Company Overview:
Mainstream is a global developer of utility scale wind and solar assets operating across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. Our core business is to develop, build and operate renewable energy plants thereby helping to build a sustainable future – globally and locally.
Mainstream Renewable Power South Africa has been awarded a total of 2.1 gigawatts of wind and solar projects under the Government’s renewable energy procurement programme since the first round in 2011.
In Chile, Mainstream owns 1.3GW of fully contracted wind and solar projects in operation, in construction or at late-stage development, due to its unprecedented success in government auctions. In Asia, the company is developing large-scale projects in Vietnam and the Philippines.
In 2021, Mainstream completed a process to find an equity partner to help finance the development and construction of its wind and solar asset pipeline. Our partnership with Aker Horizons enables the Company to strive towards our ambitious targets of securing 5.5 GWs of renewable assets to FC and be IPO ready by 2023. Aker Horizons develops green energy and green industry to accelerate the transition to Net Zero. The company is active in renewable energy, carbon capture and hydrogen and develops industrial-scale decarbonization projects. In 2022, an equity partnership with Mitsui strengthened our position and continued our growth trajectory across the world.
Mainstream has raised more than €3.0bn in project finance to date and employs over 700+ staff across 11 countries.
For more information, please visit https://www.mainstreamrp.com/
Summary of Role:
The Senior Development Manager (SDM) will be responsible for all tasks and workstreams relating to:
- Project green fielding, and
- Acquisitions opportunities to grow Mainstream’s project portfolio, as well as
- Portfolio Management with the complete project development lifecycle from project inception to start of construction, with occasional assistance with construction and operational projects.
The successful candidate will be involved in wind and solar PV project identification, development and management. Activities will cover all aspects of RE project development including environmental studies, permitting, engineering, landowner and other stakeholders’ engagement and management, site selection, interaction with Eskom to ensure feasible access to the national grid, various government permitting requirements and several private sector permissions. The SDM will also be part of Mainstream’s bidding efforts (both public and private tenders) and bringing Preferred Bidder projects to Financial Close, as well as supporting other Mainstream teams/ departments as and when required. The Senior Development Manager will be required to assist the HoD with development team staff management (as required) and project pipeline development and management.
What you will do:
Management:
- Full people management of development interns, Junior Development Executives and Development Executives (recruitment, performance management, CPD and training, staff development etc) in alignment with the HoD’s overall team strategy. Providing people-leading support to HoD with other team members as necessary.
- To support in recruitment efforts outside of direct scope to bolster the development team, as and when required.
- To support the HoD with project pipeline development and management (all workstreams).
- To support the HoD with country level reporting to the South African management team (“AST”) and Senior Management Team (Dublin).
Project Development & Manager:
- To own and be responsible for a number of wind and/or solar projects, referred to below as assigned projects.
- To deliver assigned projects on time, on-schedule, within budget to agreed quality.
- To ensure that projects are identified, developed and designed / executed in line with Mainstream´s corporate values and the Global Development Standard.
- To put in place and manage project schedules, budgets and other project controls for assigned projects.
- To identify and communicate on a timely basis all project barriers and risk, together with the strategies and approaches to overcome those barriers and risks.
Health and Safety:
- To follow all Mainstream and South African health and safety procedures. Be fully responsible for the health and safety on each assigned project.
Environmental Studies:
- To oversee / manage external consultants appointed for assigned projects.
Tender Submissions:
- To prepare projects for both public and private procurement processes, ensuring accurate documentation and filing of documents.
Public Outreach:
- To participate in EIA public participation processes as well as manage community engagement for assigned projects.
Permitting:
- To manage the permitting processes for assigned projects.
Land:
- To manage land agreements for assigned projects;
- To manage landowner relations for assigned projects;
- To manage the design and issuing of an annual landowner newsletter;
Site Selection:
- To apply Mainstream site selection criteria and evaluate any new possibilities.
Grid Access:
- To prepare required documentation required by Mainstream’s grid team for engagement with Eskom.
Consultant Management:
- To oversee / manage external consultants appointed.
General:
- To document and administer all project related information, as required.
- To be involved in relevant industry bodies’ committees and initiatives.
- To undertake project-related administrative tasks.
- To support the PMO with annual updates to the Global Development Standards and associated standards and procedures, as and when required.
What we require:
- Have excellent written and oral communications skills.
- Be comfortable presenting to management at all levels
- Be capable of managing internal and external resources with ease, taking a lead role at meetings, setting priorities and recording actions.
- Educational background in Engineering, Science, Environmental Related Disciplines, Town Planning or Renewables Engineering.
- Minimum 7-10 years’ experience in project identification, development and management is required. Wind and solar PV experience preferred.
- Driver’s license required.
- Development project management experience is required.
- Candidates should:
- Ability to use Microsoft software packages such as Word, Excel, Outlook is essential and ability to use other software packages e.g. MS Project, SharePoint and Teams will be an advantage.
What we offer:
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)
- Self-paced online learning portal for micro courses across a range of functional and inter personal skills
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, parental, adoptive and bereavement leave
- Parental transitional coaching
- 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