Project Sales & Technical Director

Description:

The Head of Electrical Engineering is accountable for preparing offers, offering solutions, engineering quality, safe and compliant designs, disciplined technical-commercial review, and a capable engineering team. The role leads electrical scope from concept and design through tendering, procurement, construction, factory and site commissioning, testing and handover across grid and utility, industrial factory and MEP projects, while protecting delivery, margin and customer confidence. Provide solutions to clients from conception to project delivery. Ensuring forecasting and project plans.

Leadership accountabilities
Engineering strategy and governance
• Set the engineering function’s priorities, resource plan and technical development roadmap in line with Projects’ order book, target markets and business plan.
• Establish and maintain design standards, engineering procedures, calculation and drawing templates, review checklists, document control and approval authorities.
• Define technical review gates for bids and projects, including scope validation, design basis approval, independent checking, client submission and construction release.
• Ensure designs are safe, compliant, buildable, maintainable and aligned with contract requirements, applicable IEC / IEEE standards, client specifications and utility requirements.
• Maintain Relationships with clients 
• Manage technical risks, deviations, design changes and interface issues through documented review and approval; escalate decisions that affect safety, cost, schedule or contractual exposure.
• Promote lessons learned, standardization and reuse of proven designs while ensuring project-specific requirements are checked.

Team leadership and capability
• Lead, coach and develop engineers, designers and estimators; set clear objectives, review performance and address capability gaps.
• Allocate work according to competence, workload, project priority and required review independence; arrange specialist support where internal capability is insufficient.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, succession planning and structured technical training, including development of local engineering capability.
• Build a disciplined working culture based on technical accuracy, accountability, collaboration, timely escalation and safe site conduct.

Design and technical delivery
• Oversee concept, tender and detailed engineering for MV/LV substations, power distribution, switchgear and electrical panels, protection and control systems, and associated project interfaces.
• Interface with local utilities 
• Provide technical oversight for substation solutions at, with design responsibility assigned to appropriately qualified and authorized engineers.
• Review solutions involving synchronization panels, protection and control (CRP), RTCC, MCC, AC/DC distribution, busbar trunking (BBT), and related automation interfaces.
• Guide engineering for electrical and solar project scopes within Projects’ capability, including system integration, equipment selection, interfaces, testing and handover requirements.
• Ensure engineering deliverables are complete and coordinated, including design basis, single-line diagrams, calculations, layouts, schematics, equipment schedules, BOQs, specifications, cable schedules and construction drawings.
• Resolve complex technical queries with clients, consultants, utilities, manufacturers and contractors; ensure responses are documented and reflected in controlled design records.

Grid and utility projects
• Lead engineering for grid connection and utility infrastructure scopes, including substations, distribution interfaces, switchgear, protection and control, and associated auxiliary systems.
• Coordinate design requirements and approvals with utilities, grid operators, consultants and client teams; manage interface data, grid connection requirements, protection philosophy and technical compliance.
• Oversee grid project deliverables from feasibility and tender design through detailed design, construction support, energization, testing and handover.

Factory engineering and commissioning
• Direct electrical engineering for factories and industrial facilities, including incoming supplies, transformers, distribution, switchboards, MCCs, control interfaces, earthing and power quality as required by scope.
• Plan and oversee factory acceptance testing, pre-commissioning, energization, functional testing and commissioning of electrical systems and equipment; coordinate safe access, test procedures, records and punch-list closure.
• Work with factory operations, production, maintenance, OEMs and project teams to resolve installation and start-up issues and achieve a controlled transition to operations.

Electrical MEP integration
• Oversee electrical building-services design for MEP projects, including LV distribution, lighting and emergency lighting, containment, earthing and bonding, and relevant ELV or life-safety interfaces within the contracted scope.
• Coordinate electrical design with mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, architectural and structural disciplines; resolve space, load, routing and installation interfaces before construction.
• Review coordinated drawings, technical submittals, material selections, installation quality, testing and commissioning plans to ensure the electrical scope is complete and buildable.

Tendering and commercial review
• Act as the senior technical reviewer for tenders and proposals, confirming scope, compliance, design assumptions, interfaces, deliverables and execution requirements before submission.
• Oversee BOQs, technical take-offs, cost estimates and supplier enquiries with Engineering, Sales and Procurement / Supply Chain; review non-standard, long-lead and high-risk equipment.
• Identify technical and commercial risks, exclusions, deviations, warranties, schedule constraints and cost exposures; ensure these are raised for management decision before commitment.
• Support bid strategy, client presentations, technical clarifications and negotiations; provide credible engineering input that supports profitable and deliverable work.
• Review proposed solutions for lifecycle suitability, serviceability, availability of spares and local operating conditions in the DRC.

Project execution and customer outcomes
• Provide engineering oversight after award, confirming the project technical baseline, design programme, responsibilities, submittals and approval schedule.
• Coordinate engineering inputs with PMO, Procurement / Supply Chain, factory, installation and commissioning teams to keep design, procurement and site work aligned.
• Oversee factory technical coordination, inspection and testing requirements, FAT readiness and closure of design-related non-conformances.
• Support installation and commissioning teams on technical decisions, site changes, testing, punch-list closure and handover documentation.
• Ensure scope changes are technically assessed and routed through formal change control, with cost and schedule implications communicated to project leadership.
• Review engineering performance across projects and lead corrective actions for recurring design errors, rework, delays or customer complaints.

Qualifications and experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering; a postgraduate qualification or relevant professional registration is an advantage.
• At least 20 years of progressive electrical engineering experience, including substantial responsibility for delivering grid / utility, industrial or factory commissioning, and electrical MEP scopes from design through execution.
• Demonstrated experience in tender engineering, BOQ and cost review, supplier coordination, client technical discussions, and project execution through commissioning.
• Working knowledge of applicable IEC / IEEE standards, utility and client specifications, engineering quality systems and project change control.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD and Microsoft Office; working knowledge of ETAP and EPLAN or equivalent design tools. Experience with engineering document control or project systems is an advantage.
• Professional fluency in English for client, supplier and internal coordination; additional local languages are an advantage. French language is preferable. 
• Willingness to travel to project sites and supplier or factory locations as required.