O&M Senior Associate

  • Full-time

Company Description

PowerGen Renewable Energy is a micro-grid developer, implementer, and operator in East and West Africa, reshaping the prevailing rural electrification model in the region.  PowerGen is creating an African energy system that utilizes clean, renewable energy and smarter grids to deliver power to all.

Job Description

As the O&M Senior Associate you will be a key member of the PowerGen team. You’ll be focused on supporting our customers who use electricity from our micro-grids each day.  You will report to the Country Manager, or delegated senior within O&M,  and will work closely with the entire Utility Operations team.  

What You’ll Make Happen:

A more complete – but by no means exhaustive – list of responsibilities is provided below:

  • Dealing with unplanned problems is a key component of the O&M Senior Associate’s role.  You’ll be responsible for addressing and solving unplanned problems on-site, which are either identified by system monitoring or reported by a customer (i.e. electricity outage, asset vandalism, reticulation issue, etc.).  
  • You will be responsible for developing and hiring various Technicians and/or Electricians to support the team’s goals and objectives.
  • You’ll be responsible for creating Standard Operating Procedures, processes, templates and work plans to ensure smooth and efficient operation of the O&M team.
  • When dealing with unexpected issues, you should establish a comprehensive understanding of the issue through detailed fact-finding and implement an established procedure for correcting the issue in a timely fashion.  
  • You will work with various PowerGen stakeholders to identify an issue and solve it correctly.  All unplanned maintenance activities should always be based on thorough root cause analysis to ensure that the failure does not re-occur.  
  • As the Senior O&M Associate you’ll also be responsible for scheduling and planning preventative maintenance activities that are standardized and regularly scheduled activities designed to identify and prevent any type of negative consequence before it happens.  This includes regular maintenance trips and regularly scheduled diesel generator refueling trips.
  • You’ll be responsible for providing feedback in a standardized manner across various teams at PowerGen - including Installations, Grid Development, Procurement, System Design and Utility Operations - to enable long term improvement of design, installation, service and O&M. 
  • You will be responsible for generating reports for maintenance and O&M activities for internal and external stakeholders

O&M Values

  1. Safety
  2. Proactiveness
  3. Efficiency
  4. Positivity

PowerGen Values

  1. Passion
  2. Team
  3. Positivity
  4. Ingenuity
  5. Integrity
  6. Humility

What Excites You: 

  • Contributing to rural electrification in East Africa.
  • Building a clean energy future for Africa.
  • A fast-paced environment where constant change is the norm and individual initiative-taking is encouraged.
  • Having autonomy to implement your creative solutions – not just coming up with ideas, but possessing the commitment and skill to implement them.
  • Passion for organization, details, and precision in all you do.
  • Working both in the office and in the field.

 

Qualifications

You Already Have:

  • Ability to manage a team of 10+ full time employees plus a number of contractors
  • Budgeting skills for the team’s operations
  • Ability to train, manage and ensure field employees are observing safety standards while working
  • 6+ years’ work experience in engineering construction, operation and maintenance services, preferably in above-ground distribution, PV solar installations, and generators.
  • Technical engineering background and a demonstrated ability to learn the specific technical aspects of the PowerGen business.
  • Fluency in Kiswahili and English, both in written and oral communications.
  • Valid Drivers’ License.
  • EWURA/EPRA license
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail a must.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Flexibility and eagerness to lend a hand wherever needed, even if a specific task may fall outside the core job description.
  • Enthusiasm in working for the field of renewable energy!
  • Degree/certified engineer from Engineering registration board will be an added advantage

Additional Information

Benefits and Compensation:

A competitive package including annual compensation, performance bonuses, health insurance, professional development and team building events. And you'll be working with a dynamic team of people passionate about electrifying East Africa!