What You’ll Do
Professional Rewriting:
Identify and analyze grants and results-based financing options that align with Solar Panda’s target markets and product offerings, specifically in the sectors of off-grid solar solutions, energy access initiatives, and rural electrification projects.
We are seeking a skilled professional to cultivate and oversee a dynamic pipeline of grant prospects, prioritizing initiatives aligned with off-grid solar and energy access solutions. The scope encompasses the World Bank Ascent initiative and extends to similar granting organizations, such as GIG/Ended, KfW, FCDO, BFA, as well as other bilateral and multilateral programs.
Cultivate and sustain strong partnerships with program officers and advisors at critical institutions, ensuring close engagement with the ecosystem to recognize strategic priorities, anticipate program sequences, and track funding cycles via conferences, professional networks, and sustained institutional collaborations.
Lead the end-to-end creation of high-quality grant applications by collaborating closely with Solar Panda’s operations, finance, and technical teams to collect and integrate essential inputs.
Collaborate closely with Solar Panda’s internal teams to ensure adherence to post-award compliance requirements, fulfill reporting obligations, and maintain strong, ongoing relationships with funders.
Brief Solar Panda’s leadership team consistently on pipeline progress, emerging prospects, and strategic market positioning.
Who You Are
With a minimum of seven years of expertise in grant strategy, development finance, or funding mobilization across the African continent, candidates should demonstrate a proven track record in these domains.
Individuals should possess extensive expertise in the landscape of funders dedicated to energy access or rural development initiatives.
Relevant professional experience, particularly within the World Bank, United Nations, or a prominent bilateral agency, is highly advantageous.
Accomplished history of winning competitive grants, preferably within the realms of off-grid energy, climate initiatives, or last-mile service delivery.
Proficient command of written English is essential, with fluency in French serving as a considerable advantage, particularly in light of our operations in Francophone markets such as Senegal and Benin.
Proficient in autonomous work within a dynamic, remote startup setting, adept at managing tasks with minimal oversight and thriving in a fast-paced operational landscape.
Design, implement, and oversee a structured compensation framework that aligns with organizational objectives and market benchmarks. Develop and maintain competitive salary structures, incentive programs, and benefits packages to attract, retain, and motivate top talent. Conduct regular market analyses to ensure competitive positioning, while also ensuring internal equity and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Collaborate with senior leadership to integrate compensation strategies with broader talent management initiatives, fostering a high-performance culture. Evaluate and refine existing programs based on data-driven insights, employee feedback, and evolving business needs to sustain long-term organizational success.
This role may be structured as either a full-time position or a consulting engagement, with final terms to be determined during the interview process. Possible work locations include our head offices in Benin, Kenya, Senegal, or Zambia, as well as remote arrangements.
We foresee the initiative unfolding in three distinct phases:
The initial onboarding period spans four to six weeks and encompasses conducting landscape mapping, developing Solar Panda’s grant pipeline tracker, analyzing existing grant history, and establishing initial strategic alignment.
Upon completion of onboarding, the role will prioritize the ongoing development and oversight of the pipeline, the cultivation and management of key relationships, the identification of potential opportunities, and the provision of timely progress updates.
Draft proposals in response to open funding solicitations to secure financial support for organizational initiatives.
Submit your CV along with a concise statement (maximum 500 words) detailing a grant you proactively pursued—one that did not arrive unsolicited but was anticipated, cultivated through strategic relationship-building, and ultimately secured. Explain how you identified the opportunity in advance, aligned the organization’s positioning to meet its criteria, and identified the key stakeholders whose support was essential. Forward your materials to recruitmentKE@solarpanda.com no later than 30 June 2026.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND
Experience Required
7 years
