Managing Director for start up of FRES-company in Uganda

Organisation: FRES Job Location: Uganda Starting date: June 2010

Background on FRES
FRES (Foundation Rural Energy Services) provides electricity to rural areas of developing countries where there is no access to grid electricity. FRES does so preferably by use of solar energy by installing and managing autonomous solar energy systems. FRES does so by setting up small-scale local commercial electricity companies. The foundation was founded in 2004 by the Dutch energy company n.v. Nuon as an independent organization.

FRES serves people, planet and profit: firstly bringing light and electricity to unserved rural areas aids the development of the population in terms of education, health and employment, secondly the solar energy service creates zero emissions of harmful substances and, thirdly, FRES companies are commercial entities of which the set up is based on the fee-for-service model which ensures ongoing maintenance for the customer. With this model the companies' goal is for long-term financial sustainability.

FRES has companies in Mali, South Africa and Burkina Faso which employ over 100 people and service 13,000 customers in total. FRES aims to reach 100,000 customers by 2015, mainly based in Sub-Saharan Africa. FRES is looking to expand into, amongst others, Benin and Mozambique.

FRES in Uganda
FRES is in the final stage of preparation for the start-up of a FRES company in Uganda. The Business Plan for Uganda is to connect 10,000 customers over a period of 8 years time, reached with a local office with a workforce of 46 permanent staff members. The first 2 years are an initial phase in which the product offering, tariffs and locations are further defined. With a regional office, 1 energy store and 10 local staff members, 800 customers should be reached in this start-up period of 2 years. Currently a FRES Company Preparation Executive is based in Uganda until June 2010 for the first start-up phase. A business plan has been finalized, funding has been acquired and licenses have been applied for. The Managing Director should take care of the subsequent start-up phase: the actual creation of the company and the start of operations.

Job description
The Managing Director (MD) ensures the smooth transition from a start-up operation to a fully fledged institution. The MD bears the overall responsibility for the start and development of the FRES solar company in Uganda. His/her major role will be to plan, organize, staff, coordinate, motivate and control company operations. The MD will attract local management and local staff and direct and coach them over a period of 2 years. The responsibility will be handed over to a local General Manager at the end of the 2 year period. The MD reports to the Company Board of Directors. The MD has operational contact with the business developer at FRES HQ in Amsterdam responsible for Uganda.

Responsibilities

• Set-up of the company
  • Ensures that Solar Home System (SHS) equipment, fleet and office equipment is in place;
  • Establishes the Regional Office and one Service Point including necessary permits, agreements and construction work.
  
  
• Operations
  • Final responsibility for the development and writing of a detailed operational plan and marketing plan with approved targets;
  • Ensures implementation of operational and marketing plan, monitors progress and evaluates progress towards goals;
  • Monitors local developments and customer demand for basic electricity, including indentifying locations for new service points;
  • Reports on a monthly basis to FRES HQ on programme progress and context development;
  • Reports to local subsidy providers/ local government.
  
  
• Attracting and Managing staff
  • Recruits local General Manager (GM), CFO, COO (local management team);
  • Together with local management team, attracts other local staff including technicians;
  • Manages and develops the team, identifies and follows-up on training needs;
  • Conducts appraisals for management team, discusses personal development, assist in appraisals for local staff, ensures team development;
  • Ensures a well functioning team and a good team spirit amongst the whole team;
  • Final responsibility for ensuring that FRES HR guidelines and national employment regulation are in place and adhered to.
  
  
• Networking and representation
  • Acts as FRES representative to the local company and external parties;
  • Develops and maintains productive relationships with local and national governments, donors, other agencies and media.
  
  
• Financial management
  • Maintains efficient financial control (of cash flows, local payment, etc), accountability standards, procedures and records;
  • Prepares budget and budget control according to FRES guidelines, takes action in case of deficiencies or surpluses; this includes establishing and maintaining processes for regular monitoring of financial and programmatic targets;
  • Implements the operational part of the subsidy scheme of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and reports to the REA.
  
  
• Logistics Management
  • Details the requirements of items to be purchased in co-operation with FRES Head Quarters;
  • Makes local purchasing agreements;
  • Ensures timely delivery of equipment, including passage of imported goods through customs;
  • Ensures sufficient stock level of SHS and office equipment and availability of fleet.
  
  
• Hand-over of responsibilities
  • At the end of the two-year period, the MD leaves behind a well-operating organisation, serving 800 customers run by well trained technical and general staff and a high quality management team, including a General Manager able to manage growth to 10,000 customers.
  
  

Schedule
Period: 2 years, exact schedule over time to be agreed.

Venues
Uganda: The MD will be based in Mbarara where the regional office will be set up. From there, the MD will regularly visit the areas of expansion of operation: Bushenyi, Rukungiri and Ntungamo. Regular visits will also be made to Kampala.

Profile

Skills:

• Proven entrepreneurial capacity;
• Strong commercial approach;
• Strong leader;
• Talented coach;
• Result focused;
• Excellent planning, organizational and team-building skills, able to delegate
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Ability to experiment and to find creative solutions
• Excellent written & oral expressions skills in English.

Experience and knowledge:

• At least 10 years of management experience;
• Experience in company creation;
• Experience in management of company-operations;
• Experience in financial planning, control and reporting;
• Experience in working in multicultural environments;
• Experience of living and working in (rural) Africa is highly desirable;
• Experience in procurement, supply and stock management is desirable.
• Knowledge of rural electrification or infrastructural projects is desirable;
• Knowledge of international and rural development is desirable;
• Degree level of education.

Our offer

• Salary in accordance with Non Governmental Organizations (NGO)
• An opportunity to contribute to rural electrification and poverty eradication.

Your application
Please enter your application including a CV and motivation ultimately May 30th at annemiek.jonker@fres.nl. For further information about our work, please check our website www.fres.nl or call Annemiek Jonker at 020 – 528 90 56.

FRES is looking for a Project Leader for the FRES company in Burkina Faso.

Foundation Rural Energy Services
Foundation Rural Energy Services (FRES) is a Dutch non-profit foundation whose aim is to promote sustainable rural electrification in developing countries by setting up small-scale electricity companies in those countries. They install and manage autonomous solar energy systems (Solar Home Systems). Not only does this ensure that people can get electricity without being connected to the electricity grid, but it also gives an economic boost to the area by creating permanent employment opportunities. In 2008 a new company in Burkina Faso has been established.

Project background
The project “Solar Energy for improved livelihood in Burkina Faso” has the objective to make energy accessible for rural households and rural enterprises in the Kénédougou Province.
The aim of the project is to install 3,000 solar home systems and establish a company for operation and maintenance of these solar home systems on a fee-for-service basis. The fee-for-service model makes energy accessible, even for households that cannot afford significant investments. This business model has successfully been implemented in Mali and South Africa. Support will be given during the project implementation by Yeelen Kura, the FRES company in Mali.

This project is made possible thanks to the ACP-EU Energy Facility in collaboration with other organizations. The project will last 4 years.

Job profile
The project leader will work in a team with a project assistant in The Netherlands to set up a FRES company in Burkina Faso and helping the local management of the company.

• At least 15 years of relevant work experience with project management with considerable exposure to private sector development preferably in transition economies
• The candidate has a background in business studies or economics
• He or she has experience with large projects financed partially by the European Commission with several years experience in a project leader position
• Experience with company and joint venture management
• Good project management and financial administration skills
• Strong organizational and communication skills are essential, and a team-oriented work style is a necessity
• Ability to manage and motivate small teams for quick result delivery
• Solid understanding of the business and institutional framework in Burkina Faso
• Strong analytical skills and proven ability to quickly produce concise and well structured reports and presentations
• Well grounded business sense and ability to effectively communicate with policy makers and EU delegates
• Excellent French language skills (reading, writing, speaking) required
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Word and Excel

Tasks description
The project leader will:

• Be responsible for backstopping services for local management of a small scale company (licenses, concession for energy distribution, marketing etc.)
• Implement regular project coordination and strategic planning activities
• Write EU progress reports
• Monitor budget, expenditures and disbursements

Location
Orodara (and sometimes Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso), Burkina Faso
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Availability needed
Start: July 2009
First period: 2 months in Burkina Faso for the startup of operations
After that approximately 150-200 days spread over 3 years

Contact
To apply for this position, please send your CV and cover letter before 12 July 2009 to:

FRES
Attn. Caroline Nijland
PO Box 15247
1001 ME AMSTERDAM
The Netherlands

E-mail: caroline.nijland@fres.nl

Job interviews
The first round of interviews will take place on 16 July 2009 at FRES in Amsterdam.

For more information, contact Annemarie Goedmakers, Chairman board members, at +31 (0)6 55 38 75 05, or see www.fres.nl.