Engineering Manager, Telecom Solutions
Engineering Manager, Telecom Solutions
CrossBoundary Energy
About the Firm
CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) 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.
We are already making rapid progress towards our vision. CBE is currently delivering a portfolio of over $400M 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.
But most of our potential impact still lies ahead of us. Now CBE needs your help to convert Africa's largest industries to cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable power. Learn more at www.crossboundaryenergy.com.
CrossBoundary Energy is a member of the CrossBoundary Group, a mission-driven investment firm committed to unlocking the power of capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. Learn more at www.crossboundary.com.
Job Description
CrossBoundary Energy is 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.
Who We Are
CrossBoundary operates in frontier markets that also hold immense investment opportunities. The chosen candidate will play an important role in a unique team with the opportunity to make a large impact on the renewable energy landscape in Africa. Team members come from diverse backgrounds, but share a number of qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias to action.
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
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
Qualifications
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
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
Think you have what it takes but not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you're passionate about what we're building, we want to hear from you!
Location
The Engineering Manager will join CBE’s team in Lagos; Nigeria, Cape Town, South Africa; or Nairobi; Kenya.
Equal Opportunity Employer
CrossBoundary is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements in the country where we operate. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to us at [email protected]