Project Development Director – Telecom Energy Services at CrossBoundary Group

Job Description

CrossBoundary Energy (CBE), a member of the CrossBoundary Group, is the leading provider of clean, renewable, reliable, and affordable electricity directly to African 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 African corporates with fully financed renewable power. Through this approach, we are building a disruptive, distributed, renewable utility that can unlock sustainable growth in Africa.

Description

CrossBoundary Energy is recruiting a Project Development Director to drive transactions and project development of clean energy for Africa’s telecom sector, initially in Nigeria. The Director will be responsible for translating financial and legal advice into the commercial structure of energy services contracts with telecom providers, supplier agreements, and joint development agreements with developer partners where necessary. Our deals combine capital and expertise from around the world, and the Director will be adept at working across multiple jurisdictions with diverse stakeholders. The Director will be supported by specialist expertise from CBE’s internal Business Development, Technical, Legal, Regulatory, ESG, and Supply Chain teams, reporting to the Head of Telecom Energy Services. This role will ultimately be responsible for ensuring telecom projects remain on track for successful execution at each stage of development, from successful signature to financial close and start of construction.

Who We Are

The CrossBoundary Energy team is a unique group of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the world’s most challenging and exciting renewable energy markets. The chosen candidate will play an important role in a unique team with the opportunity to make a large impact on the clean energy landscape in Africa and underserved markets around the world. Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.

Who You Are

• Excellence: Demonstrated expertise in negotiating project finance contracts including power purchase agreements, partnerships, leases, secured debt, engineering agreements, procurement contracts, construction agreements, and similar structures. You hold your own work to higher standards because that’s what delivers successful outcomes. Transaction or transaction advisory experience in the renewable energy industry preferred, with experience in decarbonizing and energy transition of Africa’s telecom sector an advantage.
• Acts Like an Owner: You hold yourself personally accountable for brokering solutions where authority is unclear. When faced with an impasse, you convene the subject-matter experts you need to find a way forward
• Deliberate Thinker: Proficiency in complex corporate finance models, project finance models, corporate structuring, and tax concepts makes you a pragmatic commercial decision-maker. You’re known for deducing the simple, robust solution from more complicated approaches
• Curiosity: Not satisfied with “no;” assists others to generate creative solutions by looking at problems from new perspectives. You do not make or accept ultimatums
• Prioritizes Results: You distill the signal from the noise. Your colleagues praise you for translating complex inputs into a plan of action. A succinct written and oral communicator.
• Authentically Cares: Patient and skilled at developing relationships with clients, external counsel, suppliers, consultants, and teammates to consistently deliver excellent outcomes
• Relevant advanced degree in engineering, business, economics or law – such as MBA, JD, LLM – preferred
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Excel applied to corporate finance and project finance modeling
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and visual storytelling

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Law or other relevant field
• 10+ years of experience in project development, transaction advisory, and infrastructure development
• Understanding of common implementation challenges through all phases of an energy project lifecycle
• Demonstrable project finance understanding and commercial acumen
• Applied understanding of commercial aspects of the energy transition of the telecom sector and the sector unique PPA structures that would be required
• A strong network among active power project developers, suppliers, and construction partners relevant to the telecoms or distributed energy industries, especially in Africa
• Commercial skill to facilitate collaboration across multi-disciplinary project teams.

Primary Responsibilities

• Collate and assess inputs from subject matter experts from other CBE teams to navigate contracting for complex power purchase transactions and portfolio acquisitions, especially multi-stakeholder transactions. Take a holistic view of commercial, financial, legal, and tax constraints to support Business Development in negotiation tactics during development/tendering phase and in contract negotiations
• Oversee project financial and technical feasibility throughout project development, in line with CBE standards, regulatory requirements, and client expectations
• Perform in-depth financial analysis to develop the appropriate strategy for executing a given project transaction
• Manage transaction documentation, deal structuring, and commitments across multiple deal contracts, working alongside support from internal and external Legal counsel
• Identify gaps in CBE’s value proposition to counterparties and generate new ideas for how to better bridge those gaps
• Manage multi-disciplinary CBE telecom solutions team, prioritizing coaching and mentorship, skills growth, and instilling the confidence to take on new professional challenges
• Manage external counsel and consultants to deliver on time and on budget
• Design and deliver client-ready presentations advocating CBE’s desired commercial strategies. Advise counterparties on diverse aspects of financial, tax, and corporate structuring concerns using insights from CBE Finance and Operations teams
• Cultivate a wide set of developers and technical partners to originate, develop, and close project opportunities across CBE’s geographies
• Assist Investment, ESG, and Operations teams to accurately diligence and report on deal aspects to investors, noting implications for group financial model and portfolio risk
• Manage project risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.