The New Zealand – Maluku Access to Renewable Energy Support (NZMATES) phase 2

Mercy Corps Indonesia (MCI) is a local Indonesian non-profit organization, which will implement humanitarian, and development assistance programs throughout the country. MCI’s mission is to empower people in Indonesia to become healthy, productive, and resilient communities. Resilience means an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

Program Summary

The New Zealand – Maluku Access to Renewable Energy Support (NZMATES) phase 2 aims to accelerate renewable energy (RE) development to improve access to energy in Maluku and North Maluku provinces. The five-year program is funded by the New Zealand Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is implemented by renewable energy company GHD. in partnership with Mercy Corps Indonesia. NZMATES is working towards promoting and accelerating the identification of renewable energy projects and increasing their attractiveness and viability, social and environmental assessments, technical considerations, and triggering and facilitating investment and funding from government, private sector, or other donors.

NZMATES has partnered and collaborates closely with PLN, EBTKE, Dinas ESDM, and BAPPEDA on increasing the use of renewables and improving energy access through grid-connected and off-grid RE projects. The NZMATES Team is based in Ambon and provides support to fill gaps in knowledge, resources, and research, and that projects are aligned with the Government of Indonesia and community development framework and objectives. The proposed support for RE projects includes assistance with project identification and appraisal, technical and social assessments, finance matching, and project design to strengthen long-term sustainability. NZMATES is also intended to enhance local public and private sector capacity and offer opportunities for direct training, technical exchange programmes, and interaction between Maluku and North Maluku educational institutions and NZ renewable energy specialists.

Ambon, Indonesia

DEPUTY MANAGER – TECHNICAL (DMT) – NZMATES

General Position Summary

The Deputy Manager – Technical (DMT) NZMATES is part of the NZMATES Programme Management team, providing leadership to the technical team and support and oversight of all technical assistance deliverables.  Your management skills and experience will enable you to manage one Senior Renewable Energy Technical Specialists (SRETS) and three Renewable Energy Technical Specialist (RETS) to produce high-quality studies, designs, specifications, training materials and other deliverables to support NZMATES assistance to partners EBTKE, PLN, Dinas ESDM and educational institutions in Maluku. This position collaborate with Deputy Manager – Programme to provide support to Senior Programme Manager ensuring smooth implementation of NZMATES phase 2.

Essential Job Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership & Engineering Quality Assurance

• Project Pipeline Strategy: Strategise, plan, and manage the pipeline of grid-connected and off-grid renewable energy projects in collaboration with PLN and Dinas ESDM.
• Deliverable Approval: Review, critique, and approve all engineering deliverables—including technical feasibility studies, project designs, and grid interconnection studies—prior to partner submission.
• Standards & Tools Customization: Develop and improve technical assessment methodologies, multi-criteria analysis tools, and modelling processes tailored to the Maluku context.
• Engineering Design Oversight: Oversee the preparation of accurate project budgets, cost estimations, functional specifications, equipment selection, and Bills of Materials (BOM).
• Sustainability & Cross-Cutting Integration: Ensure long-term technical, financial, and operational business models incorporate social equity, gender inclusion, and human rights guidelines.
• Reporting & Transparency: Maintain regular technical progress reports and dashboards, ensuring the Senior Programme Manager is continuously kept posted on project pipeline milestones, engineering risks, and delivery timelines

2. Team Management & Engineering Collaboration

• Management Alignment: Work closely with the Senior Programme Manager to provide input for high-level programme decision-making, ensuring that technical team performance goals directly support broader management targets.
• Technical Team Supervision: Manage, mentor, and evaluate the performance of 1 SRETS and 3 RETS to foster a high-performing engineering culture.
• Socio-Technical Alignment: Facilitate daily collaboration with the Community Engagement team to integrate community inputs and social insights into engineering designs.
• Expert Liaison Management: Act as the primary technical bridge between the local NZMATES engineering team and external GHD senior engineering specialists.

3. Strategic Stakeholder Management & Capacity Building

• Technical Representation: Serve as the senior technical representative to maintain high-trust, collaborative partnerships with PLN (MMU & Pusat), Dinas ESDM, EBTKE, and private sector RE developers.
• Institutional Training: Design, lead, and support targeted technical training and knowledge exchange programs for government staff, utility engineers, and local educational institutions.

4. Risk Management, Health, Safety & Security (HSS)

• Technical Risk Mitigation: Conduct rigorous engineering gap analyses and field safety risk assessments to proactively develop project mitigation strategies.
• HSS Leadership: Establish a proactive safety culture within the technical team, ensuring strict adherence to GHD and YMCI health, safety, and field movement protocols.

5. Financial and Resource Management

• Support and review budget forecast activities and seek advise from SPM for resource allocation.
• Assist in identifying funding opportunities and managing contractor programs.

6. Strategy, Regional Systems, & Regional Support

• Support work with the regional senior leadership team to develop and support the regional strategy.
• Assist support services and risk management resources to enable country and regional leadership teams to execute their respective strategic priorities.
• Support the development and administration of regional and country-level reports on key finance, operations, and human resources indicators.
• Support the measurement and analysis of regional key performance indicators to inform strategic decision-making.
• Ensure that effective systems are in place in all country offices for the adequate management of human resources, financial, and operational field support functions.
• Support review and country team adherence to Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Capture and disseminate best practices on operations, finance, and HR systems across country teams to ensure highest quality and standards.
• Provide dedicated support to country teams in the event of an emergency or startup of a complex program that requires additional resources.
• Engage and support countries across the region to ensure that adequate risk management systems are in place.
• Support collaboration with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.
• Support the SPM and country teams on the internal audit process to track findings and ensure country team compliance with IA findings and recommendations.
• Engage with country-level Ethics and Assurance managers as well as the global Ethics and Assurance department to track and analyse trends and needs across countries.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations relevant to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps, including respect for the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication within their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns through reporting mechanisms, e.g., the Integrity Hotline and other options.

Knowledge and Experience

• Education: Relevant tertiary degree (engineering or similar) with a Renewable Energy specialisation is highly desirable.
• Professional Experience: At least 7 years of progressive experience in renewable energy development programs, including hands-on renewable energy engineering (Solar PV, Hydro, and other RE technologies).
• Sector Experience: Proven experience working with international humanitarian or development organizations (NGOs or other international development agencies).
• Stakeholder Management: Demonstrated experience collaborating directly with Indonesian government agencies (e.g., Dinas ESDM, EBTKE, PLN) and diverse stakeholders at various political and institutional levels.
• Technical Software & Literacy:
• Functional knowledge of specialized RE software: Homer, PVSyst, PSS Sincal, and SAM.
• Proficient in MS Excel and advanced analytical tools.
• Computer literacy in MS Word, MS Project, PowerPoint, and general internet use.
• Project & Team Leadership: Strong project management knowledge and skills, with a track record of successfully managing and supervising technical staff from various professional backgrounds.
• Partnership Building: Capable of building constructive and productive partnerships with representatives from government bodies, private industry, media outlets, and civil society organizations.
• Language Skills: Professional English fluency in speaking is required, combined with strong English writing skills and direct experience in drafting high-quality donor reports.
• Soft Skills & Work Attitude:
• Ability to work independently, take full ownership, and maintain strict accountability for tasks.
• High initiative and a strong proactive attitude necessary to effectively manage and drive an evolving, iterative programme.
• Creative mindset to advance program goals, paired with flexible, open-minded, and strong leadership qualities to guide, support, and continuously improve team performance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills within complex, multi-disciplinary teams.
• HSS Compliance: Thorough understanding of good Health, Safety, and Security (HSS) standards, procedures, and protocols.
• Mobility: Candidate must be fully willing and able to travel regularly to various field program locations.
• This role is open to all qualified applicants. Women and individuals from Maluku are especially encouraged to apply.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Ambon and it requires up to 50% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.  Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Team Engagement and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and a cover letter explaining how their qualifications and experience align with the responsibilities of this position through the following link:

https://bit.ly/4xchlbC

By applying for this position, applicants attest that they have never violated any policy related to sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), child safeguarding, or human trafficking, and have never been disciplined for violating an employer’s code of conduct.

Applications will be accepted until 18 September 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.

We encourage qualified candidates who are interested in this opportunity to apply and look forward to receiving your application.

Thank You,

Human Resources Department

Mercy Corps Indonesia