Job Openings at CLASP

The Research Manager reports to the LEIA Program Lead and is responsible for steering the energy access research portfolio and overseeing the production of impactful publications in collaboration with CLASP’s Senior Director of Research, CEA Senior Director and the LEIA Program lead. They work collaboratively with CLASP team members in the United States, Kenya, India, Indonesia, and elsewhere, along with our wide network of international partners and program stakeholders.

The CEA Research Manager needs to demonstrate a strong knack for analytical thinking, project management, leading a high performing team, expertise in research methods, a proven track record of producing impactful publications, strong collaboration and communication skills, a commitment to impacts and results, and an ability to adapt quickly to the unprecedented.

Responsibilities Include

• Workstream oversight: Working through the team, direct the implementation, delivery and reporting for the LEIA research outputs. Oversee research budget and staffing plans. Guide and review research project terms of reference and work plans to ensure projects adhere to realistic timelines, stay within budget, and meet CLASP’s quality standards.
• Evolve our energy access research strategy: Support the CEA Director and Senior Director of Research to scope, develop, and roll out an updated research strategy that supports CLASP’s mission to make appliances as planet-neutral and people-positive as possible.
• Lead and grow a high-performing research team: Supervise and enable the continued growth of a dynamic team of professional staff, facilitate research training and professional development, and identify future staffing and recruiting needs.
• Establish and nurture research partnerships: Build support among key stakeholders and forge new, impact-focused partnerships, including with sector industry leaders, think tanks, government decision makers, donor organizations, etc.
• Communication and advocacy: Work with CLASP’s communications team to design and disseminate research outcomes, lessons learned, etc. Represent CLASP at internal and external events, including preparing and presenting research to diverse audiences.
• Support the development of analytical tools: Collaborate with the CLASP Data Scientist and the Monitoring and Evaluation Senior Manager to improve existing tools and develop new analytical tools and features to enhance research and impacts tracking. This includes generating and communicating evidence from our projects for both internal and external stakeholders.

Who You Are

• A team leader and coach with a passion for growing others and building collaborative, high trust working environments.
• Comfortable leading multi-country research projects with strong systems thinking and attention to detail.
• Impeccable organization: you are highly detail-oriented, and someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from producing polished work and managing smooth and orderly research and publication processes.
• Strategic thinker and creative problem solver — can connect dots and identify obscure trends and then persuade and align diverse stakeholders around a common solution.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, international relations, development, economics, environmental science) is required. A PhD would be preferred or 5+ years of professional research and publication experience: we are excited by candidates with unique and different work histories.
• Ability to handle simultaneous deadlines and complete assignments with minimal supervision in a fast-paced workplace.
• Demonstrated track record in team leadership including remote leadership.
• Strong research and analytical skills and the ability to translate analysis into concise recommendations.
• Demonstrable skills in statistical methods and survey design.
• Outstanding communication skills in both written and spoken English and proven ability to convey technical content in a clear and creative manner.
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion. You’re always asking: “whose voice is not at the table?” You have experience leading/working with diverse teams and successfully navigating cross-cultural communication in both local and global contexts, and you deeply value creating a workplace that is supportive of differences.
• Ability to maintain composure, flexibility, and a sense of humor under tight deadlines.

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The Senior Manager needs an extraordinary capacity for program strategy, development, execution and administration, leadership of high-performing teams, expertise in clean energy market development, world-class collaboration and communication skills, a commitment to impacts and results, entrepreneurship, and a great sense of humor.

Responsibilities Include

Team Leadership 

• Lead, mentor, and support a high-performing, multicultural team across several countries, ensuring clear delegation, accountability, and collaboration.
• Provide coaching and professional development opportunities for team members to grow in technical knowledge, leadership, and program management.
• Foster a culture of ownership, learning, and excellence, ensuring that team members are both supported and challenged to deliver their best.

Program Oversight & Execution

• Provide strategic direction and day-to-day oversight of key CEA programs, including planning, budgeting, performance management, and results reporting.
• Guide and troubleshoot implementation challenges with program managers, ensuring timely and adaptive program delivery.
• Define and evolve key programmatic metrics for impact and learning.
• Work closely with internal teams to shape organisational strategy and cross-regional collaboration.

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Cultivate and manage high-level relationships with energy industry CEOs, trade associations, donor agencies, and government counterparts, ensuring alignment, partnership, and buy-in.
• Navigate sensitive stakeholder dynamics with emotional intelligence, helping direct/navigate complex relationships towards shared objectives.

Communications & Advocacy

• Collaborate with CLASP’s communications team to develop and share impactful stories, learning, and research from across CEA programs.
• Represent CLASP at industry forums, convenings, and high-level policy discussions.
• Serve as a thought leader on market development for efficient and affordable appliances and equipment at CLASP.

Business Development

• Lead and support business development efforts, including proposal design, donor engagement, and fundraising.
• Act as a key liaison with current and prospective funders.

The Ideal Candidate

• A team leader and coach with a passion for growing others and building collaborative, high trust working environments.
• Comfortable managing asynchronously and supporting team members to work autonomously and flexibly while delivering high-quality outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and inspire mid-level managers, supporting their growth while ensuring results.
• Skilled at navigating senior-level partnerships and managing high-stakes relationships with senior leaders and institutional leaders.
• Strategic, entrepreneurial thinker who thrives in ambiguity and builds creative, adaptive solutions to complex challenges.
• Comfortable leading multi-country programs with strong systems thinking and attention to detail.
• Brings a strong grasp of inclusive finance or market development mechanisms and a track record of managing results-oriented, equity-driven programs.
• Strong communication skills—verbal and written—with the ability to persuade and align diverse stakeholders around a shared vision.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in international program implementation; business- and partnership-development experience preferred.
• Entrepreneurial mindset to design, develop, and execute long-term initiatives.  A proactive individual who is nimble and with a strategic approach to problem-solving.
• Persuasive communication skills, both verbal and written; exceptional written and spoken English a must. Demonstrated experience developing high-impact partnerships.
• A systems thinker with experience in supporting clean technology companies to scale.
• Demonstrated ability in program development and implementation in the distributed renewable energy or related sectors required, with geographic experience in Africa and South Asia, appliance or technology policy experience a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in growing and developing team members.
• Ability to work from the big picture to the small details.
• Ability to maintain composure, flexibility, and a sense of humor under tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and listening skills.