Program Fellow

Organization: Potential Energy 

Email: jessica@potentialenergy.org

Website: www.potentialenergy.org 

Title: Program Fellow

Reports to: Fellowship Coordinator

Location: Kampala, Uganda, or remotely anywhere in the world

Length of Assignment: 1-12 months

Suggested start dates: Any

Positions Open: 12

If interested: Send resume and cover letter to jessica@potentialenergy.org

About the Position: We are currently seeking motivated, passionate, hard-working individuals to join us as Potential Energy Program Fellows in a wide range of areas. Fellows may choose which aspects of work they would like to contribute to, and whether they can work remotely, or join us in Uganda. We tailor the program to the fellows, to make it as relevant as possible.

About Us: Founded in 2007, Potential Energy is a social enterprise based out of Kampala, Uganda that works to increase the adoption of improved cookstoves in developing countries, to alleviate poverty and protect the environment.

Background on the Problem:  

Cooking on inefficient, traditional open fires is the leading environmental cause of death in the world. Preparing 3 meals a day over an open fire – a common practice in the developing world  – is the equivalent of smoking 200 cigarettes, every single day. Yet, 3 billion people cook their  daily meals over an open fire, creating pollution that kills 4.3 million people each year.  Traditional fires waste fuel, contribute to deforestation, release carbon into the atmosphere,  and waste money and time. In Sub-Saharan Africa, it is not uncommon for families to spend a  large portion of their income – sometimes up to 30%, on cooking fuel, perpetuating the cycle of  poverty.  

Impact to date: 

Distributed over 66,000 cookstoves in Africa/Asia impacting the lives of 300,000 people, saving 750,000 tons of carbon, $17 million in firewood expenses, and over 2,000 hours.

Areas of Work:

(Fellow can choose based on interests and does not need to fill all roles, just some!)

Graphic Design

·     Design marketing materials including fliers, brochures, posters, t-shirts, umbrellas, tents, signs and stove box

·     Make updates and improvements to the website

Photography and Videography

·     Take photos of our clients, stoves, work and team for the website and to use in pitching to investors and clients

·     Make short documentary videos of the impact of our work

 User Studies & Data Management

·     Assist in conducting a field study on rural and urban stove usage. Compile data and assist in report writing

 Admin & Logistics

·       Make improvements to finance, admin, HR and inventory procedures and documents

 Communications

·     Write monthly newsletter, blog posts, and daily social media posts geared towards partners, customers and donors

·     Gather stories for website, profiling customers explaining PE’s social impact

·        Assist with email marketing outreach to leads, researching organizations and crafting tailored email to develop partnerships and identify collaboration opportunities

·       Update CRM with email marketing information and collaborate with the Sales/Partnership team to identify next steps. 

Sales & Marketing

·     Research organizations, supermarkets, businesses, and farmer’s groups for potential partnerships

·     Assist in creating training materials for marketers

·     Train staff in marketing tools and assist in direct marketing campaigns in select markets in Kampala, to improve marketing skills and performance of marketing team

·      Assist with SEO research to expand awareness and reach of the organization, creating recommendations, iterating based on current trends 

Fellowship Coordination 

·      Assist in the expansion of our fellowship program by providing recommendations and insight into how the program is run

·      Create training materials and potentially identify fellow/staff for handoff prior to the end of your fellowship of any special tasks of skills

·      Collaborate with other fellows to organize and share workload

·      Organize onboarding and training materials for future fellows

·      Work to get trainees up to speed and train a replacement to allow for program continuation 

Training and Development

·      Assist in writing grant proposals, budgets, pitch decks, and financial modeling

·      Build out capacity and formalized training programs

·      Develop expertise and advise on AI use for grant proposals

·      Utilize special skills or knowledge to train the team in Uganda or other fellows (Each fellow is expected to host a training at some point during their time working for PE)

 Desired Skills Qualifications:

·     Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize work

·     Attention to detail and problem-solving skills

·     Excellent written and verbal communication skills

·     Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask

·     Ability of work well in a team and independently

·     Strong desire to learn from and help others

·     Experience in any relevant area such as production, operations, sales, customer service, admin, HR, finance, or communications. 

·     Proficiency in MS Excel and MS PowerPoint

Benefits and Compensation: 

∙       Assistance in finding suitable housing 

∙       Personal and professional development  

∙       Experience working and learning about the energy sector  

∙      Opportunity to contribute to changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of people 

Keywords: clean cookstoves, social impact, marketing in the base of the pyramid, environment 

About Kampala: 

Near the banks of Lake Victoria, Kampala, the capital of Uganda, is a lively city with a long  history. Before the British, the city was the capital of the Buganda Kingdom, and remains so to  this day. In addition to the Buganda, over 40 other tribes live peacefully together Uganda, each with their own languages, although English is a national language and widely spoken. 

Kampala is home to expats from all over the world working in the agricultural, health, energy,  education and human rights sectors. In fact, in 2017 it was rated one of the best places for  expats to live by Lonely Planet. Activities often enjoyed in or near Kampala include rafting the  Nile, gorilla or chimpanzee trekking, many safari destinations, hiking, climbing, mountain biking,  sailing on Lake Victoria, and enjoying the numerous farmer’s markets, restaurants and bars  offering a range of food from Greek to Japanese. Previous fellows have enjoyed white water  kayaking on the Nile, hiking in Murchison Falls National Park, and climbing with the Mountain  Club of Uganda just down the hill from our office. 

Kampala is known for its friendly, entrepreneurial people, and perfect climate ranging in  temperatures from 60’s to mid 80’s year-round. You might get caught in an afternoon  thunderstorm during the rainy season, but there are numerous cafes available where you can  wait out the storm with an African tea or coffee. Boda bodas or motorbike taxis offer  convenient and quick access to any part of the city. Kampala is considered one of the safest  cities in Africa and Ugandans generally have a high regard for foreigners working in  development.