Senior Engineer at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

The Senior Engineer role is an electrical engineering technical function located within the Independent Power Producer Office (IPPO).

• The IPPO was established in 2010 to provide rapid solutions to South Africa's severe electricity supply constraints, by procuring new energy generation capacity from Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The IPPO was created as a project office hosted by the Development Bank of 
• Southern Africa (DBSA) under a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), National Treasury and the DBSA. The mandate of the IPP Office is to provide specialised services to government, including  
  • IPP Energy Procurement Management, 
  • Monitoring, Evaluation and Contract Management, and 
  • Professional Advisory Services.

The IPPO's skills, expertise and success in mobilising and delivering on time is recognised domestically and globally.

The Senior Engineer will effectively implement and augment the connection and grid integration of IPP generation projects by assisting Eskom, municipalities and all relevant spheres of government in utility and generation planning and designs, providing grid connection and code analysis services and related technical advise and support.

Key Responsibilities    

These include but are not limited to: 

Implement action plans to enhance generation and utility planning.

• Assist Eskom and municipalities in incorporating generation grid connection in utility planning.
• Implement remedial action to ensure that grid connection dependencies of the IPP programmes are addressed and mitigated in generation and grid planning.

Provide grid connection analysis services

• Perform IPP grid connection analysis to assess capacity constraints.
• Work with Eskom and the municipalities on the analysis of grid capacity for IPP connection.
• Provide a service for the independent assessment of grid constraints and IPP grid connection studies.
• Utilise and maintain software tools and systems as required for grid connection studies.
• Review and influence Eskom and municipal grid connection charges to ensure reasonable cost recovery and equitable treatment of grid costs for IPP programmes.

Implement action plans identified to mitigate resource constraints that impacts on the ability to grid connect IPPs.

• Work with Eskom and municipalities to standardise timelines and costs for standard work packages associated with IPP grid connection.
• Implement industry best practice in the technical assessment and design of grid connection, imbedded on a national level through standardisation bodies.
• Ensure that tools and systems are developed to facilitate the grid connection of IPPs and maximise the productivity of the limited Eskom and Municipal resources

Ensure enhanced and equitable grid codes.

• Review and influence the Grid Code to ensure equitable access for all generators to the grid.
• Review and influence the Grid Code to ensure fair and transparent criteria for all generation technologies associated with the IPP programmes.
• Review and influence the Grid Code to ensure alignment with international best practice.
• Review and influence the Grid Code to ensure that the compliance requirements and processes are equitable and transparent to IPPs.

Provide technical advice and support

• Provide a technical service to support the IPP programmes e.g. review of grid connection studies, technical evaluation criteria
• Implement and monitor specific projects required for efficiency improvements, risk mitigation, cost reduction, information dissemination, skills development and integration
• Provide input as required for the creation and maintenance of master plans including but not limited to; grid, gas and liquid fuels.

Effective self management and team work

• Apply knowledge and organisation systems, structures, policies and procedures to achieve results.
• Demonstrate initiative in follow through to ensure that personal quality and productivity standards are consistently and accurately maintained.
• Provide appropriate resolution for tasks or deadlines not met.
• Support and drive the business core values.
• Act in a customer centric manner.
• Maintain a positive attitude and respond openly to feedback.

Effective stakeholder engagement

• Develop and maintain long term relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ensure that both internal and external customers’ expectations are met
• Manage stakeholder expectations with regard to implementation expectations.
• Ensure stakeholder satisfaction.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    

The successful incumbent should have:

• BScEng Electrical or Equivalent with at least 5 years’ Experience. However MScEng Electrical or Equivalent will be advantageous.
• A professional registrain with ECSA PrEng or Equivalent.

A working history that displays:

• Knowledge of the South African power landscape and energy/electricity regulations and policies
• Knowledge and understanding of financial business case management
• Knowledge and understanding of Project Management disciplines & methodologies
• Knowledge and understanding of the Eskom, other public sector bodies and relevant power sector stakeholders
• Knowledge of engineering practises and principles
• Knowledge of various legislations related to the IPP Office
• As well as a working history displaying exhibition of: