Senior O&M Engineer

The Senior O&M (Operations & Maintenance) Engineer will provide expert technical support to the Technical Shared Services teams and staff at various operational assets within the South African portfolio. This includes offering technical support for primary and secondary plant systems (e.g., Transformation, Protection, Switching, Sensing, Insulation, Voltage Support, Power Quality, Grounding and Bonding, Inverters/Converter systems). The role involves providing technical support during failures, leading engineering analysis to resolve technical issues, and potentially supporting the development of new operational assets. This role is also integral in supporting the Head of Operations in managing techno-commercial topics and supporting the operations team.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Management & Engineering:

• Provide technical support to the team as required.
• Identify project needs/gaps and define project scope in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
• Lead or assist in project management/execution.
• Provide expert support in troubleshooting and technical deep-dive interventions.
• Drive engineering-focused improvement initiatives.

Technical Support to Operating Assets:

• Provide specialist support for primary and secondary plant systems at operating plants.
• Offer advanced insights on equipment conditions using data collected through engineering systems.
• Identify and drive initiatives to reduce risk exposure to operating assets.
• Support improvement initiatives for maintenance plans and provide technical feedback.
• Compile key specifications and design standards for primary and secondary plant equipment.
• Lead incident investigations and manage major failures.
• Support advanced technical training.
• Serve as the engineering representative in relevant management committees.
• Drive audits for implemented technical initiatives or changes.
• Provide expert support on key critical systems/components and maintenance plans.
• Advisory/support on Root Cause Analyses (RCAs)/Notified Maximum Demand (NMD).
• Manage technical documentation, drawings, and configuration.
• Engage in internal and external stakeholder management.
• Support Advanced PI algorithm support related to Balance of Plant (BOP)/High Voltage (HV).
• Assist in managing substation automation systems.

Techno-Commercial Management:

• Lead on techno-commercial topics such as defect claims, curtailment disputes, Notified Maximum Demand (NMD) management, and end-of-warranty processes.
• Lead business negotiations and technical solutions, understanding key project agreements.
• Conduct risk and cost-benefit analysis of key techno-commercial decisions.

Change Management:

• Co-develop and support the Engineering change control system.
• Manage the technical document governance process.
• Drive the requirements for technical drawings and documentation updates.
• Manage the engineering specification input to guide spare parts and consumables obsolescence processes.

Business Development Support:

• Provide ad-hoc virtual and on-site technical support to new and existing projects.
• Apply learnings from the operational fleet to provide expert input to the Development Engineering team for new renewable facilities.
• Support the due diligence process for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, including site visits and detailed reports.
• Support the quality control process in terms of Site and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT).
• Participate in design reviews (value engineering).
• Support grid connection feasibility studies and Early Stage grid code design reviews.
• Review employer requirements.

Grid Code Compliance Support:

• Ensure grid code compliance for all operational assets.
• Manage internal and external stakeholders related to grid code compliance, including engagements with the National System Provider (NSP), Regional Transmission Operator (RETEC), and National Energy Regulator.

Additional Duties:

Any other duties assigned by the line manager, in line with the role.

Position Relationship

• Internal Relationships: Engagement with internal teams across various departments.
• External Relationships: Interaction with external stakeholders, suppliers, and regulatory authorities.