Senior Sectoral Expert - Dhaka

iDE is an international NGO with over 40 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based anti-poverty programs in 11 countries. iDE was one of the first organizations to unlock the power of markets to fight poverty, reaching over 39 million people since 1982. iDE Ban ...

Job description

iDE is an international NGO with over 40 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based anti-poverty programs in 11 countries. iDE was one of the first organizations to unlock the power of markets to fight poverty, reaching over 39 million people since 1982. iDE Bangladesh is the oldest iDE country program, operated since 1982. Over the last four decades, iDE Bangladesh has focused on innovation in agriculture, food and nutrition security, WASH, clean energy, green enterprise development and women's economic empowerment with a market-based approach to address the increasing challenges climate change poses.

iDE Bangladesh is currently seeking a qualified Senior Sectoral Expert – Renewable Energy for a project titled "Nature Based Adaptation towards Prosperous and Adept Lives & Livelihoods in Bangladesh (NABAPALLAB/ নবপল্লব)" funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). CARE Bangladesh led consortium has been selected to implement the project in two Ecologically Critical Areas (ECA) – Sundarbans and Hakaluki Haor. The other consortium members are CNRS, CordAid, C3ER-BRAC University, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), Friendship, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), iDE, and Practical Action.

It is a key component of the Bangladesh-UK Accord on Climate Change and will deliver the adaptation outcome of the FCDO's flagship Bangladesh Climate and Environment Program (BCEP). The program will make a significant contribution in Bangladesh to progress against GoB's policies and priorities e.g., National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), commitments to biodiversity conservation, ongoing 8th Five Year Plan, etc. It will also contribute to the UK's commitment to International Climate Finance (ICF).

The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, and Hakaluki Haor, a complex wetland system of the Meghna-Surma River basin, play a crucial role in protecting lives and livelihoods in the southwest coast and northeast Bangladesh respectively. With a population of over 4 million and a rich habitat with rare species, including tigers, the Sundarbans' inhabitants are threatened by climate changes due to rising sea levels and frequent cyclones. Over-extraction of forest resources by locals and industrial development in the nearby areas is currently threatening this World Heritage Site.

Hakaluki Haor is one of the most extensive marsh wetlands in the country, inhabited by over 200,000 people and 558 animal and bird species and is a breeding ground for fisheries. Due to environmental sensitivity and high anthropogenic pressures such as overharvesting, overfishing, pollution and illegal logging, the Sundarbans mangrove and the Hakaluki Haor wetland are at a vulnerable stage with climate change exacerbating the current situation.

FCDO's NABAPALLAB aims to engage biodiversity and natural resource-dependent communities to strengthen the climate resilience of the ECAs, conserve biodiversity, and at the same time, diversify and improve people's livelihood through innovative nature-based (NBS) and locally led adaptation solutions. It will primarily target communities within the 10 km buffer zone of the ECAs, which are critically exposed and vulnerable to climate change impacts and have a lesser capacity to adapt to such changes.

It will increase the climate resilience of more than 250,000 vulnerable households and ecosystem-based protection and restoration of 5,000 km2 area, especially in the districts of Bagerhat, Satkhira and Khulna in the Sundarbans ECA, and Maulvibazar and Sylhet in Hakaluki Haor. The project will consider the most marginalized communities, involving stakeholders from multiple strata and ensuring ownership of provided interventions. It will also enhance the capacity of the local government bodies to manage and conserve the ECAs effectively and create an enabling environment to implement relevant government plans and policies related to Eco-System based Adaptation (EbA).

Number of Vacancies: 1 (One)

Job Location   :  Dhaka with field visits as needed

Reporting Line : Sr. Technical Advisor-Private Sector & Renewable Energy

Contract Duration: Up to December 2026 with possibility of extension

Roles and Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of the Senior Sectoral Expert - Renewable Energy will include but are not limited to the descriptions below-

General & Consortium Responsibilities

● Provide strong technical leadership to guide the team toward successfully achieving project objectives and Renewable Energy (RE) related log frame targets, ensuring delivery of quality outputs within agreed timelines.

● Apply the principles of Market Systems Development (MSD) to design and implement location-specific renewable energy models and interventions aligned with the project's theory of change and locally-led adaptation priorities.

● Lead and manage the implementation of RE interventions, including pilot systems, ensuring alignment with technical specifications, renewable energy technical provision models, and relevant national/international standards.

● Ensure effective coordination and collaboration with consortium partners (CARE, CNRS, Practical Action, Cordaid and others), government counterparts, and private sector actors to ensure smooth implementation and strong stakeholder ownership.

● Provide strategic input into improving program approaches, tools, and systems to strengthen sustainability, scalability, and long-term market viability of renewable energy solutions.

● Support NABAPALLAB's transition from direct delivery to facilitation by strengthening partnerships with market actors, technology suppliers, service providers, and financial institutions.

● Play a leading role in ensuring renewable energy interventions contribute meaningfully to climate resilience, livelihood diversification, and biodiversity-friendly development outcomes.

Planning, and Reporting

● Lead feasibility assessment and site selection processes by supporting the field team to collect and analyze data on supply-demand needs, social conditions, technical feasibility, economic viability, and potential livelihood impacts.

● Conduct or supervise detailed feasibility studies at potential installation sites and guide the preparation of cost estimates, technical specifications, drawings, and bills of quantities (BoQs).

● Provide technical inputs to prepare tools for periodic monitoring assessments and checklists from renewable energy, livelihood, and market-based approach perspectives.

● Work closely with the MEL team to ensure effective monitoring of RE interventions using project M&E tools, and contribute to evidence-based decision making and adaptive management.

● Collaboratively prepare multi-year and annual workplans in coordination with technical specialists and field colleagues, ensuring realistic sequencing and timely implementation.

● Contribute to monthly, quarterly, and annual donor reporting by providing high-quality technical updates, progress narratives, lessons learned, and results reporting aligned with FCDO requirements.

● Support documentation of results and learning from renewable energy pilots, including identifying improvement actions and scaling opportunities.

Supervision and Staff Development

● Provide mentorship and technical coaching to field teams and relevant project staff to strengthen their knowledge and implementation capacity across renewable energy technologies and models.

● Support capacity building initiatives for partners and stakeholders, including mentoring, training-of-trainers (ToT), and hands-on technical guidance throughout design, implementation, and assessment stages.

● Practice and promote iDE's code of conduct, safeguarding principles, and people-first approach in all aspects of team management and external engagement.

● Support staff development through collaborative monthly work planning, supervision, performance coaching, and participation in the Annual Performance Appraisal (APA) process.

● Encourage a culture of teamwork, learning, accountability, and innovation across technical and non-technical staff.

Coordination and Support

● Develop and maintain strong working relationships with government departments, private sector service providers, technology suppliers, local entrepreneurs, and relevant technical networks in Dhaka and project districts.

● Identify local and regional technical partners who can play important roles in the renewable energy supply chain, assess their capacity gaps, and recommend appropriate capacity strengthening measures.

● Provide technical support in preparing tender documents, specifications, and bid evaluation processes for renewable energy equipment and services, ensuring transparency and compliance.

● If required, organize pre-bidding meetings with technology suppliers, support site visits, and provide clarification to ensure accurate bidding and implementation readiness.

● Work closely with project partners and community mobilisers to maximize the use of locally available resources (cash/kind/local construction materials) during installation and civil works, ensuring cost efficiency and community ownership.

● Participate in relevant technical working groups, Dhaka-level TAG meetings, workshops, and knowledge-sharing events as required.

● Travel to field hubs quarterly (and as required) to support problem solving, strengthen systems, provide technical troubleshooting, and ensure consistent quality of implementation.

Other Responsibilities

● Support the MEL team in designing and refining tools to ensure real-time monitoring and feedback loops related to renewable energy and market-based interventions.

● Contribute to the development of consortium learning products and knowledge materials from renewable energy and market systems perspectives.

● Conduct cash flow projections and cost-benefit analysis of renewable energy solutions to support business model development and investment readiness of RE enterprises.

● Support the design of viable business models that incentivize private sector investment and improve affordability and access for vulnerable communities.

● Maintain effective use of iDE's online platforms including (but not limited to) Salesforce, Smartsheets, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Sheets for reporting and documentation.

● Participate actively in relevant meetings, workshops, and capacity-building events.

● Undertake additional responsibilities aligned with workload and skill sets, including cross-project learning support, evaluations, photography, or other documentation needs.

Requirements

Skills and Experience:

Candidates are expected to have the following qualification, skills, and experience

Education

● Bachelor Degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or in similar disciplines, with strong technical skills and background (Master's degree will be considered an advantage).

Work Experience

● Minimum of 5 years of working experience in the renewable energy sector, especially in solar PV systems (experience in biogas and clean cooking solutions will be an added advantage).

● Demonstrated experience in renewable energy design and implementation in isolated and climate-vulnerable contexts, particularly in poor and remote regions.

● At least 3 years of experience working in international development projects, preferably with exposure to market systems development approaches.

● Strong understanding of renewable energy technology design, installation, operation, and maintenance standards and field-level implementation realities.

● Proven experience in conducting feasibility studies and preparing technical designs, specifications, drawings, and cost estimates.

● Experience in capacity building and mentoring, including training-of-trainers and providing remote or field-based coaching support.

● Familiarity and experience with project management concepts such as Logical Frameworks, Impact Logic, or Results Chains.

● Experience of delivering multi-party, multi-activity projects with strong coordination skills across diverse stakeholders.

Management and Programmatic Skills

● Exceptional interpersonal skills with demonstrable success building and maintaining effective relationships within and between organizations, including working with senior-level stakeholders.

● Strong understanding of business model development for renewable energy technologies, with a focus on stimulating private investment and sustainable market growth.

● Ability to collate, analyze, interpret and report on community-level data to identify potential sites for technology installation, considering social needs, technical feasibility, and economic viability.

● Ability to prepare cash flow projections and cost-benefit analysis for RE solutions and support teams in developing business models.

● Proven leadership and coordination skills in managing technical activities, supervising teams, and ensuring quality assurance in implementation.

● Strong ability to responsibly manage budgets, monitor progress, and ensure value-for-money delivery.

● Clear understanding of the facilitative role of market development approaches, including designing interventions beyond the project duration to influence long-term system change.

● Strong IT skills across Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and familiarity with digital tools for project administration and reporting.

Personal Skills

● Strong leadership and team management skills for both technical and non-technical staff, with the ability to listen, guide, and recognize contributions of others.

● Highly collaborative, supportive, and solution-oriented working style.

● Ambitious and proactive with a "can-do" attitude and entrepreneurial mindset.

● Resilient and adaptable, with strong problem-solving ability in challenging field environments.

● Ability to think creatively and strategically to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities in renewable energy programming.

Physical and Language Skills

● Willingness and ability to travel and undertake fieldwork in rural and remote contexts as required.

● Bangla speaker with strong fluency in English (spoken and written), including the ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and prepare convincing reports and presentations.

● Strong computer literacy in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Apps.

Benefits

Application Deadline: 28 February 2026

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview

(Any personal persuasion will result in disqualification)

We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early for priority consideration.

Women are actively encouraged to apply

iDE provides a women friendly work environment with flexible work arrangements, appropriate skill development opportunities, and good career development potential for high-performing individuals. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. Employee selection and related decisions are made without regard to gender, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or any other protected class.

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