Your mission
Position Overview
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Technical Project Manager with a strong background in energy access in Africa, combined with knowledge of GIS and data science. The ideal candidate will be responsible for leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects, coordinating technical and operational activities, and ensuring successful delivery of outcomes that support sustainable energy access and geospatial planning.
This role requires a blend of project management expertise, technical understanding of geospatial and data-driven solutions, and experience working with governments and development partners.
Key Responsibilities
Project Management & Leadership
- Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of energy access projects where geospatial technologies are applied, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.
- Act as the primary point of contact for VIDA’s customers and partners/stakeholders, including governments, donors, development partners, and local institutions.
- Ensure clear documentation, reporting, and communication across all project phases.
- Coordinate cross-functional delivery with VIDA’s Data Solutions team (Data Scientists) and other internal contributors.
- Translate partner needs into clear scopes, workplans, and technical requirements.
- Plan and track Data Solutions workstreams (e.g., analyses, datasets, QA, inputs to platform configuration) against project milestones.
- Facilitate prioritization, trade-offs, and risk mitigation with internal team leads and project stakeholders.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain strong relationships with mainly Francophone government institutions, development agencies, and private sector stakeholders (mainly in Africa).
- Facilitate workshops, trainings, and meetings to ensure alignment and adoption of project outcomes — primarily in French for Francophone country engagements.
- Coordinate with business teams to ensure Key Accounts relationships are strong and value is regularly created.
Technical & Geospatial Oversight
- Oversee integration of GIS and data science methods into project design and execution.
- Support the collection, validation, and analysis of geospatial data.
- Collaborate with data science teams to ensure analyses inform decision-making (e.g., least-cost electrification, national electrification strategies and plans, mini-grid viability analysis, etc.).
- Ensure project outputs (VIDA software and data products, reports) meet technical quality standards and are accessible to end-users.
Monitoring & Reporting
- Track progress toward deliverables and provide timely project updates to management and partners.
- Ensure compliance with client requirements.
- Prepare high-quality presentations and reports for diverse audiences.