Job Purpose
The Cluster Coordinator is the primary point of contact for mini-grid site operations across an assigned cluster. This role bridges commercial performance and community impact driving energy access growth through sales, customer engagement, and community development, while also serving as a business advisor to the operations and technical team. The Cluster Coordinator is expected to analyse site-level performance, co-develop business plans with local operators, unlock productive use of energy (PUE) and develop/expand connection growth opportunities across both commercial and household segments.
Key Responsibilities
Site Performance Analysis & Business Advisory
- Regularly analyse site-level data on connections, revenue, load factor, arrears, and PUE uptake
- Co-develop a structured business plan for each site in the cluster, covering connection growth targets (household and commercial), PUE opportunity mapping, revenue improvement levers, and operational risk mitigation
- Identify underperforming sites, prepare diagnostic reports with root-cause analysis, and own the recovery plan — escalating to the Head of Mini-Grids where decisions exceed cluster-level authority
- Track and report on site KPIs against plan, flagging variances with recommended corrective actions
- Lead local operators in prioritising their commercial activities and coaching them on customer acquisition, retention, and appliance financing
- Provide input into site feasibility updates and demand-side assessments to inform capacity or service expansion decisions
Community Development & Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and sustain trusted relationships with community leaders; chiefs, village headpersons, ward councillors, and local authority structures
- Facilitate the formation and ongoing functioning of local Energy User Committees, ensuring communities have a structured voice in service design and grievance resolution
- Lead community sensitisation and education campaigns on energy products, tariff structures, appliance use, and the productive potential of reliable electricity
- Identify and support community anchor institutions (schools, health posts, agro-processors, SMEs) that can serve as PUE demonstration sites and catalysts for broader uptake
- Coordinate with local NGOs, cooperatives, and government extension services to align energy access work with wider rural development programmes
- Document community feedback systematically and feed insights back to the product and commercial teams at HQ
Sales, Productive Use of Energy (PUE) & Commercial Growth
- Drive new household and commercial connections across cluster sites to meet volume and revenue targets
- Market and sell energy-efficient appliances and productive use machines (milling, irrigation, refrigeration, lighting) to existing and prospective customers
- Identify and develop commercial customer segments (agro-businesses, SMEs, institutions) and develop tailored connection and usage plans for each
- Lead credit assessments for customer loan portfolios and manage risk within cluster, escalating as required
- Manage customer contract processes end to end, from onboarding through to post-connection support
- Drive after-sales service quality in partnership with the call centre and technical teams, monitoring satisfaction and retention metrics
Cluster Administration & Reporting
- Manage general administration of all sites within the cluster, including documentation, asset tracking, and compliance with operational standards
- Prepare timely and accurate cluster progress reports covering commercial performance, community engagement, PUE pipeline, and risk flags
- Coordinate field survey activities including demand assessments, baseline surveys, and feasibility study inputs
- Supervise and coach Local Operators (LOs), acting as the key link between site-level teams and the business
- Ensure adherence to IEA policies, safeguarding standards, and health and safety requirements across all cluster activities
Qualifications & Experience
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Rural Development, Agricultural Economics, Community Development, or a related field
- Minimum 4 years of relevant experience combining at least two of: rural sales or business development, community development or extension work, SME advisory, microfinance, or agribusiness
- Demonstrated ability to read and interpret business or operational data and translate findings into practical recommendations
- Experience working with off-grid, rural, or underserved market segments
- Valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel regularly within the cluster
- Computer literate, with working proficiency in Excel or equivalent tools for data analysis and reporting
Preferred Experience
- Prior exposure to productive use of energy (PUE) programmes, solar home systems, or mini-grid operations
- Experience facilitating community structures such as cooperatives, user committees, or savings groups
- Familiarity with business planning or financial modelling at SME or community enterprise level
- Prior work with development finance, grant-funded rural programmes, or government rural electrification schemes
Skills & Attributes
- Strong analytical thinking - can synthesise site data into actionable insights without being prompted
- Natural communicator and community builder - equally comfortable presenting to a village chief, Senior Govt Officials
- Commercially driven with genuine commitment to energy access and rural development
- Self-directed and organised - manages a dispersed portfolio of sites with minimal supervision
- Coaching mindset - develops the capability of teams, not just personal targets
- Resilient and adaptable in remote and resource-constrained environments
- High integrity in customer credit assessment and community trust relationships
Languages
- English (required)
- Local languages predominantly spoken across Eastern Province mini-grid sites — Nsenga, Chewa, and/or Nyanja (required)
Due Date for Applications is 21 May 2026
Ignite Access Zambia Limited is an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. All applications are screened based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without any regard to origin, age, name, sexual identity, orientation or preference, religion, marital status, health, disability, political opinions, union involvement or citizenship. Our differences are our strengths!
