Director of Engineering

Role Overview

• Lead, develop, and mature the Engineering function as a centre of technical excellence supporting development, construction, and operations.
• Define and implement engineering standards, governance frameworks, and technical assurance processes across the portfolio.
• Act as the senior technical authority within the organisation, providing clear and defensible engineering recommendations to ExCo, Investment Advisory Committees, lenders, and partners.
• Build a high‑performance, engineering team in South Africa, with support from Globeleq UK office with appropriate use of external advisors.
• Monitor, forecast and manage engineering budgets within approved limits.
• Provide senior technical oversight during project origination and development, ensuring early‑stage decisions optimise long‑term value and risk profile.
• Oversee resource assessments, concept design, technology selection, yield analysis, grid integration studies, contracting strategy and cost estimates.
• Support commercial and business development teams with technically robust inputs to financial models, PPA negotiations, procurement and bid submissions.
• Lead or oversee technical due diligence for acquisitions, joint ventures, and project financing.
• Provide engineering leadership and governance during project execution, working closely with Project Directors, Project Engineering Managers and Owner’s Engineers.
• Ensure engineering designs are fit‑for‑purpose, constructible, and compliant with contract, lender, and regulatory requirements.
• Support EPC procurement strategies, technical specifications, tender evaluations, and contract negotiations.
• Act as senior escalation point for complex technical, interface, and design‑related issues during construction.
• Ensure engineering decisions made during development and construction translate into safe, reliable, and optimised operational assets.
• Oversee the engineering hand-over between construction and operations.
• Support Operations & Asset Management teams with technical expertise on performance optimisation, defect resolution, life‑extension strategies, and major modifications.
• Drive lessons‑learned feedback loops from operations into future project development and execution.
• Own the technical risk framework across the project lifecycle, ensuring risks are identified early and actively managed.
• Interface with lenders’ engineers, independent engineers, OEMs, EPC contractors, regulators, and shareholders.
• Ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, environmental and social requirements, and good international industry practice (GIIP).

Requirements

• Strong communication and relationship management
• Decisive, ethical, and diversity-minded leadership
• Planning and organizing with technical depth
• Commercial acumen and achievement focus
• People management and mentoring capability
• Presentation and executive communication skills

Benefits

• Degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Civil or similar).
• Professional registration (Pr Eng or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• 15+ years’ experience in power generation engineering, with demonstrable exposure across development, construction, and operations.
• Significant experience in renewable energy projects (wind, solar, BESS, hydro), with exposure to thermal generation advantageous.
• Proven leadership in senior engineering roles within IPPs, utilities, EPC contractors, or engineering consultancies.
• Extensive experience working on projects in Africa, preferably Southern and/or Eastern Africa, including greenfield and complex execution environments.
• Strong track record supporting project finance, lender due diligence, and investment decision‑making.
• Deep understanding of EPC contracting models (FIDIC and similar), OEM frameworks, and owner’s engineering responsibilities.