Senior Mini-Grid & GIS Technical Expert, Africa

Senior Mini-Grid & GIS Technical Expert, Africa | Mercy Corps

Senior Mini-Grid & GIS Technical Expert, Africa

Mercy Corps Abuja International Senior level Speaks English

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Summary by Impactpool

Mercy Corps is seeking a Senior Mini-Grid & GIS Technical Expert to support the development of off-grid renewable energy projects in Nigeria. The expert will provide high-level engineering, planning, and technical advisory services, including GIS-based site identification and system design. Responsibilities include conducting techno-economic assessments, preparing technical documentation, and supporting capacity building for local experts. The role requires a commitment to availability from May 2026 and involves collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure high-quality deliverables.

Candidate Requirements:

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Minimum 12 years of professional experience in the energy sector

At least 10 years developing renewable energy mini-grid projects

Experience using GIS tools for site identification

Minimum 5 years developing technical guidelines for the energy sector

At least 7 years of international experience in economies in transition

At least 5 years of experience in West Africa, including 1 year in Nigeria

Description

Project/Consultancy Title : Mini-Grid & GIS Technical Expert

Project: International Consultancy for the Development of Off Grid Renewable Energy Projects

Project Location(s) : Nigeria /Africa

Appointment is contingent on winning tender

Candidate should commit to availability from May 2026

About Mercy Corps: 

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

The Program / Department / Team

Energy 4 Impact is Mercy Corps’ platform for shaping market systems in clean energy access. We work at the intersection of policy and institutions, enterprise growth and finance, ecosystem coordination, and evidence and market intelligence. Our comparative advantage lies in blending the advisory capabilities of a specialist firm with the geographic presence and community reach of an NGO. We translate programme investment into strategic, market-credible solutions: building the conditions under which private investment flows into previously high-risk energy access markets.

Purpose / Project Description:

Energy 4 Impact is seeking an internationally experienced Senior Mini-Grid & GIS Technical Expert to support the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP III) in the development of off-grid renewable energy projects.

Consultant Objectives :

The Senior Mini-Grid & GIS Technical Expert will provide high level engineering, planning, and technical advisory services for mini-grid project development, including GIS-based site identification, system design, and preparation of technical documentation.

Consultant Activities:  The Consultant will undertake the following responsibilities :

Lead GIS-based site identification, mapping, and spatial analysis for mini-grid development.

Conduct techno economic assessments, including demand estimation, load profiling, and PUE opportunity analysis.

Develop system designs, distribution network layouts, powerhouse siting, and technical specifications.

Prepare and review BoQs , engineering drawings, tender documents, and technical guidelines.

Conduct technical due diligence on mini-grid developer submissions and project proposals.

Support the development of technical guidelines, regulations, and manuals for the Nigeria off-grid sector.

Provide capacity building to local experts, government agencies, and developers.

Collaborate with NESP advisors and local consultants to ensure high-quality deliverables.

Contribute to progress reports, meeting summaries, and stakeholder engagement sessions.

Introduce advanced geospatial analytics (e.g., least cost electrification modelling, remote sensing) to enhance project selection .

Develop standardized templates for mini-grid technical documentation to streamline future NESP processes.

Provide advisory support on climate resilient infrastructure design and innovations for grid reliability.

Support the creation of a mini-grid knowledge repository for NESP, consolidating tools, templates, and lessons learned.  

Consultant Deliverables: The Consultant will deliver the following :

A complete g eospatial a ssessment r eport including mapped mini ‑ grid candidate sites, spatial datasets, analytical layers, and GIS files supporting site prioritization.

An enhanced geospatial modelling output integrating least ‑ cost electrification modelling, remote sensing, and advanced analytics to strengthen site selection and planning.

A t echno ‑ e conomic a nalysis p ackage containing demand estimates, load profiles, PUE opportunity assessments, and financial viability modelling for proposed mini ‑ grid sites.

A set of e ngineering d esign d ocuments covering mini-grid system sizing, distribution network layouts, powerhouse siting, and detailed technical specifications for each assessed site.

A t echnical d ocumentation b undle comprising reviewed and validated Bills of Quantities, engineering drawings, tender documents, and technical guidelines aligned with GIZ/NESP standards.

A d ue d iligence e valuation r eport assessing the technical soundness, feasibility, and compliance of mini ‑ grid developer submissions and project proposals.

A technical guidance package contributing to national guidelines, regulations, and manuals for Nigeria’s off ‑ grid sector, developed in collaboration with NESP and government partners.

A capacity building report documenting training sessions, materials, participant feedback, and competency improvements among local experts, government agencies, and developers.

A set of reviewed and quality ‑ assured deliverables produced jointly with NESP advisors and local consultants, demonstrating coordinated technical input and consistency across work packages.

contributions to periodic progress reports, meeting summaries, and stakeholder engagement notes reflecting technical inputs, decisions, and follow ‑ up actions.

A climate resilience advisory note outlining design recommendations, infrastructure adaptations, and innovations to improve mini ‑ grid reliability under climate stressors.

A knowledge repository package consolidating tools, templates, datasets, case studies, and lessons learned for long ‑ term use by NESP and sector stakeholders.

Timeframe / Schedule :   This assignment will take no longer than 35 days between May 2026 to December 2027 , subject to performance and fund availability throughout this period. The Consultant will report to :  The consultant will report to the Senior Technical Analyst, Energy 4 Impact .  

The Consultant will work closely with: The Team Leader , the MEL and Reporting Expert other technical and finance experts in the project, experts from implementing partner, the government counterparts, the finance and operations team.

Required Experience & Skills: Education 

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or related field .

Languages

Excellent command of English (C1 level, CEFR).

Professional Experience 

General : Minimum 12 years of professional experience in the energy sector.

Specific: At least 10 years of experience developing renewable energy mini-grid projects totaling ≥5 MW combined capacity. 

Demonstrated experience using GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS, etc.) for site identification and planning.

Minimum 5 years developing technical guidelines, regulations, or manuals for the energy sector.

International experience: At least 7 years in at least two countries with economies in transition outside West Africa.

Regional experience: At least 5 years of professional experience in West Africa, including a minimum of 1 year in Nigeria. 

At least 5 years of experience working on development cooperation projects .

Team Engagement  and Effectiveness:

Achieving  our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity  

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, , , religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law .  

Safeguarding & Ethics Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into

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