RMI is seeking  a strategic Director (a principal-level position within RMI staffing architecture) who can lead RMI’s growing portfolio in Nigeria. With your leadership experience, you will head large programmatic efforts for our body of work in Nigeria. 

You will firmly establish our organization as an independent thought and execution leader by pushing energy transitions from traditional and often polluting and expensive energy infrastructure to clean, affordable, and resilient energy resources. 

You will report to the Managing Director of the Global South Program and collaborate closely with other leadership to execute RMI’s programmatic strategies. As the ideal candidate, you will ultimately be based in Nigeria and may play a key role in establishing an office in Abuja, Nigeria. This will include creating a high-performance working environment where our staff can realize professional growth and success. You will also cultivate and lead teams focused on program execution by providing strategic and technical guidance and serve as a senior RMI representative to government, development partner, and private sector leadership. Finally, you will take an active role in pursuing funding, through philanthropic, government, and collaboration revenue. 

RMI has a well-established reputation and extensive capabilities in designing and executing collaborative problem-solving and solution-scaling teams. We seek a creative, entrepreneurial yet deeply and broadly experienced energy professional to join our team and shape the fastest growing energy sectors in the world. 

You will help to shape and fund our work on developing strategies for transitioning energy sector in Nigeria, meeting both longer-term objectives and  annual progress commitments to donors and collaboration partners. At present, our organization’s budget is over $120 million. We expect significant growth across all our practices including our work in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria specifically.  

Your Specific Roles and Responsibilities: 

• Collaborate with the Managing Director / Program Principals to develop our organization’s expertise and reputation in energy systems in Nigeria; 

• Navigate the execution of critical projects in Nigeria with the potential to support similar work in other African countries; 

• Build RMI’s network and identify new projects, and shape and deliver collaborative efforts with the government, development partners, and the private sector in Nigeria; 

• Serve as a subject matter expert and thought leader to develop innovative approaches for holistic energy system development, new business models for energy and energy service providers, and respectfully challenge current approaches; 

• With the Africa leadership team, kengage in fundraising for work in Nigeria, including developing and maintaining specific donor relationships; 

• Establish an RMI country presence in Nigeria and develop and maintain an inclusive country program culture; 

• Collaborate with the Global South Leadership team and other professionals to set the overall direction of programmatic strategy, and ensure large-scale impact in Nigeria, Africa and beyond; 

• Identify and shape specific program initiatives and projects, focusing on topics such as national-level energy planning, mini-grid cost reduction, energy efficiency, and targeted capacity building; 

• Work with and mentor staff, including testing their ideas to maximize their impact; 

• Demonstrate organization-wide leadership, helping set a culture of impact, accountability, and entrepreneurship; and 

• Identify staffing and other resource needs and participate in the performance management process for junior staff.