Senior Manager: Technical Engineering & Energy at Massmart

About the job
Role Summary:

• The Snr Manager: Technical Engineering & Energy is a highly experienced and dynamic Engineer that leads the Project Execution team for the Construction projects and is responsible for conceiving, researching, specifying, supporting procuring and operationalising cost-effective environmentally responsible electrical energy engineering solutions, technical standards, engineering advise to Business, custodian of engineering best practices for all Massmart stores, Distribution Centres and Home Offices.
• The scope of activity covers: Energy trends analysis, HVAC, refrigeration, energy efficiency, back-up energy supply (including diesel management), renewable energy generation and sustainability management support, technical engineering standards, construction. For the Construction portfolio, shall lead the retail property development projects by leading implementation, design compliance, innovation and closing out store development and construction projects in line with the accepted industry standards, best practice and a formal project management framework.
• The objective of the role is to pro-actively drive effective strategies for areas of responsibility ensuring engineering cost reduction, standardization and business sustainability implementation, best practices implementation and continuously driving efficiencies improvements. The role includes accountability for managing where and when required, highly specialist external project implementation professionals and specialist and being the technical advisor where required.

Your Responsibilities: 

Formulate Five-Year Group Energy Plan

• Research and closely monitor relevant national energy generation, transmission and demand trends (including regulatory and legislative developments) and identify implications for Massmart continuous trading and future growth.
• Research national, industry and Walmart energy developments and identify practical and implementable best practices. 
• Monitor, model and forecast Massmart energy consumption and identify practical, low cost, commercially viable opportunities to reduce national grid-based group energy consumption and vulnerability to grid outages.
• Conceptualize, specify and cost (in close partnership with ISM) proven, reliable and low-cost research based; energy efficiency (covering high intensity energy consumption areas such as HVAC & refrigeration), back-up energy and renewable energy solutions that reduce exposure to national grid outages and that create appropriate levels of grid independence.
• Research and identify experienced and credentialed manufacturers and installation service providers with proven expertise to implement and operationalize specified energy solutions on time and within budget.
• Build clear and achievable business and rand value-based benefits cases to support aforementioned energy solutions that deliver full cost recovery within a maximum period of three years.
• Formulate the aforementioned information into a Five-Year Group Energy Plan that defines implementation costs, key implementation milestones, rand-based returns and progress against net carbon emissions reduction targets (as agreed with Massmart Sustainability Team).
• Identify, scope and schedule unique projects/programmes that will be required to implement energy solutions and deliver business benefits identified in Five-Year Group Energy Plan.
• Evaluate progress against Five-Year Group Energy Plan, provide early warning of deviation from plan and implement ongoing improvements as required. 

Construction Operations Management 

• Provide strategic leadership for retail property development, overseeing new builds and store upgrades to meet design, budget, and compliance standards. 
• Manage end-to-end project lifecycles—from planning to execution—while coordinating cross-functional stakeholders and ensuring alignment with business goals. 
• Drive cost-effective procurement, mitigate project risks, and maintain quality through site inspections and vendor oversight. 
• Ensure regulatory compliance, deliver regular updates to senior leadership, and continuously apply industry best practices.

Financial Management

• Participate in annual planning and budget development for Construction and engineering to support strategic operational goals. 
• Ensure that the periodic financial and strategic goals of Engineering and Construction strategy expectations are achieved.
• Ensure sufficient internal control measures are implemented for adherence to Massmart standards and controls
• Prepare and maintain detailed and commercially realistic Five-Year Group Energy Plan phased budget including timing of rand-value returns.
• Implement, in partnership with Corporate Finance team, appropriate financial governance controls and business case measurement practices to ensure responsible budgetary and accurate business case management.
• Phase and allocate budget to ensure most cost effective and productive deployment of budget and speedy delivery of benefits
• Approve budget expenditure in line with contractual commitments and level of authority and expeditiously facilitate efficient approvals where these exceed personal level of authority.
• Maintain accurate financial transaction management systems and procedures that enable effective contractor and equipment vendor invoice, job completion and payment management.
• Conduct and report monthly budget performance to Real Estate Executive providing early warning and explanation for positive and negative variation against budget.

Procurement Management

• Lead and compile practical, proven and cost-effective energy solution and equipment specifications.in partnership with ISM, facilities maintenance and store development teams.
• Research national and global vendor base that has demonstrated capability to meet needs as documented in Five-Year Group Energy Plan.
• Implement, in partnership with ISM team, robust and competitive procurement process and governance protocols to ensure best achievable value proposition paying regard to factors such as; vendor credentials, vendor financial stability, vendor credentials, alignment to required specification, delivery timelines, warranty’s, risk management, post-sales support etc. 
• Agree contractor service level agreements to mitigate business continuity risk, ensure cost effectiveness and achieve benefits delivery.
• Source, screen, certify and appoint contractors that meet identified Five-Year Energy Plan solution and equipment needs in collaboration with ISM team.
• Maintain accurate procurement contract document amendment, storage and accessibility to enable effective project implementation, project commissioning, post-project support, equipment warranty and service level performance management. 

Engineering/Energy/Programme Management & Delivery

• Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of technical energy projects, ensuring clear accountability, timelines, and quality standards. 
• Monitor contractor performance, enforce compliance through on-site reviews, and manage project risks across implementation, cost, safety, and regulatory areas. 
• Maintain up-to-date insurance coverage and conduct regular high-priority risk assessments. Provide structured risk feedback to senior stakeholders and ensure ongoing alignment through consistent engagement and reporting.
• Facilitate and maintain records of regular face-to-face site-based and central contractor and joint business partner meetings to manage progress, manage risks and provide performance feedback.

Commission, Maintain, Track & Improve Energy Solutions

• Formulate and implement a project/programme sign-off process that places due emphasis on assessing, testing and assuring product quality (example verification against specification), performance (example controlled stress testing) regulatory compliance (example solar plant licensing), risk management (example upgraded fire suppression), operational effectiveness (e.g. associate training), ongoing maintenance (example planned maintenance plan) of implemented energy solutions via on-site inspections, utilising as/if required external or internal experts.
• Re-configure/ implement (in close partnership with Facilities Management Executive), Building Management Systems to immediately enable ongoing and accurate analysis of energy efficiency data and specified energy solution performance (example. Solar plant energy generation) toward identifying trends and implementing Start, Stop, Continue actions aimed at optimising specified performance, reducing energy costs, ensuring business continuity and improving benefits delivery in consultation with Real estate Vice President, Facilities Management Executive and Store Development teams.
• Initiate a formal post-implementations review process (including user and Facilities Management Executive input) after three months to further verify project success 
• Maintain ongoing performance monitoring and benefits delivery reporting utilizing Building Management Reporting and periodic user feedback reviews.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• BSc Eng. degree, preferably with supplementary Master’s degree qualification.
• Extensive Project & Programme Management and Competitive Procurement Management expertise.
• Experience in Construction and Energy management / procurement
• Minimum five years job role related experience.
• Advanced engineering degree would be an added advantage