoid market spoilage from infiltration of low-quality products;
• Support quality assurance market surveillance activities, including market check testing of products that meet the Lighting Global Quality Standards;
• (Further) develop a quality testing framework to verify that quality assured products that are delivered to the market continue to meet the standards over time;
• Promote adoption of a quality standard by governments and businesses and coordinate with other large off-grid solar programmes;
• Actively promote the use of quality standards to supply chain actors such as product distributors and micro-finance institutions;
• Regular engagement with stakeholders and policy-makers regarding implementation of the quality assurance strategy;
• Stimulate promotion among customers;
• Support product development to a range of aspirational products that can help consumers in moving up the energy ladder.

Qualifications

• Academic qualification in engineering, energy or business;
• Experience working in private sector development/enabling programmes, demonstrating a strong understanding of consumer markets;
• Experience in setting up quality assurance programmes and promoting quality certificates;
• Experience working in off-grid renewable energy preferred;
• Sub-Saharan Africa work experience is essential;
• Strong networking and communication skills.

Additional Information

We expect the programme to start on the 1st of May 2018 and will take 4 years.

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and letter of motivation before 29 December 2017.