SA - R5 ED & SED Managers

Company Overview

Mainstream Renewable Power is the leading independent developer of utility-scale wind and solar power plants. The company is focused on delivering a high-quality portfolio of more than seven gigawatts of wind and solar assets across high-growth markets in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

In South Africa, Mainstream has been awarded a total of 2122 megawatts of wind and solar projects under the Government’s renewable energy procurement programme since the first round in 2011, making it the country’s most successful independent renewable energy developer.  The company is currently operating 610MW of wind farm projects. Mainstream Asset Management South Africa (MAMSA) manages the Governance, Compliance, Operations & Maintenance and Financial aspects of operational assets in South Africa.

Mainstream has recently been acquired by Aker Horizon’s (75%) with objective to accelerate the growth of Mainstream into a renewable energy major over the next decade. Mainstream will develop, own and operate utility scale renewable energy plant.

Summary of Role:

The ED and SED Manager will be responsible for managing the Enterprise Development (EnD) & Socio-Economic Development (SED) budget, strategy and implementation. They will work closely with the legal and compliance team and their outputs will be according to the requirements of the DoE and the project Boards. This role requires the individual to have a strong background in both Socio Economic and Enterprise Development.

What you will do:

• Understand and develop community engagement plans and positive interventions strategy during project development
• Manage third party consultants and support the commercial team, responsible for preparing ED and SED REIPPPP bid chapters, ensuring all relevant information is provided based on knowledge acquired for the specific community during development
• Lead ED Managers in EnD activities and total community management during construction, in partnership with the construction team
• Implement EnD & SED qualitatively in communities during operations to ensure Mainstreams social licence to operate, in partnership with the operations team
• Identify important corporate and project stakeholders (including government, parastatals, NGOs, local communities) and develop plans to ensure positive relationships with them, using EnD & SED as a method to engage
• Preparation of Economic Development reports and forecasts for shareholders, financers and the Department of Energy (DoE)
• Monitor contractor Economic Development compliance and report to CEO, Vice President: Projects, the Owner of the project, and the DoE
• Conducting periodical audits on all ED elements of the scorecard
• Establish and prepare governance framework for Trusts
• Ensure full compliance with the Implementation Agreement
• Manage external and internal audits on all Economic Development elements
• Contract management of service providers implementing SED and EnD initiatives
• Apply all lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle in order to develop a world class company community management system that makes real, positive, measurable and sustainable impact on the communities hosting our projects
• Support with input on contractual agreements timeously
• Embedding health and safety standards in community projects
• In-depth understanding of the Socio-Economic needs of the region
• Liaise with Mainstream Project Managers and Site Managers

What we require:

• Social science degree or development studies related degree (post-graduate qualification preferred)

• Minimum 5 years relevant applicable experience of which 2 years working unsupervised

• Working with SA government and traditional communities (advantage)

• Understanding and experience of community social dynamics and local government dynamics

• Understanding of legal environment for community engagement and development

• Ability to communicate effectively with local communities

• Excellent writing and reporting skills, as well as good interpersonal relationships

• Good communication and presentation skills

• Good command of both English and Afrikaans is essential, an additional South African language would be advantageous

• Drivers licence

• Experience working with the relevant communities where the projects are located would be advantageous

• The preferred candidate will have experience in the South African development sector in some or all of the following areas:

• • Education and skills development
  • Socio-economic development (SED)
  • Enterprise Development (ED)
  • Food security and agri-support
  • Meeting energy needs (hot water, heating, etc)
  • Maths and science development
  • Information Services / Technology (IS / IT) development
  • Women headed initiatives

• The successful candidate will likely have:

  • Worked as a community development / engagement / liaison role for the private sector or local government
  • Knowledge of the renewable energy project development sector and the process to develop utility scale wind and solar projects
  • Knowledge of the SA Government’s renewable power procurement process would be an advantage

Why you really should click that button 👇

We offer you the opportunity to work in a dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation, to be part of a diverse workplace with regards to gender, age and cultural background in the most exciting industry in the world today. You will receive a very competitive total benefits package including an excellent base salary, bonus scheme and share options.

Career development

• Excellent training (an average 54 hours a year)
• Secondment and relocation opportunities
• Career progression (16% promotions across the Group in 2021)

Shared financial success

• A competitive, industry benchmarked and cost-of-living linked salary, reviewed annually
• Annual bonus
• Share options
• Salary contribution to your pension fund

Work/life balance

• WFH in a hybrid working arrangement
• Generous annual leave, plus a community or charity work day each year
• Paid maternity, paternity, adoptive and bereavement leave
• Allowance for WFH set up

True diversity & inclusion

• Equal opportunity targets
• GWEC Women in Wind and Mainstream Women in Renewables programmes
• You can be you, whatever your gender, colour or sexual orientation

Care for health & wellbeing

• Generous health insurance subsidy
• Income protection insurance
• Life cover
• Free Employee Assistance Program