Senior Solar Engineer Power, Water, Internet Global

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

About Heifer International

In 1944, Heifer International’s founder, Dan West, began outlining a simple but groundbreaking plan to tackle hunger around the world. West, a farmer from the Midwest and Church of the Brethren member, had recently returned from feeding weary refugees during volunteer service in the Spanish Civil War.

He had seen firsthand that giving people food was a short-term solution, whereas providing them with animals offered a steady supply of nutritious food for an entire family.

His philosophy still inspires Heifer’s work today. Partnering with farmers across a range of different livestock and crops, we create unique solutions to local challenges.

Today, Heifer International has operations in 21 countries around the world, working alongside local farmers, business owners and their communities, as they mobilize and envision their futures. Together, we build inclusive, resilient economies, so communities can develop effective ways to end global hunger and poverty in a sustainable way.

To date, we have supported more than 36 million farming families across Africa, Asia, and the Americas and in the past five years alone, we have worked alongside 2.7 million families to close the living income gap or set them on a path to doing so. Between now and 2030, we will support an additional 10 million people to reach a living income by scaling up our signature programs. To achieve this, Heifer International relies on its passionate, committed and highly skilled staff.

ROLE SUMMARY

Power, Water, Internet Global (PWI) measurably advances existing Heifer Signature Program goals through targeted technology solutions, equipment, appliances, and innovative financial interventions, to further the pathway to a sustainable living income for smallholder farmers in 21 countries. PWI has a goal to reach 5 million families on 3 continents by 2030 with these solutions.

Reporting to the PWI Executive Director, the Senior Solar Engineer is responsible for managing staff and contractors to identify, evaluate, and rank options for power, water and internet solutions as well as oversee the implementation of numerous PWI projects on time and on budget. In addition, the Senior Solar Engineer is responsible for managing and country PWI portfolio recommendations reports for each country with targeted PWI interventions to directly increase the living income of small holder farmers and farmer owned cooperatives and identify means to leverage local incentives and resources.

The Successful Candidate

• The ideal candidate is an experienced and highly skilled and dynamic engineer that wants to direct his/her talents with a passion for humanitarian endeavors globally.
• To succeed in this role, you will have in depth experience and expertise in all technical and business aspects of delivering grid power solutions with a strong understanding of solar power and also storage systems. An interest in water for agriculture solutions or digital inclusion through internet solutions is a plus. This would include in depth knowledge at solar PV technologies, systems, storage solutions and vendors as well as facilitating utility grid connections. Familiarity with mini-grid design, components, and functionality to operate as a PWI hub for rural communities. Understanding of how to research national incentives, PV permitting, construction and performance monitoring and tracking carbon emissions and the sale of carbon credits in markets.
• Possess knowledge and/or strong interest in small pay-as-you-go (PAY-GO) solar home systems (SHS) for productive uses of electricity (PUE) such water pumping for agriculture and livestock, refrigeration, powering appliances and cost/benefit for the farmers to increase their living income within the local context.
• He/she will have a vast network of technical contacts and able to develop an extensive database of resources in the United States and potentially Africa, Asia, and the Americas that can support the roll out of robust technologies, solutions and/or infrastructure programs that will have a sustainable impact in the communities Heifer serves.

Requirements

Minimum

• Electrical engineering degree, with 10 plus years project experience.
• High performing individual with experience developing and manage a portfolio of project proposals and project design, construction, commissioning, and monitoring systems.
• Strong software and spreadsheet modelling skills for system performance technically and financially with detailed cost-benefit, IRR analysis link to affordability and overall impacts on a sustainable living to identify, assess and rank appropriate, affordable technologies in power, water and internet for households, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and cooperatives.
• Ability to quickly understand and evaluate other technologies cost benefit, affordability, cost-benefit, risks, performance, and monitoring.
• Experience managing technical assessments and identifying government electrification programs, processes, incentives, and utility providers and/or partners to work with in power, water, and/or internet.
• Combining technical assessment, financial modelling, into strategic project reports and proposals.
• Experience managing staff, multiple budgets, procurement, contracting, and drafting project specifications for RFPs, construction management and system commissioning.
• Must have experience with collaborating in teams to design interventions with common goods such as power, water, or internet that have long-term impact for vulnerable communities.
• Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with strong verbal and strong written communication skills.
• Self-motivated, agile, able to pivot easily and detail-oriented leader with exceptional organizational, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.

Preferred

• A master’s degree and/or MBA, PE, or PhD
• International field experience
• Foreign language is a plus
• Experience managing one or more high-performing teams
• A strong network of industry experts in power, water or internet is a plus

Salary Information:

The expected base salary range for this position is $92k to $120k USD annually. Placement within the range will be based on the competency level of the candidate:

Minimum: Entry level, meets minimum qualifications. Needs guidance and training to perform key responsibilities of the job

Midpoint: Experienced and fully competent. Can independently perform all responsibilities of the job

Maximum: Highly experienced and can perform at a higher level than expected

**Disclaimer: Salary ranges are based on country location and local country salary scales.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Heifer International offers a variety of benefits for U.S.-based employees working 30 or more hours per week.

• Health and wellness benefits including Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Saving Account
• Employee assistance program
• 403(b) retirement plan (match 1% employee to 2% employer up to a maximum of 4% match + 3% employer discretionary contribution regardless of employee contribution)
• 22 vacation days in addition to 12 statutory and discretionary holidays, and 10 sick days per year
• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)
• Professional development and annual merit increase opportunities
• Optional critical illness insurance, legal assistance plan and pet protection
• And more!