Portfolio Lead: Electricity (JET PMU)

Background
The African Climate Foundation (ACF) is the first and only African-led climate change re-granting organisation on the continent. Through a combination of grant making, fellowships, transformational research, technical assistance, coalition building and advocacy the ACF seeks to support interventions at the nexus of climate change, and development that have the greatest potential to deliver long-term socio-economic transformation and inclusive development.

The JET PMU

The JET PMU operates as a high-impact delivery unit, driving the Just Energy Transition (JET) through strategic coordination, agile execution, and results-driven implementation. Focused on accelerating project pipelines, mobilising resources, problem solving and fostering collaboration, the PMU bridges policy and action.

About the role

As part of the MOU signed between the African Climate Foundation (ACF) and the Just Energy Transition Projects Management Unit (JET PMU); the ACF agreed to provide resources to the JET PMU to enable the JET PMU to fulfil its mandate pursuant to the JET PMU’s terms of reference. This includes the secondment of technical experts across all relevant disciplines to support the agenda of the JET PMU.

The Portfolio Lead: Electricity is responsible for finding innovative financing solutions to support the national electricity sector investment priorities set out in the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET IP). The focus of this role is on: (1) the large-scale investments required in the national electricity transmission grid; and (2) supporting implementation of the Accelerating Coal Transition Investment Plan (ACT IP) for the decommissioning, repowering, and repurposing of retiring coal fired power stations together with economic diversification and social support for communities and workers impacted by the closure of coal fired power stations. In addition, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has approved support to South Africa for the development of an Industrial Decarbonisation Plan, which the incumbent will help facilitate. The role requires expertise in infrastructure investment planning, financial structuring, public-private partnerships, funding mobilisation, and socio-economic development financing for a sustainable, just, and cost-effective electricity sector transition. The incumbent will collaborate with government departments, state-owned companies, the private sector, development finance institutions (DFIs), multi-lateral development banks (MDBs), civil society organisations, and trade unions to mobilise and drive innovative solutions in these key focus areas of South Africa’s energy transition. The ability to support the relevant institutions of state to build capacity for the long-term execution of these JET investments is a requirement of the role. The key institutional relationships are with the Department of Energy and Electricity (DEE) and Eskom. Supporting DEE to build JET planning, financing, and performance targets into its long-term institutional programmes, is a central focus of the incumbent’s work. The work of the JET Electricity Portfolio must be timeously integrated with the national JET Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and its reporting requirements, and the finance mobilised and deployed in the JET Electricity Portfolio must be accurately reflected in the JET Investments Register.

This role will be seconded to the JET PMU and will report to the Manager: JET Portfolios. The JET PMU will be responsible for managing, engaging with, and overseeing the Portfolio Lead: Electricity responsibilities and deliverables.

Key Deliverables:

Electricity Transition Strategy

• Lead the JET Electricity Portfolio as defined in the JET IP, ensuring alignment with relevant national policies and investment initiatives in the sector.
• Develop strategies and plans with DEE, Eskom, and NTCSA for capacity resourcing within key state institutions for the electricity sector transition.
• Conclude and manage the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DEE to support the development of DEE’s role and capacity as a lead institution for the JET electricity sector.
• Identify policy and regulatory barriers affecting power sector transition and provide recommendations.

Transmission Grid Investment Promotion

• Work closely with the DEE, Eskom, NTCSA and JET Financing Manager to mobilise financing and develop innovative financing structures for transmission grid investment.

Coal Power Station Decommissioning Resourcing

• Support the establishment and resourcing of the ACT IP Desk to ensure professional programme management of the ACT IP Multi-phase Approach 2026-2033.
• Work with the ACT IP Desk, Eskom, National Treasury, DEE, the DFIs, MDBs and other partners to ensure the success of the ACT IP in coal power station decommissioning, repowering, repurposing, and community development.
• Collaborate with the Manager: JET Financing in representing the JET PMU on the ACT IP Governance Steering Committee.
• In collaboration with the Manager: JET Financing, identify and mobilise further sources of financing to support the transition from coal power generation for the decade ahead.
• Monitor that JET investments in this work are deployed efficiently to both maximise social and economic benefits and security of energy supply.

Investment & Financing Support

In collaboration with the Manager: JET Financing,

• Identify funding sources for the electricity sector transition outlined in the JET IP, including blended finance options.
• Liaise closely with international partners to both plan and track the use of JET grants and concessional loans supporting the electricity sector transition.
• Liaise with all relevant stakeholders to mobilise financing, including grants, concessional loans, and commercial investments for transmission, the coal power plants decommissioning schedule, and industrial decarbonisation.

Project Pipeline Development

• Support the development of robust pipelines of electricity transition projects, ensuring alignment with JET investment priorities.
• Assist in sourcing technical assistance and funding where needed for project preparation in transmission grid investments, the coal plants’ decommissioning schedule, and industrial decarbonisation.
• Monitor progress and find resources to address bottlenecks in delivery.
• Coordinate with relevant institutions to achieve targeted outputs and outcomes.

Governance, Reporting & Risk Management

• Ensure governance frameworks and compliance requirements are met for all electricity transition JET initiatives.
• In collaboration with the Specialist: JET Investment Register, ensure that electricity transition investments by the public sector, the private sector, and international partners are accurately recorded in the JET Investments Register, updated regularly.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) for the Electricity Portfolio and prepare regular reports.
• Identify risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful execution of the electricity-related JET projects.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure that the JET Electricity Portfolio is monitored and evaluated within the JET Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
• Ensure that investments in the JET Electricity Portfolio are recorded accurately in the JET Investments Register.
• Provide regular progress reports to the Manager: JET Portfolios and suggest improvements based on feedback and performance metrics.

Candidate Profile: What You Bring

Education

• Master’s Degree: Finance, Economics, or a related quantitative field.

Experience & Track Record

• 10+ Years in Infrastructure/Energy Finance: Deep experience in power sector reform, development finance, and public-private partnerships (PPPs). Knowledge of industrial electricity requirements and decarbonisation options.
• Institutional Expertise: A history of successful collaboration with Eskom, Government Departments (DEE, NT), DFIs, and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).
• Financial Structuring: Demonstrated success in structuring large-scale infrastructure deals and managing blended finance mechanisms.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Expert-level understanding of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and South African electricity market regulations.

Core Competencies

• Energy Sector Specialist: In-depth knowledge of coal transition strategies, grid modernization, and renewable energy integration.
• Technical Literacy: Working knowledge of transmission technologies, network systems, and contracting models.
• Project Feasibility: Expertise in financial modelling, risk analysis, and project preparation for decommissioning and repowering.
• Utilise proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Microsoft Teams / SharePoint / OneDrive (Collaboration & Document Management).

Start date: Position available immediately

Location: South Africa

Contract duration: 12 months, consisting of 2 x 6-month renewable contracts

Closing date: 25 February 2026

For further information about the ACF, visit www.africanclimatefoundation.org.

Should you not hear back from us by 31 March 2026, please consider your application to be unsuccessful.

The ACF strives to be an equitable organisation with a team which reflects the diversity of Africa.

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