Location: Nairobi, Kenya | Full Time | Apply by: August 18, 2023

About the Organization

CLASP focuses on appliance & equipment energy performance and quality, to mitigate and adapt to climate change, expand access to clean energy, and improve lives. We serve at the epicenter of collaborative, ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change and in the global movement for clean energy access, through appliance efficiency.

Our mission is to improve the energy and environmental performance of the appliances & equipment we use every day, accelerating our transition to a more sustainable world. We work hand-in-hand with governments, experts, industry, consumers, donor organizations, and others to propel policies and markets toward the highest-quality, least resource-intensive appliances possible.

CLASP has worked in more than 100 countries since our inception in 1999. We have offices in Washington, DC; Nairobi, Kenya; and New Delhi, India, with additional teams in Europe, China, and Indonesia.

We are mission-driven and committed to a culture of diversity, transparency, collaboration, and impactful work. See our Team Page to learn more about us.

 

CLASP’s Clean Energy Access Team

CLASP’s Clean Energy Access (CEA) program supports ambitious efforts to increase global access to clean energy through appliance and equipment energy efficiency. We work in partnership with key stakeholders in South Asia, East and West Africa, China — with support from a diverse group of funders.

Our team helps build healthy markets for off-grid solar products by driving innovation and sales in early-stage product markets, surfacing data and research on product performance, market trends, and consumer preferences, establishing technical foundations for consumer protection, and aligning sector stakeholders across the value-chain.

From advancing the off-grid solar technologies, bringing power to energy-impoverished people, to building climate resilience of underserved communities, CLASP’s CEA programs increase uptake of affordable, low-impact, high-quality appliances.

As our global portfolio continues to grow, we are expanding our team to help us execute our portfolio of clean energy access initiatives.

 

About the Role- Administrative Associate, CEA

As an Administrative Associate on the CEA team, you will help us plan and execute our global portfolio of product energy efficiency programs and projects in countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean, providing exceptional and comprehensive administrative support across our team and for specific projects as needed. This position requires a self-motivated administrator, capable of detail-oriented independent work, quick thinking, and a high level of professionalism and organization. The successful associate will be a proactive professional with excellent interpersonal and communication skills who enjoys working in a collegial and fast-paced environment as part of a close-knot, collaborative team.

The Associate will be based in CLASP’s Nairobi office and will work collaboratively with CLASP team members in Europe, the US, and Asia, conducting critical administrative tasks and ensuring the broader program team is set up to develop and execute programmatic and organizational objectives successfully.

 

Your Responsibilities Will Include:

• Manage day-to-day activities to keep our team organized, improve the effectiveness of internal processes, and track program impacts.
• Serve as the primary liaison with external vendors and contractors, leading on the administration of RFPs, reviewing vendor proposals, and processing contracts and invoices in collaboration with Program Managers, Accounts Payable, and our Legal and Contracts Manager.
• Summarize grant proposal and reporting requirements; develop and maintain checklists, in line with CLASP processes, for proposal/report planning and execution
• Coordinate CEA team meetings, draft agenda, take notes, and follow up on action items
• Manage program and team calendars: project milestones, conferences, vacations, etc, and coordinate travel arrangements for CLASP business travel.
• As needed, support planning and execution of the Clean Energy Access team’s program portfolio, specifically the VeraSol program- drafting work plans, charts, and other documents.
• Support the administrative and operational needs of the VeraSol program, including but not limited to:
  • Respond to client inquiries and initial engagements related to testing and certification
  • Support the coordination of sampling requests between clients and sampling agents
  • Manage billing process for VeraSol through creating invoices and tracking payments from companies/clients of VeraSol certification
• Manage the administrative needs of the Nairobi office and staff, including but not limited to:
  • Assist with research and cost comparisons for vendors to maintain cost effectiveness and quality, including technology and computer support.
  • Process check requests, credit card, and bank reconciliations and invoices for approval and filing.
  • Greet and direct office visitors, answer main office telephone system, respond to direct requests for information and/or forward messages to appropriate staff. Make sure the office is kept in orderly and clean fashion, including distribution and collection of incoming/outgoing mail.
  • Maintain inventory for office supplies and computer software and hardware
• Work closely with other CLASP administrative staff to ensure administrative functions are working seamlessly throughout the organization- including assisting with review of administrative procedures, coordinating IT support and facilities management
• Draft and edit communication, including letters, emails, and other written work products as necessary

 

 Who You Are:

• An Effective Collaborator. You’ve successfully worked across cultural lines on a dispersed team, and you have the ability to operate in complex situations. You can easily gain trust from team members and are known for supporting them to ensure they are set up for success. You’re not afraid to ask questions.
• You can manage a diverse set of team needs and aren’t afraid to step outside your job description or comfort zone to help the team reach its goals. You’re comfortable with shifting schedules and don’t expect every day to go “as planned.”
• A Humble Teammate. Nothing is beneath or above you. You are quick to always lend a hand or two! You are able to earn influence without authority and naturally seek to support both small projects or large strategic goals.
• An Abundant Thinker. You believe that we are living in a world of abundant resources and that the right team of partners can make improbable things happen. You bring relentless curiosity and creativity to every task, project, and engagement.
• Mission-oriented. You believe in the mission of CLASP and are passionate about global access to clean energy, climate change, energy efficiency, and creating a more sustainable world.

 

What You’ll Need:

• 1-3 years of overall professional experience (we are background agnostic and are excited by candidates with unique and different work histories).
• Ability to handle multiple deadlines and complete assignments with minimal supervision in a fast-paced workplace.
• Experience working with an international team and interacting in multiple time zones.
• Impeccable organization: you are highly detail-oriented, and someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from producing polished work and managing smooth and orderly processes.
• Ability to get things done. You are solutions-oriented, self-motivated, a problem-solver looking for the best solution to whatever challenge you’re confronted with. You don’t wait for instruction. Instead, you proactively look for ways to offer support and be of use.
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion. You’re always asking: “whose voice is not at the table?” You have experience working with diverse teams and successfully navigating cross-cultural communication in both local and global contexts, and you deeply value creating a workplace that is supportive of difference.

 

Why This Role is Compelling

You will be exposed to an unusually wide range of people and issues in the climate and energy sectors, as well as the internal infrastructure and operations of a global NGO.

A successful candidate will develop and grow a broad set of professional skills, honing them to the level of excellence in a demanding and fast-paced environment. You will work with, learn from, and grow alongside a high-performing and diverse team in which everyone is committed to the development of themselves and others.

This role can serve as a professional development path for you. There is high potential for the role to evolve within three to five years based on the particular strengths that you bring the team.

 

Compensation and Location

CLASP offers competitive compensation commensurate with experience, including fully paid health insurance for individuals and their families/dependents, provident fund and includes a collegial office environment that supports wellness and flexible telecommuting options. This position will be based in the organization’s Nairobi office. Early morning or evening hours are sometimes necessary to accommodate international collaboration.

 

The Application Process

To be considered for this position, interested candidates should submit a 1-page resumé, including salary requirements, to clasp-hr-admin@clasp.ngo. We also ask that interested candidates submit a brief personal statement, no more than 200 words, that will enable us to understand the contribution your personal background would make to our team. This position will remain open until filled, but individuals who apply by Friday, August 18th will be given priority; therefore, we encourage you to submit yours soon!

When you apply, we kindly ask you to remove your schools from your resume. There is no need to reformat your resume and leave your degree as is; simplify it to “B.A. Economics” for example. Just remember to remove any undergraduate and graduate school name references where possible. This “bias-reduced” process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments instead of resume proxies (e.g., where you went to school).

This evaluation process will follow best practices shown to reduce bias in decision making and may be different from other application processes you have experienced.

The overall evaluation process will look to follow this anticipated timeline:

• Late-August: Selected candidates asked to complete short answer questions
• Early September: Video interview with CLASP Staff
• Mid- September: Finalist candidates will be asked to complete a timed trial assignment
• Late September: Finalists will participate in a multi-team member panel
• Late September: Offer extended

If you have any questions about the opportunity, please feel free to email clasp-hr-admin@clasp.ngo.

CLASP is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. Each person is evaluated based on personal skill and merit.