Project Engineer at CrossBoundary Energy (CBE)

July 20, 2023
Application deadline closed.

Job Description

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.

Description 

  • CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) is recruiting a Project Engineer to develop concept designs and provide implementation design support for our solar PV projects for commercial-industrial customers.
  • The Project Engineer will develop early-stage concept designs and drawings to support business development activities as well as supporting projects under implementation by reviewing design documentation created by EPC contractors bringing CBE’s perspective as the long-term asset owner to issues of solar PV design, and quality control.
  • The candidate will be responsible for ensuring all projects adhere to CBE’s design and implementation standards as well as identifying site-specific design risks at an early stage and proposing appropriate mitigation strategies.
  • This role will require occasional international travel and reports to the Project Technical Manager.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Who You Are:

  • A self-starter passionate about clean energy and its potential to transform fragile states and frontier markets in Africa.
  • A systematic and highly-organized project manager with personal accountability for tracking numerous activities and driving them to successful conclusions.
  • Comfortable with ambiguity and able to build strong relationships in stressful environments.
  • Confident and experienced in real-world industrial applications of solar energy, power systems engineering, electrical transmission/distribution networks, building electrical engineering, or electrical generation.
  • An analytical thinker known for choosing simple, robust solutions.
  • A clear and professional communicator in person, in writing, and by phone.
  • Calm, measured, but firm when disagreeing, able to assert your own perspective while motivating stakeholders toward a common goal.
  • Perseverant and calm under pressure.
  • Patient and skilled at interacting with contractors, team members, suppliers, and service providers.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Conduct site visits to inform preliminary designs and enabling works requirements.
  • Produce preliminary design documentation, including layouts, interconnection strategy, roof access strategy, SLDs, BoQ, PVSyst analysis, etc.
  • Perform initial solar PV + storage sizing and configuration analysis based on load and physical site constraints.
  • Provide engineering expertise during project design, construction, and commissioning, representing the interests of CBE’s customer and our interests as the asset owner.
  • Create technical sales materials for proposals, including drawings, charts, design philosophy, etc.
  • Attend customer meetings to support and explain solutions from a technical perspective.
  • Review EPC designs to ensure compliance with CBE’s design and quality standards.
  • Track the design review process and ensure all comments and proposed edits are addressed.
  • Drive innovation in equipment selection, configuration design, and value engineering to optimize project returns, attractiveness to customers, and positive impact.
  • Develop processes, tools, and templates to effectively and efficiently de-risk and develop projects.

Qualifications

  • 3+ years of work experience in power systems engineering, electrical transmission/distribution networks, building electrical engineering, or electrical generation in industrial contexts.
  • 2+ years of work experience in solar PV construction with a top-tier firm.
  • Working knowledge of battery storage technologies and design of storage solutions.
  • Working knowledge of integrating solar PV systems with thermal generation assets such as diesel generators and HFO generators.
  • Background in designing and implementing EHS policies for construction projects.
  • Project management training.

Required Skills and Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant engineering field.
  • 3+ years of work experience in power systems engineering, electrical transmission/distribution networks, building electrical engineering, or electrical generation in industrial contexts.
  • Proficiency in using renewable energy modeling software such as PVsyst and Homer.
  • Proficiency in designing solar PV systems using CAD software such as AutoCAD or integrated design software such as pvDesign, PVcase, etc.
  • Strong understanding of Electrical Power Systems, Power Electronics, and/or Solar Energy.
  • Demonstrated interest in renewable energy systems.
  • Work experience or familiarity with solar PV installations.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently supervise multi-stakeholder projects.
  • Clear and effective communicator across diverse audiences, with clear and grammatically error-free writing skills.