Engineering Manager, Telecom Solutions at CrossBoundary Energy (CBE)

CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) is the leading provider of clean, renewable, reliable, and affordable electricity directly to businesses. According to World Bank data, access to reliable and affordable electricity is the most significant constraint on economic growth on the continent. CBE addresses this challenge by providing corporates with fully financed renewable power. Through this approach, we are building a disruptive, distributed, renewable utility that can unlock sustainable growth.

We are already making rapid progress towards our vision. CBE is currently delivering a portfolio of over $200M of solar, wind, and storage projects for businesses across Africa. Our clients include Actis, Diageo, Heineken, Rio Tinto, Syrah Resources, Unilever, and other leading regional companies.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Engineering Manager, Telecom Solutions

Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Description

• We are recruiting an Engineering Manager for the development and implementation of its telecom energy services (TESCo) activities in Africa.
• We are actively pursuing opportunities to supplement diesel-powered telecommunications operations with clean energy supplied by integrated solar PV and BESS solutions.
• The Engineering Manager will be responsible for design of standardized solar-hybrid solutions that can be deployed with minimal customization across a range of tower sites with varied energy requirements.
• This person will lead solar, battery, and thermal sizing analyses, equipment selection, vendor selection and negotiation, and techoeconomic analyses to compare the technical performance and commercial viability of different configurations.
• The Engineering Manager will be supported by a small team of design engineers as well as peers from CBE’s Business Development, Project Delivery, and Legal functions who are focused on the TESCo business line.  
• CBE is not an EPC or a pure developer, as we seek to build a portfolio of long-term, high-performing assets. CBE will look to you for practical insights on how to make discrete business decisions that will directly affect our financial outcomes.

Primary Responsibilities

• Leading hybrid sizing, configuration and solution designs including optimal configuration of solar, thermal and storage seeking to optimize for lowest cost of energy (LCoE).
• Recommend how to optimize battery storage solution design, given different storage technologies and associated tradeoffs
• Produce preliminary design documentation including physical layouts, interconnection strategy, single line diagrams (SLDs), bills of quantities (BOQs), or solar production analyses (PVsyst)
• Drive equipment, procurement, and construction contractors (EPCs), suppliers and subcontractor toward creative solutions that improve CBE’s product offering. Ensure various integrated components are compatible, and support with supplier contracting
• Advise CBE’s construction mangers during project implementation on design review, network integration, and commissioning to ensure the end product meets customer requirements
• Communicate conclusions of technical analyses clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, including those without deep engineering expertise
• Focus the work of the design engineering team to prioritize tasks across workstreams, maintain excellent quality of analysis, and satisfy the requirements of the multiple project stakeholders
• Draft installation and operations manuals to support solution’s optimal technical performance
• Participate in new business development by preparing detailed technical inputs and assumptions for pricing, proposal materials and customer engagement
• Advise business development colleagues during Energy Services Agreement (ESA) contract drafting and negotiations with technical analyses and contract inputs.

Who You Are

• Engineer with an in-depth and broad understanding of design principles for hybrid power systems
• Experienced power system modeler and analyst, with experience determining size, storage and system configurations for hybrid power systems
• Self-starter who is passionate about clean energy and its potential to transform frontier markets in Africa
• Entrepreneurial mind who is not afraid of exploring how new technologies can be used to optimize our work and enable us to create robust products
• Capable of applying engineering principles to complex, bespoke problems that require creative thinking
• Comfortable with ambiguity; you are effective in a fast-moving and complex environment that does not have a fixed rule book
• Sound commercial judgement; independently assesses the most economical interventions and considers the long-term view when evaluating the costs and benefits of a potential solution
• A systematic and highly organized project manager; takes personal accountability for tracking numerous activities across workstreams and driving them all to successful conclusion.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:

• Master of Engineering Degree
• 2+ years work experience in either power systems engineering, electrical transmission/distribution networks, building electrical engineering, or electrical generation
• Hybrid sizing, configuring and modelling experience – HOMER (or similar) and/or self-built models
• Understanding of the key components that form part of a hybrid solution
• Solar PV
• Battery storage
• Backup diesel generators
• In depth understanding of AC/DC electrical power systems, power electronics
• Writes clearly, professionally, and with good command of the English language.

Ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications:

• Design and construction experience in thermal-hybrid solar PV or solar home systems, especially minigrids and nanogrids, with a top-tier firm
• Deep understanding of battery storage technologies and design of storage solutions
• Extensive knowledge of the state of play of the energy systems market and deep understanding of ‘what’s possible’ in terms of technologies, systems, monitoring and controls
• Experience project managing the delivery of complex engineering projects in African markets
• Good commercial understanding of the solar IPP model including an understanding of project finance
• Interest and understanding of the telecom or towerco industry.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.