Distribution Specialist - Ghana

Tetra Tech is Leading with Science® to implement clean energy projects and policies that advance global climate and decarbonization goals. We advise national energy transition initiatives and structure finance to deploy clean energy solutions. We help create sustainable utilities and modern power grids. We promote equality and inclusivity in the global energy sector. We improve lives and livelihoods in the biggest cities and smallest villages, and at the intersection of energy-health and energy-water-food.

Project Summary: 

Tetra Tech is implementing the recently awarded, five-year USAID Power Africa Empower West Africa (EWA) Activity. Building on a decade of Power Africa success, EWA aims to close the energy poverty gap in the region by increasing supply of and access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity. By 2029, EWA aims to establish six million new electricity connections; reach financial close for 2,500 megawatts of new generation capacity; construct 1,500 kilometers of new power lines; and achieve sales of 40,000 productive use of energy (PUE) devices.

Position Summary: 

Tetra Tech is recruiting a distribution specialist, who will report to the utility performance lead and liaise with the country technical advisor, utility management specialist, government, regional organizations, donor organizations, loss reduction experts, and targeted utilities. The distribution specialist will support the utility performance lead to identify activities and develop work plans for selected countries/utilities, design interventions, mitigate potential conflicts of interest, support data collection and analysis, and deploy technical expertise. This position is full-time, and hiring is contingent upon USAID approval. Interested candidates must be eligible to work in the target country. Interested candidates must be eligible to work in Ghana. Regional travel in country will be required.  

Position Responsibilities:

• Supports achievement of project objectives related to utility performance improvements.
• Implement activities under guidance of the utility performance lead.
• Support the design, supervise, and/or coordinate technical services and activities in target countries.
• Provide thought leadership and technical support as needed to achieve energy access targets.
• Effectively integrate gender and social inclusion, localization, climate change, activities to reach underserved markets, capacity building, and other guiding principles throughout all aspects of EWA implementation.
• Maintain strong relationships with relevant organizations, including government entities, utilities, donor organizations, and private sector companies.
• Facilitate and design pilots to support energy access.
• Develop policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Provide energy efficiency recommendations and assist with connection and metering.
• Support utilities to understand electricity usage patterns, distribution requirements, and cost concerns.
• Analyze customer electricity data and distribution options.
• Provide recommendations on distribution network upgrades, alternative energy sources, and energy efficiency measures to optimize electricity usage and costs.
• Review and redesign applications for new electricity connections, meter upgrades, and changes to existing distribution services.
• Support utilities to respond to inquiries regarding electricity distribution charges, outages, and maintenance issues.
• Support utilities to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy services, including among marginalized communities.
• Identify barriers to energy access, design appropriate energy solutions, and work with donor organizations, governments, and local stakeholders to implement and scale up successful projects.
• Conduct in-depth assessments of energy access needs, gaps, and opportunities in target countries.
• Research and evaluate different energy technologies, business models, and financing mechanisms to identify the most suitable solutions.
• Collaborate with local governments, community organizations, and private sector partners to plan and implement energy access initiatives.
• Provide technical support and capacity building to utilities on system design, installation, operation, and maintenance.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance and impact of energy access projects, and document lessons learned.
• Participate in policy advocacy and dialogue to influence regulations, incentives, and frameworks that enable sustainable energy access.
• Develop training materials and conduct workshops to build the knowledge and skills of stakeholders.
• Contribute to regular reporting, including weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, as well as monitoring and evaluation tools.