Operations Manager, Clean Cooking and Sustainable Energy

Full-Time 6-Month Contract with possibility of extension

C- Quest Capital LLC (CQC) is a social impact investor, project developer and climate finance specialist whose mission is to transform the lives of people in the poorest communities in developing countries by providing them access to clean and sustainable energy services and clean energy technologies and improving the health and wellbeing of women and children. CQC was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Washington DC, USA with subsidiaries in India, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia, on-ground teams in Malawi and Zambia, and rapidly growing into other Sub-Saharan Africa countries.

CQC is a leader in providing clean efficient cooking and lighting services to the rural poor worldwide and has growing businesses in renewable energy production and supply, and sustainable agricultural land use and forestry. Our projects are implemented either through our own operational platforms and subsidiaries or through closely managed partnerships and joint ventures with on-the-ground organizations.

We have active investments in over 13 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and South and East Asia that have thus far improved the lives of over 20 million people.

CQC employs over 200 full-time staff of investment, project management, and carbon professionals based around the world including Washington DC, India, Malaysia, Cambodia, Malawi, and Zambia. In addition, we regularly draw on a pool of individual consultants, collaborating NGO and private sector partners, and staff of our joint venture partners.

Background:

CQC is rapidly expanding its investment in cleaner cooking services across its core geographies. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) we have launched a three million household four-year investment across Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, and Rwanda with pilot activities planned in several other SSA Least Developed Countries. We manage country teams and implementing partners across the region. We are expanding our skilled staff in The Gambia.

Under the guidance of the West Africa Regional Director and Country Manager – The Gambia, the Operations Manager will:

• Works directly with Country Manager overseen by the Director of Operations - Africa and Regional Director overseeing country of work to coordinate on the ground logistical support of stove projects with implementing partners.
• Implement the CQC Direct Program in The Gambia ensuring we hit our monthly targets.
• Provide overview of stove theory, as well as of our business and process of implementation.
• Work together with Finance and Administration in stock management.
• Identify potential areas of expansion for the CQC Direct Program.
• Assist regional teams to set up new operational areas.
• Assist with recruitment and training for the operations team and other departments as needed.
• Coordinate and facilitate training of trainers for the CQC Direct Program.
• Manage a team of Regional Coordinators and Operations Associate(s) – Training Assistants and Registration Assistants - to achieve high quality installations, maintenance, and high usage rates above 80%.
• Lead demonstration and construction of our cookstoves.
• Train stove enumeration/registration.
• Follow up on re-registration of rejected stoves and re-installation of collapsed stoves.
• Develop/ improve the current CQC Direct Program processes to make them more efficient.
• Lead innovation programs as needed and requested for the CQC Direct, the Gambia.

Location is Banjul, with global communication as CQC relies heavily on staff working at home and use of video conferencing technology to communicate between its team across the world.

Travel

Operations Managers are expected to travel on an as-needed short -notice timeline. Much of the role will be overseeing project operations throughout project country.

Supervision

The position will report to the Country Manager (The Gambia), Regional Director – West Africa and Operations Specialist, daily, and Senior Managers, as needed.

This is a Supervisory position, with supervision and hiring of in-country teams (compliance, verification, etc.).

Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:

• Bachelor's degree preferably focused on sciences, health, environment, climate change, gender and development, or international development, with advanced degree(s) in relevant fields advantageous, depending on field of study and experience gained.

• Fluent in local languages and English.

• Experience in building and facilitating relationships for rural and/or urban development programs.

• Familiarity with Supply Chain Management in Project Country, desired.

• Applied cross-sector knowledge and proficiency in one or more of the following areas: health, environmental/conservation/forestry, agriculture, sustainable/renewable energy, or gender/women’s empowerment.

• Availability to travel domestically on an as-needed and short-notice basis.

• Networking and marketing skills at a national, regional, and local levels with Gambian nationals and non-national staff.

• Competent with email, WhatsApp, and Skype/Zoom video calling. All Program Directors should maintain an adequate level of smartphone and computer literacy.

• Written and oral proficiency and literacy in English language and local country dialects.

• Proficiency in facilitating and delivering trainings to non-expert audiences.

• Patience and the desire to contribute to livelihoods development and climate transformation technologies.

• Demonstrated experience in handling and analyzing large data sets and relational databases, advantageous.

• High-level written and verbal communication skills with experience working in a global team environment an advantage.