Note: Professional proficiency in written and spoken Spanish and English is mandatory for this consultant position. Selected candidates will be interviewed in English.
Nota: Para esta posición de consultor, el dominio profesional del español e inglés hablado y escrito es obligatorio. Los candidatos seleccionados serán entrevistados en inglés.

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).
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 and 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.
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 a senior-level Clean Energy Specialist to serve as Team Leader (TL) for this assessment. Environmental Incentives will manage this consultancy, and the TL will serve as the technical lead for the assessment, overseeing one in-country expert to develop and finalize the assessment and all client deliverables, with technical and management support from Environmental Incentives. The TL will provide high-level strategic planning and insights for the assessment, coordinate with the team, lead the development of a work plan, guide stakeholder consultations, oversee the collection of qualitative data during site visits, lead the synthesis of preliminary findings, and develop and write the draft and final assessment report in accordance with approved outlines and quality standards. The assignment is estimated to require 25–35 working days, with the period of performance starting as early as September 2024 and concluding by the end of January 2025.
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.
RESPONSIBLITIES

• Lead the overall scoping and initiation of this work, including developing the assessment approach and plan, facilitating the kickoff meeting with the client, and supporting the team in gaining familiarity with the USAID/Ecuador program and country context.
• Coordinate and lead the planning, development, analysis, and reporting for the Clean Energy Assessment in collaboration with IDEAL, local experts, and relevant stakeholders in Ecuador, including conducting thorough desk research and key informant interviews.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the assessment team and external stakeholders, including counterparts from USAID/Ecuador, USAID/Washington, IDEAL project leadership, and local government officials.
• Lead consultations with U.S.-based and in-country stakeholders in Ecuador to gather insights, validate findings, and ensure alignment with USAID's strategic objectives and Ecuador's clean energy goals. These consultations will include USAID/Ecuador staff, implementing partners, and other key stakeholders (e.g., government bodies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and local experts), along with visits to priority sites.
• Coordinate the analysis and synthesis of data from desk research, key informant interviews, in-country consultations, site visits, and secondary literature review and datasets as necessary to address the Clean Energy Assessment objectives, with support from IDEAL.
• Present preliminary findings at virtual and/or in-person briefings upon the conclusion of the team's in-country site visits, ensuring that stakeholders are informed and engaged in the assessment process.
• Lead the development of the draft and final Clean Energy Assessment Report and associated supplemental products or technical annexes, such as a Power Point presentation and report, in accordance with an approved template and USAID's style guide, ensuring that they are technically accurate, concise, and strategically relevant.
• Participate in regularly scheduled meetings throughout the assessment process and maintain clear communication with the assessment team, IDEAL staff, and USAID counterparts as needed.
• Present key findings to USAID/Ecuador staff and other stakeholders, providing actionable recommendations and ensuring that the report's conclusions are aligned with Ecuador's clean energy needs and USAID's priorities.
• Support as a key resource during the USAID/Ecuador Clean Energy Design workshop in January 2025, providing relevant insight, context, and information to the design and facilitation team.

QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree qualifications (Master's level degree or higher) with at least (15) years of experience in a relevant field, including climate change mitigation, clean energy, energy efficiency, investment promotion, and project financing.
• At least ten (10) years of relevant technical and management experience with donor-funded programming.
• Significant and proven experience in leading the design, execution, and communication of assessments, including strategic planning, technical analysis, and reporting.
• Strong research skills, with the ability to collect, analyze, and synthesize both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, writing, and presentation skills in English and Spanish.
• Experienced in protecting human subjects and adhering to ethical guidelines during research and data collection.
• Proficient in conducting and interpreting interviews, analyzing literature and policy documents, and developing feasible and practical policy and programming recommendations.
• Ability to effectively network with a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, utilities, clean energy project developers, investors, and financial entities.
• 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

• Demonstrated familiarity with Ecuador's clean energy and financing ecosystem, with a deep understanding of the country's clean energy environment, ongoing projects, and specific needs.
• Strong technical background in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency measures.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to travel to Ecuador for up to two weeks. Preference for candidates based in Ecuador.

BASE STATION
Remote with travel to Quito required for at least two weeks. Limited travel to field sites outside of Quito during these two weeks may be feasible, taking into account 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.