GOTF Lead

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (Global Energy Alliance) The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (Global Energy Alliance) works for a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity and the means to use it to improve their lives. Our Alliance builds transformative public, private, philanthropic partnerships to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic opportunity. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, we design innovative projects/programs, unlock finance, strengthen institutions and transform markets, delivering progress anchored in deep community engagement. By uniting actors across the value chain, from households to heads of state, we go beyond individual projects to drive lasting systems change. With work in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, our Alliance aims to reach 1 billion people with clean electricity, prevent 4 billion tons of carbon emissions and create or improve 150 million jobs.

Job Title: Grids of the Future (GOTF) Lead, Kenya

Location: Nairobi, Kenya (Embedded at Kenya Power headquarters)

Contract Type: Initial 12 months, renewable based on performance and funding availability

Travel: Within Kenya as required by the programme

About GEA

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, is a multi-stakeholder platform accelerating energy access and the clean energy transition in emerging markets.

Through its Grids of the Future (GOTF) initiative,Global Energy Alliance partners with forward looking Champion Utilities to modernise distribution networks, enable renewable integration, strengthen grid flexibility, and deploy storage and digitalisation solutions.

Kenya is a strategic anchor country for GOTF in Africa. Kenya Power is a Tier 1 Champion Utility at active implementation stage. Following the signing of a non-binding MoU, the engagement will focus on strengthening network visibility, improving operational planning, reducing losses, enhancing reliability, and preparing the utility for deeper integration of renewable energy, battery storage, and other future facing grid solutions.

Role Summary

Global Energy Alliance is seeking a Kenya based GOTF Lead to serve as an embedded resource supporting Kenya Power through the foundational stage of its grid modernisation programme and into the early implementation of selected pilots. The consultant will help the utility move from early alignment into a structured programme of work by leading the initial assessment, facilitating development of a Utility Charter, shaping a phased three-year roadmap, and maintaining continuity into first phase delivery.

S/he will work on a day-to-day basis alongside Kenya Power teams while remaining closely coordinated with the Global Energy Alliance team supporting the programme and will help strengthen day-to-day working relationships between Kenya Power, Global Energy Alliance, and other relevant technical or financing partners.

Key Responsibilities

Utility Engagement and Pilot Development

• Act as primary liaison with Kenya Power.
• Facilitate development of a Utility Charter and a phased three-year modernisation roadmap through structured engagement with relevant teams.
• Define priority pilot areas and support development of technical concept notes covering digitalisation, flexibility, loss reduction, and BESS integration.
• Coordinate workshops and capacity building programmes with utility teams.

Regulatory and Institutional Coordination

• Maintain working relationships with EPRA, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, and other relevant sector institutions, and support scaling of pilots and innovations.
• Assess regulatory frameworks affecting distributed energy resources, storage, flexibility, and renewable integration.
• Identify barriers and propose practical pathways for pilot implementation.

Ecosystem and Partner Engagement

• Engage technology providers, universities, startups, and potential co-funding partners around the GOTF programme.
• Facilitate coordination with other technical advisors and financing stakeholders supporting Kenya Power.

Technical Advisory and Fundraising Support

• Provide advisory on grid digitalisation, digital twins, distributed BESS use cases, DER integration, and flexibility strategies.
• Support preparation of funding proposals and donor materials.
• Represent GEA at key national and regional events.

Reporting and Documentation

• Provide monthly progress updates to the GEA team and Kenya Power, as required.
• Support preparation of concept notes, technical briefs, and stakeholder mapping.

Qualifications

• At least 15 years of senior experience in the power sector, at a utility, regulator, advisory firm, engineering firm, or sector institution.
• Strong track record in utility modernisation, digitisation, transformation, or operational improvement programmes.
• Established working relationships across the Kenyan power sector, including familiarity with Kenya Power and key sector stakeholders.
• Good working knowledge of distribution utility operations, including reliability, losses, and grid performance.
• Familiarity with grid digitisation, digital twins, GIS-based asset management, SCADA, AMI, renewable integration, battery energy storage, and demand-side flexibility.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to synthesise complex inputs into clear materials for executive audiences.
• Self-directed, well organised, and comfortable operating in an embedded role with limited day-to-day supervision.

Experience engaging senior utility leadership, navigating complex institutional environments, and connecting technical workstreams to practical implementation needs is highly desirable.

Benefits

The annual salary for this role starts from USD 100,000 negotiable based on level of experience

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package that includes but is not limited to the following.

• Annual leave - 28 days per annum
• Hybrid Allowance
• Life insurance
• Medical insurance

Please submit your application on or before 27th September COB. The Global Energy Alliance reserves the right to close the job advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.

We operate from a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything we do. It is not only the right thing to do – we could not make an impact without our team members' diverse perspectives and experiences. We expect all Global Energy Alliance employees to contribute by developing their unique perspectives and talent, challenging conventional wisdom through evidence and reason, and amplifying marginalized voices.

Global Energy Alliance is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the organization ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status, or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces.

Global Energy Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer.