Introduction

The O&M Manager is responsible for the technical and operational management of the PV Solar Plant to ensure maximum energy yield, plant availability, and compliance with contractual obligations. This role involves overseeing all preventative and corrective maintenance, managing on-site technical teams, and ensuring strict adherence to South African health, safety, and environmental legislation.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Technical Operations & Performance

Monitor plant performance daily using SCADA and remote monitoring platforms.
Analyse Performance Ratio (PR) and plant availability; investigate any deviations from forecasted energy yields.
Supervise Medium Voltage (MV) and High Voltage (HV) switching activities (up to [e.g., 132kV]).
Manage the troubleshooting and repair of inverters, trackers, transformers, and meteorological stations.

Maintenance Planning
- Develop and execute the annual Preventative Maintenance (PM) schedule.
- Coordinate Corrective Maintenance and rapid-response fault finding to minimize downtime.
- Manage the spare parts inventory and procurement strategy to ensure critical components are always available.
Health, Safety, and Compliance (Critical in SA)
- Act as the GMR 2(1) or GMR 2(7) legal appointee (or supervise the appointee) as per the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Enforce site safety protocols and ensure all subcontractors adhere to the Health & Safety File.
- Manage environmental compliance (e.g., vegetation control, water usage for panel washing) in accordance with the plant's Environmental Authorization (EA).
Financial & Contractual Management
- Manage the O&M budget, including OPEX forecasting and cost control.
- Oversee warranty claims with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for inverters and modules.
- Prepare monthly technical and financial reports for the Asset Owner/Client.

Desired Experience & Qualification

Required Qualifications

Education: BTech or BSc Degree in Electrical Engineering.
Experience: 5+ years in Solar PV, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role.
Certifications: * GCC (Factories) is highly advantageous.
- ORHVS (Operating Regulations for High Voltage Systems) authorization is preferred.
- Valid Code B Driver’s License.
Technical Skills: * In-depth knowledge of utility-scale inverters (e.g., Sungrow, Huawei, SMA).
- Proficiency in CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems).
- Strong understanding of the South African Grid Code.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Plant Availability: Maintaining >98% availability (or as per PPA).
Mean Time to Repair (MTTR): Reduction in equipment downtime.
Safety: Zero Lost Time Injuries (LTIs).
Budget Adherence: Maintaining OPEX within ±5% of the annual budget.

Simplex Africa PEA jobs

O&M Manager (Solar PV)