Employment opportunity in Mozambique

In the context of the ongoing institutional cooperation between the Mozambican Autoridade Reguladora de Energia (ARENE) and the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), we hereby advertise a position as Resident Adviser for the component Strategic Advice to ARENE’s Management.

In the context of the component Strategic Advice to ARENE Management, ARENE and NVE will contract a Resident Adviser with duty station in Maputo. The position is for one year, with the possibility of extending for 1 + 1 years. Some travel in the country and region should be expected. It is desirable that the successful candidate takes up position as soon as possible.

The Resident Adviser will be formally employed by NVE but will be working in the offices of ARENE in Maputo, reporting to the Board of Directors in ARENE.

The purpose of contracting a Resident Adviser is to support the development of ARENE’s organization and its fulfilment of its tasks. The starting point for the work will be ARENE’s strategic plan, and the Resident Adviser will have an important role in:

• advising ARENE management on strategic prioritisations
• supporting ARENE in developing priority area of activities
• liaising with NVE and RME to identify how expertise from these institutions can best add value to ARENE and mobilise key resources to deliver support

Work assignments

The work will at times be expected to be demanding and require patience, a solution-oriented approach and good social skills. The Resident Adviser will work according to the following Terms of Reference:

• develop, together with the Board of Directors, an annual plan for activities, including the inputs needed from NVE/RME
• assist in establishing a strategic plan for ARENE, taking into account the existing institutional and legal framework
• provide advice on ongoing strategic tasks to the board of directors
• develop needs assessments, strategic plans and implementation arrangements for designated priority areas as requested by the board of directors
• contribute to the planning and implementation of the annual strategy seminars that are part of the cooperation
• support the establishment of a complaints management system at regulated entities, including arrangements for arbitration, mediation and conciliation by ARENE

The Resident Adviser will deliver the following routine reports:

• quarterly reports on activities carried out to NVE and ARENE
• diagnostic reports to ARENE and NVE regarding the creation and development of capacities in key areas of ARENE, such as licensing, monitoring the performance of regulated activities, defining tariffs and managing complaints

Qualifications

• higher education in Economy, Engineering, Business Administration or other relevant field for the post
• 15 years of working experience desired, 8 is minimum
• broad experience from European regulatory work, preferably in the energy sector
• experience from the establishment of regulators will be considered an advantage
• experience from strategy development, including the definition and prioritization of actions with an impact in the short and medium term will be considered an advantage
• ability to work effectively in English and Portuguese

Personal characteristics

• solution-oriented
• analytic
• strategic

Personal qualities of importance for a successful fulfilment of the work will be considered during the employment process.

We offer

Working conditions and remuneration:

• time bound employment at NVE. Duration 1 year, with possibility for extension 1 + 1 year
• duty station will be ARENE’s offices in Maputo
• salary according to agreement
• benefits according to the agreement of the Norwegian Government for overseas postings. (link eller nærmere forklaring)

NVE and ARENE will jointly select the best candidate according to the needs at the time of hiring.

About ARENE

ARENE is an independent regulator for the energy sector in Mozambique, established in September 2017 and under tutelage of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy. It has its offices in Maputo. NVE is a governmental entity with responsibility for public management of the water resources and energy sectors in Norway. NVE incorporates the Norwegian Regulatory Authority for Energy (RME).

Through an institutional cooperation encompassing MIREME and ARENE, NVE will offer support for capacity building in the period 2023 – 2026. The assistance to ARENE covers two components: “Strategic Advice to ARENE Management” and “Key Technical Skills to ARENE Staff”.

The desired outcome of the institutional cooperation

The desired outcome of the institutional cooperation is to achieve a comprehensive management of the energy sector as a tool for long term economic development. This is to be achieved through targeted efforts in the areas of development and implementation of the legal framework and capacity building in the administration, the latter in particular in the regulator. The Programme’s specific near-term Outcomes are:

• a complete revised legal framework being successfully applied in Mozambique
• the new energy sector strategy successfully applied with clear priorities
• on- and off-grid electrification efforts coordinated in an efficient way
• ARENE developing well as an organisation, optimising the use of its resources
• efficient, consistent operation and case handling in ARENE

The highlighted outcome is directly connected to the work of the Resident Adviser. Further information on the cooperation can be found in the Programme Document for the cooperation.

The purpose of establishing ARENE was to:

• ensure the regulation of the activities of the energy subsectors including the distribution and marketing of petroleum products and their derivatives;
• ensure strict compliance with the principles and standards applicable to the energy sector, in accordance with national legislation and international standards and best policies;
• promote fair competition between public and private operators in the energy sector;
• make the energy market more competitive, efficient, economical and environmentally sustainable;
• ensure the satisfaction of the public interest and defend the rights of consumers of electric energy and fuels;
• strengthen control of the impacts of energy use on the environment; and
• contribute to national energy security.

ARENE has thus a number of important roles to fill, which is a challenge for a young and rapidly growing organization. More information on ARENE’s tasks can be found in the ARENE law.