Solarization Specialist – Technical Support for Energy Demand Assessments in selected Healthcare Centers in Guyana and Suriname

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a healthy life

UNICEF Guyana and Suriname | UNICEF Guyana & Suriname

How can you make a difference? 

Background & Rationale:

Solarizing healthcare centers offers a transformative approach to reaching children to receive primary healthcare, especially zero-dose children—those who have not received any routine vaccinations or other primary health services.Healthcare centers can ensure a reliable and sustainable power supply by harnessing solar energy, even in remote and underserved areas. Electricity is an important enabler and dramatically improves the quality, accessibility and reliability of healthcare services for children. There are positive correlations between electricity access and health outcomes. Healthcare centers with access to solar energy also support children and young people to receive primary healthcare and immunization services; enabling service continuity even during emergencies of lighting, heating, ventilation, clean water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services, especially in areas that are not connected to reliable electricity grids. In emergencies such as COVID- 19, electricity in healthcare centers is especially critical to treat patients, operate lifesaving medical devices, and to meet 24/7 cooling needs of the vaccine cold chain and other medicines.
Electricity access is crucial for quality healthcare but often overlooked. Solar energy offers a sustainable, low-carbon solution that benefits children and strengthens climate resilience. However, challenges remain due to limited data on energy demand, costs, delivery models, and long-term sustainability, particularly regarding operations and maintenance (O&M).

UNICEF is committed to scaling up sustainable energy integration into program priority areas (e.g. Health, WASH, and Education sectors) to accomplish positive social and climate benefits for children. UNICEF will support the solar demand assessment of selected primary health care centers in Guyana and Suriname and elaborate an investment case to support children in remote and hard to reach areas to improve access to primary healthcare services.

Purpose of this consultancy

The consultant will serve as the technical lead for efforts to conduct solarization (solar energy demand) assessments of about 100 facilities in Guyana and Suriname. The consultancy focuses on supporting the planning and implementation of these assessments while providing technical guidance, training, and contextual adaptation of assessment tools to the respective country contexts. The consultancy will also involve overseeing the consolidation, quality assurance, and analysis of field data collected from health facilities, and contributing to the preparation of country‑specific Solar Energy Demand Assessment reports. The findings and outputs will be integrated into a regional investment case, supporting evidence‑based decision‑making and resource mobilization for the solarization of healthcare facilities in the LAC region.

The incumbent will be under the supervision of the Suriname and Guyana Health Officers and will work in close coordination with the health and climate change team in the UNICEF Guyana and Suriname CO and the Center of Excellence in Panama to undertake energy demand assessments and pertinent analysis in Guyana and Suriname. 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

• Advanced university degree in relevant areas such as engineering, renewable energy, climate change finance/economics, environmental sciences/management/economics.
  Work experience 
  • A minimum of 7 years professional experience in renewable energy and finance (preferably in off grid energy access, solar sector) at global and/or regional levels required;
  • Working experience in energy demand