Senior Construction Manager / Owner’s Engineer - Utility-Scale Solar

Nexus Recruitment • Full-time • 2w ago

Introduction

A leading Independent Power Producer is seeking a highly experienced Senior Construction Manager / Owner’s Engineer to represent the owner across a portfolio of large-scale solar PV projects in the Northern Cape and North West.

This is a senior, site-focused appointment requiring extensive experience delivering utility-scale solar projects under EPC contracts. The successful candidate will protect the owner’s technical, contractual, commercial, programme, quality and safety interests throughout construction, commissioning and handover.

The role requires regular movement between project sites. Candidates must therefore be comfortable working in remote locations and travelling extensively across both provinces.

The successful candidate will be commercially astute, technically credible and contractually strong. This person must be comfortable challenging EPC contractors, testing claims and programmes, making difficult decisions and holding senior stakeholders accountable.

The role requires a resilient and highly experienced construction leader who can move between strategic oversight and detailed site-level problem-solving. Strong documentation, negotiation and executive-reporting skills are essential.

Important Suitability Notice

This position will not suit candidates whose experience is predominantly in:

Rooftop or small commercial solar installations
Residential solar projects
Operations and maintenance without major construction delivery
General building construction without utility-scale renewable-energy experience
Project coordination without contractual or claims responsibility
EPC contractor delivery without experience protecting the owner’s interests

Duties & Responsibilities

Owner’s Representation

Act as the owner’s senior representative throughout construction, commissioning and project handover.
Protect the IPP’s technical, commercial and contractual interests across the project portfolio.
Hold EPC contractors, owner’s engineers, consultants, subcontractors and suppliers accountable for their contractual obligations.
Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations to executive management.
Escalate material programme, cost, quality, safety and contractual risks before they affect project outcomes.
Coordinate internal development, engineering, commercial, legal, finance, grid and operations teams.

Construction and Project Delivery

Oversee the delivery of multiple utility-scale solar PV projects from notice to proceed through commercial operation.
Monitor site establishment, civil works, mounting structures, module installation, DC systems, inverters, substations, MV reticulation, grid connections and associated infrastructure.
Assess construction progress against the approved baseline programme and contractual milestones.
Challenge inaccurate progress reporting and unrealistic recovery plans.
Lead progress, technical, commercial and interface meetings.
Monitor contractor resources, productivity, sequencing and construction methodology.
Identify delays, constraints and interface risks and ensure that corrective measures are implemented.
Review and challenge construction schedules, look-ahead programmes and critical-path analysis.
Coordinate interfaces between the EPC contractor, grid works, Eskom or municipal stakeholders, independent engineers and other project parties.
Ensure projects are delivered within approved scope, programme and budget.

Contract and Claims Management

Administer and enforce EPC contract requirements from the owner’s perspective.
Evaluate contractor notices, claims, compensation events, variations and requests for extensions of time.
Assess contractual entitlement, causation, critical-path impact, concurrency and supporting records.
Prepare and maintain the owner’s position on claims and contractual disputes.
Ensure that contractual notices and responses are issued correctly and within the required timeframes.
Maintain comprehensive contemporaneous records to support or defend claims.
Review variation proposals, cost build-ups and programme impacts.
Work closely with legal, commercial and technical advisers on disputed matters.
Advise management on contractual strategy, commercial exposure and dispute avoidance.
Monitor delay damages, performance damages, securities, guarantees, warranties and insurance obligations.
Support negotiation, adjudication, arbitration or other dispute-resolution processes when required.

Technical Oversight

Review designs, specifications, method statements, drawings and technical submissions.
Confirm compliance with EPC requirements, applicable standards, grid codes and project specifications.
Coordinate multidisciplinary technical interfaces across civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, SCADA and grid-connection workstreams.
Review requests for information, design changes, deviations and proposed technical concessions.
Ensure that design and construction decisions protect plant performance, reliability and long-term operability.
Coordinate technical input from specialist consultants and independent engineers.
Ensure design changes and deviations are formally documented and approved.

Programme and Commercial Control

Review project controls, progress measurement systems and contractor reporting.
Monitor forecast completion dates, milestone achievement and critical-path movement.
Test contractor delay analyses and recovery proposals.
Review payment applications against verified physical progress and contractual entitlement.
Monitor project expenditure, approved variations, contingency use and forecast cost to completion.
Provide accurate reporting on progress, emerging risks, claims exposure and commercial position.
Ensure that management receives early warning of potential delays or cost increases.

Quality, Health and Safety

Promote a strong safety culture and ensure that contractors comply with project HSE requirements.
Monitor the implementation of approved health and safety plans.
Intervene and escalate where unsafe practices or serious non-compliance are identified.
Ensure that project quality plans, inspection and test plans and hold points are implemented.
Monitor non-conformance reports, corrective actions, punch lists and defect close-out.
Ensure that equipment and installations meet contractual, statutory and manufacturer requirements.
Confirm that commissioning and handover documentation is accurate and complete.

Commissioning and Handover

Oversee mechanical completion, energisation, commissioning and performance testing.
Coordinate grid-compliance testing and achievement of contractual completion milestones.
Monitor resolution of punch-list items, defects and outstanding works.
Verify completion certificates, test results, warranties, manuals and as-built documentation.
Support the transition from construction into operations and maintenance.
Ensure lessons learned are captured and applied across the wider project portfolio.

Desired Experience & Qualification

BEng, BSc or BTech degree in Electrical, Mechanical or Civil Engineering, Construction Management or a closely related discipline.
Extensive construction or project-management experience on large infrastructure or energy projects.
Substantial, recent experience delivering utility-scale solar PV projects.
Proven experience representing an IPP, developer, owner, lender’s technical adviser or owner’s engineer.
Strong EPC contract-management experience.
Demonstrated experience managing contractual claims, variations, extension-of-time claims and contractor disputes.
Experience taking major solar projects through construction, commissioning, performance testing and handover.
Willingness to be site-based and travel regularly between Northern Cape and North West projects.
Valid driver’s licence.

Required Experience

Approximately 15 years’+ experience in major construction, engineering or energy projects.
Significant leadership experience on large utility-scale solar PV projects.
Experience on projects of approximately 50 MW or larger is strongly preferred.
A demonstrable record of successfully delivering projects from construction through commercial operation.
Strong knowledge of EPC contracting and major-project governance.
Advanced claims-management experience, including:
- Contractor claims and counterclaims
- Extensions of time
- Delay and disruption
- Variations and change control
- Liquidated damages
- Critical-path analysis
- Contemporary project records
- Commercial negotiation and dispute resolution
Experience managing EPC contractors and multidisciplinary professional teams.
Strong understanding of solar PV plant construction, substations, MV/HV infrastructure and grid connections.
Proven ability to manage competing priorities across multiple project sites.