Role Overview

We are recruiting on behalf of a specialist renewable energy asset management business operating within a leading South African infrastructure investment ecosystem.

The company manages a portfolio of utility-scale wind and solar assets in operation under the REIPPP programme, with a track record of delivering disciplined asset management across complex, multi-party project structures.

The team is lean, highly capable, and operates with a level of professional rigour that reflects the seriousness of the assets they manage and the investors they serve.

This is an in-house Contracts Manager role supporting the full legal and commercial contracts function across the operational portfolio.

The role sits within the Asset Management function, reports to the Head of Asset Management, and carries direct responsibility for all contractual, legal, and regulatory obligations across the project companies.

It is an individual contributor position — suited to someone who wants genuine ownership, meaningful work, and proximity to decisions that matter.

Location: Century City, Cape Town. Hybrid working arrangement — 2 days WFH per week.

What You Will Do

• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including O&M Agreements, PPAs, EPC contracts, project finance and loan agreements, SLAs, land lease agreements, servitudes, and bespoke construction agreements.
• Advise on whether signatories are authorised to execute documents under applicable constitutional documents (MOI and equivalent), and whether execution is appropriate given project finance, lender, and risk requirements.
• Manage obligations and entitlements under O&M Agreements for operational wind and solar assets — monitoring contractor performance against contractual KPIs and SLAs, managing disputes, and overseeing warranty, performance guarantee, and defects liability processes.
• Manage corporate governance obligations across project companies and SPVs — including MOI compliance, board resolutions, shareholder resolutions, trustee resolutions, and trust administration. Liaise with CIPC and other regulatory bodies as required.
• Identify and advise on legal risk across the portfolio; navigate complex contracts to identify breaches of obligations and determine when step-in rights have been triggered.
• Provide clear, commercially grounded legal advice to the executive team and project boards — including boards where members may themselves be legal professionals.
• Maintain a contracts register across the portfolio with version control, expiry tracking, and obligation management.
• Manage the interface with external legal counsel on complex matters, ensuring instructions are focused and cost-effective.
• Be ready to step into a major contract negotiation at short notice when required.

What We're Looking For

Minimum requirements

• LLB degree from a recognised South African university.
• Admitted attorney (preferred; practical experience will determine whether this is a hard requirement).
• Minimum 3 years post-admission experience in a commercial contracts or legal advisory role.
• Demonstrable experience managing complex commercial agreements independently.
• Experience in REIPPP, renewable energy, or large civil infrastructure environments — preferred.

Preferred

• O&M Agreement management on an operational utility-scale renewable energy asset.
• Project finance compliance and lender interface experience.
• EPC lifecycle exposure from construction phase through to COD.
• Board-level reporting and corporate governance experience across project companies or SPVs.
• Experience reviewing and advising on project finance documents in a REIPPP context.
• Exposure to due diligence processes on renewable energy transactions.
• Candidates from large civil infrastructure (roads, dams, rail, power stations) with strong contracts management depth will be considered where REIPPP experience is limited.

What We Offer

An in-house role with genuine ownership, direct access to leadership, and the opportunity to work across two operational utility-scale renewable energy assets.

• Genuine autonomy — this is a functionally independent role with real ownership, not a support function.
• Direct exposure to complex, project-based legal and commercial work across a live REIPPP portfolio.
• Regular interface with senior leadership, lenders, and key project stakeholders.
• Exposure to ad hoc transactional and due diligence work as the portfolio grows.
• Flexible hybrid working arrangement — 2 days WFH per week.
• Support for further professional studies.
• Stable, long-term operating environment within an established infrastructure fund ecosystem.

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

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