The CrossBoundary Access team is a unique group of people who are excited to make a difference in some of the world's most challenging and exciting renewable energy markets. Team members come from diverse backgrounds, but share a number of qualities: relentless curiosity, extreme ownership, a laser focus on results, and a bias for action.
Who You Are
Self-starter who is passionate about creating lasting change in Africa
Pioneer who is excited to work with new technologies and innovations
Creative thinker with an ability to craft non-traditional and innovative solutions to practical problems
Can build strong relationships with clients and colleagues in stressful environments
Empathetic and thoughtful leader that can drive performance within a multi-disciplinary team
Comfortable with ambiguity; ability to operate effectively in a changing, challenging context
Primary Responsibilities
Design
Technical evaluation of potential investments in solar mini-grids and adjacent technologies
Review and approve engineering designs for power generation plant and power distribution network to ensure developers comply with CBA standards
Develop innovative solutions to improve the design process (eg improve quality, lower cost, facilitate operations, etc.)
Further develop and improve technical standards
Conduct technical due diligence on potential development partners
Collaborate with developers to provide strategic guidance and input in the selection process for project components (eg panels, batteries, inverters, etc.)
Work with developers, and alongside relevant team members, to ensure relevant permits and licenses, community commercial agreements and site exclusivities are secured on time, for multiple projects at a time
Apply CBA's HSES policies to development operations on our sites and help to develop safe operating practices and standards
Build
Track and monitor project activities and milestones at deployment phase i.e. procurement and construction, and provide project management oversight
Provide technical oversight at construction phase to ensure mini-grid sites are constructed as per CBA standards, on time and within budget
Provide technical oversight on acceptance tests and start-up of operations at new mini-grid sites;
Apply CBA's HSES policies to construction operations on our sites and help to develop safe operating practices and standards
Stakeholder management
Provide technical leadership across internal and external stakeholders, ensuring consistent application of standards and performance expectations
Support cross-functional decision-making by translating technical risks into actionable business insights
Collaborate closely with ESG, legal, and investment teams to ensure alignment on technical considerations
Qualifications
Robust technical background with 6+ years of experience in assessing, developing, and implementing renewable energy projects
Experience in quality assurance/supervision of solar PV systems and power distribution network designs, bill of materials, technical specifications, construction, testing and commissioning
Work experience or demonstrated familiarity in low voltage (LV) and medium voltage (MV) power distribution networks
Experience in developing countries (particularly Africa) will be regarded extremely favourably
Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field required; other advanced degrees and project management courses will be regarded favorably
A registered member of a relevant engineering professional body
Demonstrated ability to independently supervise multi-stakeholder projects
Excellent presentation skills, ability to communicate clearly and effectively across diverse audiences
The ideal candidate will also have the following skills and qualifications:
Previous experience in solar PV minigrids development and construction with a top-tier firm
Strong quantitative skills
Understanding of key technical aspects in legal contracts
Excellent analytical ability and discipline; ability to think clearly, structure problems logically, and then design and implement solutions that focus on the core issues
Ability to analyze large data in excel
Ability to work with AutoCAD and in solar PV and microgrid design tools e.g. HOMER, PV Syst, Helioscope, etc
Ability to build strong relationships with partners and colleagues in challenging environments
Comfort with ambiguity and an ability to operate effectively in a changing context
French speaking