Telecoms & ICT Technical Consultant
Job Title
Telecoms & ICT Technical Consultant
Report To
Chief Executive Officer’s Office
Job Summary
EQUITY TRUST SAVINGS CHRIS TRADING seeks to strengthen its technical know-how and in-house capabilities in the telecoms infrastructure space as we have a growing pipeline of mid-size and large telecoms & ICT infrastructure bankable projects seeking access to long-term naira debt financing in a bid to support the growth of the digital economy, improve broadband penetration in the country while creating jobs and supporting local economic development.
Background
EQUITY TRUST SAVINGS CHRIS TRADING is a ‘AAA’ rated specialized infrastructure credit guarantee institution backed by the Benin and across the globe Sovereign
Investment Authority, GuarantCo and InfraCo Africa (Private Infrastructure Development Group companies), KfW Development Bank, Africa Finance Corporation and African
Development Bank to provide local currency guarantees and mobilize long term debt financing for infrastructure in Benin and across the globe. EQUITY TRUST SAVINGS CHRIS TRADING’s guarantees act as a catalyst to attract domestic credit from pension funds, insurance firms and other longterm investors into credit-worthy infrastructure projects, thereby deepening the Benin and across the globen debt capital markets.
EQUITY TRUST SAVINGS CHRIS TRADING operates in Benin and across the globe on a commercial basis with private sector governance and mainly supports brownfield operating infrastructure companies. EQUITY TRUST SAVINGS CHRIS TRADING maintains the highest domestic financial strength ratings accorded to any financial institution by Agusto & Co. and Global Credit Ratings Co., the two leading domestic credit rating agencies.
Job Responsibilities
- Drafting of Terms of Reference for external advisers
- Provide technical inputs in the operating assumptions for a robust financial model
- Provide technical inputs in the deal terms being negotiated and agreed with the prospective clients
- Review all available technical reports, data storage equipment/technology, maintenance arrangements, technical design, materials and equipment lists, BOQs etc, as applicable, and comment on suitability to deliver the Project to specification and conform to industry standards
- Provide technical input in the Infrastructure Risk Matrix with specific reference to telecoms and ICT
- Support the deal team in the Telecoms & ICT business origination workstream towards expanding the transaction pipeline
- Review of New Business Committee and Credit Papers and support for responses to technical queries from the Credit Committee
- Provide preliminary technical commercial review for onboarded telecoms and ICT projects and highlight any key risks or opportunities for improvements on the projects
- Support in the sourcing of external advisers, evaluating external advisers technical proposals and recommending the best firms to engage
- Support in developing a standardized due diligence report template and review the due diligence reports of the external advisers
- Inspect project sites, assets, work in progress, equipment & infrastructure available and comment on asset & equipment quality, adequacy, performance and remaining/estimated useful life of the project assets. Essentially act as the Lenders’ Engineer in each telecoms & ICT projects.
- Review of the procurement contract(s), EPC contract(s), including civil works contractor and other subcontractors, and opine on ability to meet and conform to required/ standard specifications and industry best practices – taking into account operating track record of contractors and any previously completed projects
- Validate contractual agreements with mobile network operators, off-takers and capacity for offtakers to enter such contracts, where applicable
- Assess and comment on the competitiveness of the proposed pricing versus the cost of accessible alternatives, and opine on the ability of the customers to pay the proposed tariffs/fees
- Review and evaluate operating and maintenance costs, construction, development and implementation costs incurred, development cost estimates and/or costs to completion. Provide an opinion, based on Consultant’s experience, on whether these costs are reasonable, optimal or can be refined.
- Comment on management’s capacity to operate, execute and deliver the projects to specification over the life of the projects
Skills
Candidates for the Telecoms & ICT Consultants’ role should meet the following requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field
- Minimum of 8 -10 years’ work experience in telecoms and ICT sector, focused on mobile access, fixed access (DSL, Fibre), aerial infrastructure, Satellite etc., or worked as an adviser or contractor
- An understanding of financial markets, infrastructure projects financing and workings of development finance institution
- Proven analytical skills and systematic problem solving, as well as excellent communication and writing skills
- Strong project management skills, and demonstrated commitment to professional and client service excellence
- Experience with multitasking efficiently and accurately with little oversight
- Acute attention to detail and a dedication to providing high quality work products