JOB DESCRIPTION

Country HR Manager | Independent Power Producer | Johannesburg

Prepared by Energy Africa Recruitment | Confidential

Overview

Our client is an Independent Power Producer looking for a Country HR Manager to run HR in South Africa.

You set the country HR strategy with the Country Manager, keep the plants staffed with the right people, and hold a working relationship with NUMSA. You work to a dual reporting line, answering to the Country Manager locally and to the HR Director for Africa on the HR function. You lead one to two direct reports and two to three indirect reports.

The role is based in Johannesburg, with extensive travel to the Northern Cape as needed. It is open to South African citizens who meet BEE criteria.

What You'll Do

Strategy and reporting

• Build the country HR strategy with the Country Manager, in line with the regional HR strategy.
• Report to the Country Manager on what the HR team is doing, the problems it faces and how you are dealing with them.
• Keep the international HR and Administration Manager informed on local context, so the solutions that come back fit South Africa.

Team and budget

• Set objectives for your team, manage their performance, develop them and give them regular feedback.
• Help prepare the HR budget, track spend against it and act quickly when it runs off course.

Manpower planning and recruitment

• Assess the country's manpower needs with plant management and put manpower planning models in place.
• Oversee recruitment for each plant with the Recruitment Supervisor, so budgeted vacancies are filled with the right people.
• For new projects, build the manpower plan and organisation structure with the Country Manager and Regional HR, then run the recruitment drive.

Performance, reward and talent

• Run the performance management process in line with corporate policy.
• Advise line managers on day to day pay matters: salary adjustments, promotion increases and pay for performance.
• Identify talent in the country and work with the Talent Management function so training needs are met.

HR operations and administration

• Oversee monthly payroll so people are paid on time.
• Handle grievances and disciplinary matters, and deal with employee queries quickly.
• Keep employee records, leave and absence records accurate at country and plant level.
• Manage work permits, visas, licences and other government paperwork, and build working relationships with government officials.
• Run country administration: facilities, office management, transport, accommodation, catering and water supply at plant level.

Employee and industrial relations

• Lead negotiations with NUMSA and build a sound relationship with the union.
• Represent the company at the CCMA on disputes and dismissals.
• Escalate unresolved matters to Regional HR and see them through to resolution.

Policy and HSSE

• Roll out HR policies, procedures and controls across the country.
• Make sure your team follows health, safety, security and environmental policies.

What We're Looking For

• A bachelor's degree in Human Resources or equivalent.
• Ten years' experience in HR management.
• Experience working to a dual reporting line, with a local business head and a regional or group HR lead, and keeping both aligned.
• Experience reporting into a multicultural, international organisation, where the people you report to and work with sit across different countries and cultures. (preferable)
• Strong industrial relations knowledge and a sound grasp of South African labour law.
• An energy or mining background is preferred, otherwise large infrastructure, especially if you have worked closely with large unions.
• Negotiation skills that hold up with a union across the table and at the CCMA.
• You build relationships easily, communicate clearly and work well with people from all cultures.
• You plan well, stay organised and present with confidence.
• You understand the business value chain (commercial), not only the HR function.
• A working knowledge of people management systems and HR policy.

What We Offer

• A country HR role with a line into the Country Manager and the HR Director for Africa.
• A Johannesburg base with regular time on site in the Northern Cape.
• Medical Aid paid in full , pension and other solid company benefits unique to the SA RE market.

Contracts Manager

Role Overview

We are recruiting on behalf of an established South African independent power producer that develops, finances, builds, owns and operates renewable energy projects across solar, wind, hydro, hybrid and battery storage technologies. The business carries its projects from preferred bidder stage through financial close and construction into long-term operation, which places the contracts function at the centre of how project value is protected across the full asset lifecycle.

This is an in-house Contracts Manager role within the Legal Affairs function, supporting the Legal Counsel: Construction and Operations, and working alongside project managers during construction and facility managers during operations. You sit on the Employer and Owner side, not the contractor side. The purpose of the role is to make sure the company’s own contractual obligations are discharged, and that its rights are enforced against counterparties including EPC contractors, O&M contractors, offtakers, the grid access unit and government.

Location: Western Cape. Fixed-term contract.

What You Will Do

• Support the Legal Counsel from preferred bidder phase onwards through contract review and finalisation with contractors and other counterparties, including the drafting and negotiation of EPC contracts, O&M contracts and co-operation agreements, to facilitate financial close.
• Enforce the owner’s rights under the project agreements and project documents, including the Power Purchase Agreement, Implementation Agreement, Self-Build Agreement, Distribution Customer Use of System Agreement and the financing documents.
• Establish standard forms of contractual notices and communications so that rights are exercised consistently and on time across the portfolio.
• Review and challenge representations made by project and facility managers in the execution of their duties.
• Assist and guide the asset management team with the set-up and creation of the project obligations tracker, and with the establishment and maintenance of contractual record-keeping.
• Challenge and defend claims, change proposals and variations under the respective contracts, and draft the claims and contractual communications required in terms of the project documents.
• Escalate contractual matters immediately where the risk warrants it, keep the Legal Counsel updated on emerging and ongoing contractual risk, and advise on mitigation options and strategies.
• Provide assistance and advice across the full contractual cycle: owner and contractor claims, adjudications and determinations, pass-through claim communications and equivalent project relief, correspondence with counterparties, lenders and shareholders, review of contractor documentation, rejection notices, programme reviews, suspension notices, milestone reviews and payment applications, unit and facility completion notices, taking-over and final acceptance, notification of defects, variations, and contract termination.

What We’re Looking For

Minimum requirements

• LLB, BA (Law) or BCom (Law) preferred, with articles completed.
• At least 5 years’ post-qualification experience.
• At least 3 years’ experience in the drafting and negotiation of EPC and O&M contracts.
• At least 3 years’ experience in the administration of EPC contracts.
• At least 3 years’ experience in the administration of O&M contracts.
• At least 3 years’ experience in the administration of contracts on REIPPPP projects.
• Excellent written communication skills.

Preferred

• Familiarity with conciliation, mediation and arbitration processes.
• Presentation skills.

What We Offer

• An in-house role on the Employer and Owner side of renewable energy projects, not the contractor side.
• Exposure across the full project lifecycle, from preferred bidder and financial close through EPC construction and into long-term operations.
• Work across multiple technologies: solar, wind, hydro, hybrid and battery storage.
• Direct interface with the Legal Counsel, project and facility managers, lenders, shareholders and counterparties.
• Western Cape based.
• Market related package.

This role is being placed exclusively by Energy Africa Recruitment. To apply, visit www.careers.energy-africa-recruitment.com.

Should you not hear back from us within 14 days, your application has been unsuccessful.

Job Purpose:

The Portfolio Manager – Solar Projects is responsible for owner-side leadership, governance and hands-on delivery assurance across a defined portfolio of utility-scale Solar PV projects in South Africa, including integrated BESS where applicable.

The role supports projects starting from the transaction phase through execution, commissioning, handover and the Defects Liability Period.

The role is primarily portfolio-focused but may also directly perform project management responsibilities for selected projects where required, including transition from transaction into execution, onboarding of project and site management resources and direct coordination of key delivery activities of project(s) during Construction.

The role may include a mix of formal line management and functional coordination of Project Managers, as well as direct Project Management of projects depending on the organisational structure and project allocation.

1. General:

• Use reasonable endeavours to remain abreast with market and technological developments and to identify new technologies that may contribute towards the development of the Business and improvements in the Company;
• Foster and lead a corporate culture that promotes sustainable ethical practices, encourages individual integrity and fulfils social responsibility objectives and imperatives;
• Recommending policy and procedure improvements;
• Ensuring overall compliance to all the internal Policy and Procedures of the Company (IMS: Integrated Management System), including compliance with Corporate ESMS (Environmental, Social, Management System), IFC Standards and Equator Principles;
• Carry out duties in a proper, loyal and efficient manner to the best of their ability and at all times act in good faith and use their best endeavours to properly conduct, improve, extend, develop, promote, protect and preserve the business interests, reputation and goodwill of the Company and not do anything or engage in any activity which is or may become harmful or contrary to such interests;
• Immediately disclose to the Employer any information which comes to their knowledge, and which does, or may, lead to them not being lawfully able to perform their duties or responsibilities.
• Ensure a clear and consistent, approach is in place to manage risk across the project portfolio.

2. Development and Transaction Phase

• Support Business Development (Development and Transaction teams) to identify construction and operations risks in the early stage of the project development;
• Responsible for Budgeting and Scheduling to define the main technical assumptions that will be part of the financial model of the Owner;
• Support Transaction team during the financing due diligence, including responsibility for technical due diligence (Lender Technical Advisor, etc.);
• Ensure a project budget, incorporating the necessary soft and hard costs, is developed and agreed with the Owner’s shareholders;
• Support the Strategic Procurement team with procurement of contractors (EPC Contractor / BOP Contractors / Equipment Suppliers / Design Consultants / etc. as the case may be for IPP and EPC roles) during the Transaction phase. This includes generation of Requests for Proposal (RFPs), with the necessary technical and commercial schedules; evaluation of proposals with SP Team, PTFC Team and E&C Team; negotiation of commercial terms; and finalisation of contracts for execution supported by the Legal team;
• In coordination with E&C Team and other relevant members of PCM Team, manage preparation of technical documents, plans and applications, including in relation to grid connection (e.g. Budget Quote), environmental approvals and preliminary project designs.
• Procure and manage early works on the project site during the Transactions phase;
• Align relevant assumptions, strategies and details across different projects within the portfolio of responsibility defined by the Head of PCM – Solar.

3. Execution Phase (Construction)

• During the Execution Phase, the Portfolio Project Manager is either directly (as Project Manager) or indirectly (as Portfolio Manager) responsible and accountable for managing the following aspects of a project or a portfolio of projects in an integrated manner to achieve project objectives: scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, procurement, risks, communication, and stakeholder engagement.
• For projects in the defined portfolio, supervise and coordinate all responsibilities of allocated Project Managers and ensure management, decision-making and escalation in accordance with Company policies and procedures.
• When required, undertake all responsibilities of the Project Manager role as outlined below in case project management responsibilities are not allocated to dedicated Project Managers.
• Ensuring overall compliance to the Corporate ESMS (Environmental, Social, Management System) IFC Standards and Equator Principles as well as applicable laws of relevant jurisdictions, including South Africa.
• Ensure that effective Health, Safety and Environmental process and systems are in place.
• Support the Asset Management team, when required, on other signed agreements (i.e.: CTA Agreement with the banks, etc.) and particularly to ensure the project obligations in terms of the loan agreement (CTA) are monitored and managed to ensure it remains fulfilled on an ongoing basis.
• Respect compliance of the Economic Development obligations under the Project Agreements.
• Manage the project team (Project Manager/s, Project Engineer, Construction Manager, Site Superintendent, Health and Safety Manager, Environmental Manager, Quality Manager, Commissioning Manager, etc.…) before, during, and after the construction phase.
• Ensure that the project is going to be designed and built-in in accordance with the applicable legislation and all relevant permits (EIA, EMPr, water authorization, building permits, etc.….).
• Ensure that the relationships with landowners and the local community is properly managed.
• Perform on-site inspections for quality of workmanship, quality of materials, conformity with plans & specifications, code compliance, on-site safety, project schedule vs progress, and general progress of the construction project.
• Attend, or conduct, periodic construction progress meetings with the contractors. These meetings should include discussions with respect to potential or pending change orders, problems, schedule, budget, requests for information, and any other areas of interest.
• Ensure all lien/claim releases are executed.
• Monitor the project schedule (“Programme”) throughout the process, report deviations and variances, and assist in developing alternate methods for corrective action.
• Assess impacts to the critical path and near-critical activities and report to the project team and shareholders.
• Assist and coordinate with the Asset Manager the management of the Management Services Agreement to ensure the Company and its stakeholders remains compliant with the signed contract with the Associated Company
• Issue internal reports to the Company as well as a periodic Reports to the relevant stakeholders by highlighting progress, risks and opportunities and any other main information pertinent to the project.

Minimum Educational Qualifications:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Quantity Surveying or a related field.
• Professional registration or recognised project management / construction management accreditation (for example SACPCMP, ECSA, PMP or similar) will be advantageous.

Minimum Previous Experience:

• Compulsory: demonstrated experience in utility-scale Solar PV project development and execution on the owner, IPP, developer, owner’s engineer or equivalent side.
• Preferred: minimum 10 years’ experience in major engineering or infrastructure projects, including meaningful exposure to construction delivery and project controls.
• Preferred: minimum 5 years’ experience in renewable generation projects, including exposure to transaction support, construction readiness, execution, commissioning and handover in South Africa.

Other Skills:

• Strong owner-side project and portfolio management capability across schedule, cost, risk, quality, governance and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including clear reporting to senior management and external stakeholders.
• Strong planning, prioritisation and decision-making capability, with the ability to work independently and manage multiple projects in parallel.
• Ability to coordinate across multidisciplinary teams and build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Sound commercial awareness and ability to interpret contracts, project risks, delivery obligations and compliance requirements.
• Good understanding of utility-scale Solar PV project development, construction, commissioning, handover and Defects Liability Period requirements in South Africa
• Leadership capability suited to a role that may include both formal line management and functional coordination of Project Managers.
• Travel as required to project sites and stakeholder meetings.

JD-BD Officer（新项目开发专员）

Position Title: Business Development Officer
Department: Planning & Development
Reports To: BD Coordinator & Head of Planning & AM

1. Role Purpose

The BD Officer supports the identification, assessment, and documentation of new renewable energy opportunities in South Africa. The role includes market research, data collection, preliminary project evaluation, and administrative support for development activities.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Market & Policy Research

• Conduct ongoing tracking of IRP updates, REIPPPP developments, and Eskom grid expansion trends.
• Prepare periodic market intelligence reports and competitor analyses.

B. New Project Sourcing

• Identify potential wind/solar sites and development partners.
• Initiate contact with RE project developers where appropriate.
• Collect site-related information (GIS, technical data, environmental constraints).

C. Preliminary Project Assessment

• Assist with early-stage feasibility checks.
• Gather wind/solar resource data, land rights information, and environmental constraints.
• Support grid enquiry submissions and information requests.
• Assist the project developer(s) with administration of the project management work package, including project governance, stakeholder engagement, scope definition, cost control, risk management, quality, procurement, communications, health, safety, security, sustainability, environment considerations, as well as schedule & coordinate meetings, prepare agendas, take minutes, and follow up on action items, establish project data rooms, maintain documentation, timeline schedules, and trackers.

D. Documentation & Admin Support

• Prepare project folders, presentations, and screening reports.
• Assist BD Coordinator with data formatting, approvals documentation, and internal submissions.
• Support Project Development team in Development stage on Compliance Programme requirements, such as Third-party anti-corruption due diligence processes, implementation of mitigation measures, and annual audit responses.
• Assist in collaboration with legal team, in administering the Project Development and related contracts, (i.e. each contract’s deliverables, key milestones, action tracker).
• Maintain development document filing system.
• Compile and contribute to professional PowerPoint slide
• Coordinate the processing of PD’s travel arrangements, and timeous expense claims as per the Companies policies and procedures.
• Record management of team meetings

3. Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in renewable energy, Business Administration, engineering, Project Management, or related fields.
• 2-4 years relevant experience welcome.
• Ability to conduct research, prepare reports, and work with GIS tools (advantage).
• Strong analytical ability and interest in the renewable energy sector.
• Prior exposure to REIPPPP bid preparation will be considered a strong asset but is not compulsory.

4. Competencies

• Research skills
• Analytical thinking
• Strong communication & writing ability
• Good teamwork & willingness to learn
• Ability to work independently on defined tasks

JD-Asset Management Coordinator/Analyst（资产管理专员/数据分析）

Position Title: Asset Management Coordinator/Analyst
Department: Asset Management
Reports To: Asset Manager (functional) & Head of Planning & AM (overall)

1. Role Purpose

This position ensures complete and accurate compliance reporting for the operational wind farms, manages documentation and data systems, supports the preparation of reports and assists with certain tasks related to development projects.

2. Activates & Key Responsibilities

Activities

This is a skilled position that requires strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving abilities to support the Asset Management team and other project teams. The role involves conducting research, analysing data, and preparing reports, while proactively identifying and mitigating potential risks throughout all stages of the project development lifecycle, as well as pinpointing opportunities for improvement and optimisation.

Key Responsibilities

A. Compliance Reporting & Documentation

• Prepare all Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual AM Reports.
• Support the submission of operational reports as required by the project.
• Assist in preparing lender PCR/DSR/Borrower Reports.
• Maintain compliance checklists, registers, and evidence folders.
• Prepare and maintain project documentation, including reports, presentations, and meeting minutes.

B. Data Management & Analysis

• Compile operational data analysis at SPV level (generation, availability).
• Assist the AM manager in checking ED/SED documents before submission.

• Support modelling for performance deviations, leverage your experience working with data to consolidate and extract results for informed decision-making and recommendations.

• Financial Modelling: Support the development and maintenance of operational model, monitoring, analysis and assessment of all payments of the plant against the financial model and approved budgets and implement optimisation strategies.
• Review production reports to identify issues and take preventative and corrective action to remedy issues.
• Perform ad hoc analysis and produce monthly/quarterly/annual management and plant performance reports and presentations as and when necessary.

C. Contract & Governance Administration

• Maintain document archives for O&M, SBO, land leases, insurance, and SPV governance.
• Track contract milestones, payments and expiry dates.
• Drafting contracts, service agreements etc. as required by the Department need.
• Support preparation of Board Packs and AGM documents.

D. Development Support

• Assist with data collection, policy documentation, and filing for new project development.
• Research and Information Gathering: Conduct research to support project planning and decision-making.
• Support BD Coordinator and BD Officer on administrative or documentation tasks when required.

3. Qualifications & Experience & Requirement

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, finance, legal or related field.
• 2–4 years experience in compliance, reporting, or technical documentation.
• Experience in renewable energy preferred.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills.
• Willingness to travel.

4. Competencies

• High attention to detail
• Strong organisational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively communicate with stakeholders.
• Ability to manage deadlines and multi-task
• Strong teamwork & communication

JD-Asset Manager（项目资产管理经理）

Position Title: Asset Manager
Department: Asset Management (under Planning & Development)
Reports To: Head of Planning & Asset Management
Supports: Development team (technical input)

1. Role Purpose

The Asset Manager is responsible for the full operational oversight and performance management of Longyuan SA’s two wind farm SPVs. This role ensures compliance with all regulatory, contractual, and lender requirements, manages all external stakeholders, and supports technical assessments for new projects.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Operational Management of Wind Farms

• Monitoring of generation performance, availability, and SCADA events.
• Primary interface with O&M team, SBO, and other contractors.
• Review maintenance reports, major component replacement plans, and technical incidents.
• Assist with annual maintenance planning and performance review meetings.

B. Grid & Eskom Coordination

• Communicate with Eskom OCC/ROC regarding outages, alarms, curtailment, and grid events.
• Track and report grid code compliance matters.
• Support technical investigation of plant performance deviations.

C. Compliance & Reporting

• Provide operational input to IPPO, NERSA, lender, and insurance reports.
• Cooperate with external ED/SED consultants and environmental consultants.
• Ensure full contract compliance (O&M, land lease, insurance, PPAs, etc.).
• Reporting: Manage and where required, compile stakeholder report distributions to ensure compliance with the requirements of the project agreements (e.g. finance agreements, AMA, PPA, IA, etc.).
• Manage and support the social development program including meeting each assets Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development obligations.
• conducting analyses of project annual budget deviation.
• Manage project insurance activities.

D. Corporate Governance

• Prepare and present SPV operational sections for AGM, Board Meetings, Shareholder Meetings.
• Maintain SPV documentation, statutory records, and compliance registers.
• Coordinate with auditors during technical audits and insurance inspections.

E. Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Serve as the main point of contact for lenders, shareholders, IPPO, contractors, landowners, project advisors and consultants.
• Handle escalations and resolve multi-party coordination issues.

F. Support to Development Team

• Provide technical evaluation support for new projects.
• Review plant design assumptions, grid layouts, and operational risk assessments.

3. Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Renewable Energy, or similar.
• 5+ years experience in South African operational asset management of renewable energy projects.
• Practical knowledge of Eskom grid operations and wind farm O&M.
• Familiarity with SCADA, reliability analysis, and performance KPIs.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication experience.
• Evidence of managing stakeholder relationships at this level required with senior relationships in the REIPPPP industry (e.g. IPP office, lenders, etc.)

4. Competencies

• Strong technical understanding
• Problem-solving & incident investigation skills
• Organisational and multi-tasking ability
• Good communication with regulators and partners
• Report writing & analytical skills
• Willingness to travel.