Job Description

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 the senior on-site management role at a utility-scale wind energy asset in the Eastern Cape.

The Plant Manager holds full operational accountability for the facility — from HSSE legal compliance and OEM contract management through to stakeholder reporting, budget management, and community engagement. It is an end-to-end ownership role, not a support or deputy function.

Location: Eastern Cape — primarily work-from-home with 1 to 2 days per week on site (approximately 1.5 hours from Port Elizabeth).

Candidates do not need to be based in PE specifically — any Eastern Cape location within consistent commuting reach of the site will be considered.

 

What You Will Do

• Hold the Section 16.2 appointment under the OHS Act — full legal accountability for the safe operation of all machinery and the safety of all personnel on site.
• Monitor and optimise wind turbine generator (WTG) fleet performance using SCADA data, condition monitoring systems, and daily OEM reporting — tracking Energy Availability Factor, Capacity Factor, and Performance Ratio.
• Manage the Nordex Maintenance and Service Agreement (MSA) as the primary O&M instrument; hold Nordex accountable to all contractual KPIs, performance guarantees, and SLA obligations.
• Manage all auxiliary service contracts — security, electrical BoP, civil BoP, vegetation management, and site facility maintenance.
• Prepare and present operational and technical reports for executive management, the project board, lenders, NERSA, and other statutory bodies on a monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc basis.
• Act as primary point of contact for the Eskom System Operator and Regional Control Centre — coordinate planned outages, manage curtailment instructions, and ensure grid stability compliance.
• Prepare and manage the annual CAPEX and OPEX budget; perform monthly Actual vs. Budget reconciliations with variance justification.
• Maintain proactive, in-person relationships with all landowners and community stakeholders in accordance with lease and servitude obligations.
• Oversee 24/7 site security, access control, and all HSSE compliance obligations including quarterly external audits and environmental compliance under the EA and EMPr.
• Direct the Site Supervisor — the permanent on-site presence — and provide leadership across all on-site personnel and contractors.

 

What We're Looking For

 

Minimum requirements

• Formal tertiary qualification in Engineering or a related technical discipline — BSc/BEng Mechanical or Electrical preferred; National Diploma with strong hands-on experience considered.
• Proven experience managing an OEM or external O&M service provider to contractual performance obligations at a utility-scale asset.
• Demonstrable Section 16.2 competency under the OHS Act — or clear evidence of operating at that level of accountability.
• Valid South African driver's licence and own transport.

Preferred

• Direct experience on a Nordex turbine fleet — intimate understanding of Nordex equipment and operational approach is a strong advantage.
• Experience on comparable utility-scale WTG platforms (Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, GE) will be considered where Nordex-specific experience is not available.
• REIPPP project experience — lender reporting, regulatory compliance, and Eskom system operator interface.
• Candidates from large conventional power generation (coal, gas, hydro) with strong operational discipline who have transitioned or are transitioning into wind will be considered.

 

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.

• Full operational ownership of a utility-scale REIPPP wind asset — not a support or deputy function.
• Primarily work-from-home with 1–2 days per week on site — meaningful site time without being site-bound.
• Direct board and lender interface — visible, high-accountability role with meaningful stakeholder relationships.
• Stable, long-term operating environment within an established infrastructure fund ecosystem.
• Competitive remuneration commensurate with experience and responsibility.
• Long-term asset with ongoing operational relevance — no commissioning uncertainty.

 

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.