Grant Strategy Manager

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Solar Innovators
Solar Panda is an innovative company providing home solar systems to rural African communities without access to electricity.
Financial Includers
Our pay-as-you-go model allows millions of families to have electricity for less than the daily cost of kerosene and mobile phone charging.
Environmental Defenders
By harnessing the power of the sun, our customers have a clean, safe and healthy source of electricity.

JOB SUMMARY

Who You Are 7+ years of experience in grant strategy, development finance, or funding mobilization in Africa Deep knowledge of funders active in energy access or rural development Prior experience working at the World Bank, UN, or a major bilateral agency is a strong asset Track record of successfully securing competitive grants, ideally in off-grid energy, climate, or last-mile service delivery Strong written English; French a significant advantage given our Francophone markets (Senegal, Benin) Comfortable operating independently in a remote, fast-moving startup environment

RESPONSIBILITIES

Map the landscape of grants and results-based financing opportunities relevant to Solar Panda’s markets and product category (off-grid solar, energy access, rural electrification) Develop and maintain an active pipeline of grant opportunities, with a focus on programs relevant to off-grid solar and energy access. This must include the World Bank Ascent initiative and should extend to any similar sector supporting granting institution (ex: GIZ/EnDev, KfW, FCDO, BGFA) and other bilateral and multilateral programs Build and maintain relationships with program officers and advisors at key institutions, staying close enough to the ecosystem to understand strategic priorities, likely program sequencing, and funding cycles through conferences, networks, and ongoing institutional relationships Lead the development of high-quality grant applications end-to-end, coordinating with Solar Panda’s operations, finance, and technical teams to gather required inputs Work with internal Solar Panda resources to support post-award compliance, reporting obligations, and relationship continuity with funders Brief Solar Panda leadership regularly on pipeline status, emerging opportunities, and strategic positioning 

REQUIRED SKILLS

Grant and fund management, Accounting, Project monitoring and evaluation (M&E), Programme management

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Diploma, Associate's degree