Note: Professional proficiency in written and spoken English is preferred for this consultant position but not mandatory. Interviews will be conducted in English or Spanish, depending on the candidate's proficiency.
Nota: Se prefiere un dominio profesional del inglés hablado y escrito para esta posición de consultor, pero no es obligatorio. Las entrevistas se llevarán a cabo en inglés o español, dependiendo de la fluidez del candidato.

About Environmental Incentives
At Environmental Incentives, our purpose is to create the conditions for human and natural communities to thrive. We do this by helping our partners improve the performance of conservation and development programs. Our clients trust us to design and support implementation of programs that (1) use evidence to develop effective strategies within complex systems, (2) center local stakeholder experiences and facilitate collective action, and (3) produce results that support learning about what works. Environmental Incentives is a certified B Corporation with offices located in Washington, DC, South Lake Tahoe, San Diego, Nairobi, and Lima (pending registration). Our remote staff and consultants are based in multiple states within the United States, and across five continents.
ABOUT IDEAL
In programming more than $750 million each year in biodiversity and climate change funds, USAID's decisions shape outcomes for irreplaceable ecosystems and the communities that depend on them worldwide. The Improving Design, Evidence, and Learning (IDEAL) contract provides support for all stages of the Program Cycle for USAID biodiversity and climate change programming at USAID and improves the Agency's ability to design, monitor, evaluate, and learn from programs with sustainable and impactful results.
During this five-year activity, IDEAL supports USAID's programs to apply adaptive management decisions, generate and apply evidence, and apply learning to support better programming decisions. With expertise combining technical environment skills and organizational development and learning, IDEAL facilitates high-quality decision-making, increases evidence generation and use, and nurtures a culture of applied learning across the Agency.

OPPORTUNITY
Environmental Incentives' purpose is to create the conditions for human and natural communities to thrive. We design performance-driven approaches to conservation that empower public and private sector leaders to multiply their impact. We are environmental thought leaders pioneering a new wave of conservation, helping people get the most from their investments in the environment. Since our establishment in 2004, we have become a leading advisor on natural resource programs and policies across the country and internationally. Environmental Incentives is a certified B-Corporation with three offices across the United States (South Lake Tahoe, CA; Washington, DC; and Denver, CO).
The USAID Ecuador Mission has engaged IDEAL to conduct a Clean Energy Assessment to identify opportunities for advancing clean energy and energy efficiency. IDEAL will collaborate with USAID to develop targeted questions that examine Ecuador's clean energy landscape, focusing on challenges, opportunities, and stakeholder dynamics. The assessment will inform future USAID Clean Energy programming, addressing gaps in policy support, capacity building, and technological advancement. At a broader level, the findings will help refine USAID's strategic approaches by identifying cross-cutting issues and opportunities where clean energy efforts intersect with broader environmental goals. This will guide the integration of energy with other critical sectors such as water, biodiversity, and climate adaptation. Additionally, the assessment will evaluate opportunities related to issues such as gender, People with Disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, and Youth.
The analysis will not generate new primary data but will rely on reviewing and synthesizing key documents and stakeholder consultations, with a focus on gender, social inclusion, and sustainability, aligned with USG priorities. The process is expected to integrate: (a) previous clean energy reports conducted in Ecuador; (b) consultations with key stakeholders and experts in Ecuador; and (c) additional analysis as needed to inform future opportunities for high-impact programming.
The assessment will provide a foundation for context-specific interventions, enhance stakeholder coordination, and guide the development of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks. It will also support decision-making and policy advocacy, particularly in areas with existing barriers.
CONSULTANCY DESCRIPTION
Environmental Incentives is seeking one mid-level Clean Energy Specialist to serve as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for this assessment. The SME will serve as a key contributing member of a core assessment team for this activity. The SME will report to the Team Lead and EI's Activity Manager at Environmental Incentives, and contribute to the development and implementation of all client deliverables. This includes providing inputs into the assessment plan and fieldwork itinerary, conducting desk-based document review, leading a portion of stakeholder consultations and qualitative data collection during field-based site visits, and contributing to the synthesis of preliminary findings and the draft and final assessment reports in accordance with established protocols and quality standards. The assignment for the SME will be for an estimated 25-30 working days. The period of performance will begin as early as September 2024 and conclude by the end of January 2025.
RESPONSIBLITIES

• Support the planning, development, analysis, and reporting for the Ecuador Clean Energy Assessment, including drafting key sections as delegated by the Team Lead.
• Assist in producing the draft and final Clean Energy Assessment Report, along with any supplemental products or technical annexes, such as a Power Point presentation and report, following the approved template and USAID's style guide, ensuring that they are technically accurate, concise, and strategically relevant.
• Assist in the review of secondary data prior to field data collection.
• Support the development of key informant interview guides and site visit protocols for field data collection, as delegated by the Team Leader.
• Contribute to the development of a detailed itinerary for in-country consultations and site visits in fulfillment of the assessment work plan.
• Participate in approximately two weeks of consultations and site visits in Ecuador, including consultations with USAID/Ecuador staff, implementing partners, and other key stakeholders (e.g., government bodies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and local experts) and visits to priority sites.
• Contribute to analysis and synthesis of qualitative data from in-country consultations, site visits, and secondary datasets as necessary to respond to overarching objectives of the assessment
• Participate in regularly scheduled meetings throughout the activity lifetime.

QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications

• A higher education degree (BA or BS equivalent) and at least eight (8) years of experience in a relevant field, including climate change mitigation, clean energy, energy efficiency, investment promotion, and project financing.
• At least five (5) years of relevant technical and management experience with donor funded programming.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, technical analysis, and reporting.
• Strong experience in synthesizing key informant interviews and information from meetings
• Demonstrated familiarity with Ecuador's clean energy ecosystem, with a solid understanding of the country's clean energy environment, ongoing projects, key stakeholders, and specific needs.
• Demonstrated experience in contributing to strategic planning, technical analysis, and reporting, along with organizational, analytical, writing, and presentation skills in Spanish and English (English is preferred but not mandatory for this position).
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage workplace challenges and concerns with professionalism and tact.
• Demonstrated flexibility and capacity to adapt to maintain focus on objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English is preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing clean energy projects, including experience with blended finance instruments to mobilize investment, and a strong technical background in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency measures.
• Proven experience in identifying opportunities to support the development and implementation of policies, infrastructure, and/or practices that increase clean energy use. Expertise in key areas such as competitive procurements for renewable energy, enhancing energy planning and grid management, and improving energy efficiency.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Candidates must be Ecuadorian nationals or individuals with legal residency in Ecuador. The ability to travel to Quito for up to two weeks is required.

BASE STATION
Candidates must be based in Ecuador and are required to travel to Quito for up to two weeks. Limited travel to field sites outside of Quito may be feasible during this period, subject to security conditions and applicable travel restrictions.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your application no later than September 27, 2024. On a rolling basis throughout the application period, we will review applications and contact qualified candidates for additional information.
ENVIRONMENTAL INCENTIVES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
We are committed to developing an inclusive work environment for all employees, where diversity of thought, style, culture, and skill is valued in support of individual performance and potential, as well as our business goals and mission. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or and other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.