Principal Consultant - Midrand, South Africa - WSP Africa

Description

Technical – Substations (Primary and Secondary Plant)

• Supervise, review, approve and in some instances provide detailed input into preparation of functional designs, specifications, bills of quantity and tender documents for substation projects (11kV to 500kV) to internationally accepted standards for clients in Southern Africa and abroad;
• Supervise a team and provide key inputs into preparation of reports, calculations, and drawings to stakeholder requirements;
• Participation in tender evaluation processes;
• Review detailed design documentation (drawings, reports, calculations) of substations and associated technologies submitted by contractors against specifications;
• Attend and in some instances chair meetings with project stakeholders;
• Assist with site audits and inputs to project scoping documents where required;
• Provide project engineering supervision where required during the construction and commissioning phase of transmission and distribution projects including managing and assisting the team in responding to technical queries, factory inspection and witnessing the testing of substation equipment, review of routine and type test results and reports and monitoring progress of construction on site;
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to the team in relation to power system technologies (primary plant and secondary plant) – this requires good working knowledge of substation equipment such as HV, MV and LV switchgear, Power Transformers, Earthing, Instrument Transformers, Protection, Control and Telecommunications equipment;
• Provide guidance on Operation and Maintenance of Substations;
• Supervise, review, approve and in some instances provide input into preparation of project scope, methodology, schedules, and budget for proposals for consultancy services;
• Mentor and supervise junior engineers including reviewing, checking and approving work output of junior engineers.

Technical – Battery Energy Storage and Renewables (not a fixed requirement))

• Supervise teams and in some instances act as a subject matter expert on a range of multidisciplinary projects including Transmission and Distribution (primary and secondary systems) and Battery Energy Storage related projects – in many instances pre-feasibility, feasibility and OE projects include a variety or all of these different disciplines;
• Provide technical expertise and guidance related to Battery Energy Storage Systems, including Balance of Plant;
• From time to time, act in a Project and Design Management role;
• Provide guidance and expert advice in relation BESS projects, especially in the preparation of tender specifications, procurement and execution of these types of projects;
• Provide technical input from initial assessment through to technical and economic feasibility for a variety of project types;
• Provide guidance on Operation and Maintenance of a variety of different facility configurations, ranging from basic substation works to an entire plant comprising of Wind/Solar/Battery/or Combination, Plant Automation Systems, Balance of Plant and Grid Connections;
• Mentor and supervise junior engineers including reviewing, checking and approving work output of junior engineers.

Business development:

• Drive and participate in business development in defining and deploying the sales strategy, selecting target markets and clients, and in scoping and pricing of services, with particular focus on the South African and regional markets such as Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe;
• Prepare and manage proposals for client's projects and provide inputs for the WSP internal governance process;
• Manage existing and new customer relationships through efficient client and account management; and
• Attend internal and external meetings and represent WSP in a suitable fashion according to the company principles at all times;
• Maintaining relationships with internal divisions, external contractors and clients.

Health and Safety

• Role model standards for SHEQ performance and behaviour consistent with the company's health, safety, environmental and quality vision and policies by influencing those around you;
• Contributing to the identification of SHEQ risks and driving processes to achieve Zero Harm;
• Embracing, displaying and promoting the company values and ensuring a safe working environment is maintained at all times.
  

• Professionally Registered Engineer, ideally with ECSA;
• BSc Engineering (Electrical);
• Excellent working knowledge of Power Systems, Transmission and Distribution Technology (primary and secondary systems) and BESS technology;
• Experience with design, execution and testing of substations and related equipment;
• Experience with operation and maintenance of substations and BESS;
• Experience in the Renewables such as PV and Wind would be advantageous;
• Minimum of 20 years' related experience required.

Key Competencies and Generic Skills:

• Proven experience in the substation primary plant, protection and control system design;
• Experience with BESS technology;
• Any experience with Renewables such as Wind and Solar would be advantageous;
• Ability to work within a team of engineers or lead a team of engineers;
• Developing and maintaining client relationships;
• Bidding and winning work;
• Clear articulation of complex issues to clients;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Good communication skills;
• Good technical report writing skills;
• Ability to manage time, quality and effort in order to deliver a quality product within time and cost constraints;
• Ability to coordinate and manage projects;
• Ability to work under pressure;
• Must also be able to function independently.
  

What's in it for you?

What if we can have work-life balance? What if we can be rewarded in ways that support our individual needs? What if we can be accepted for who we are? Here at WSP – we can

WSP recognizes that work is only one part of our lives and making time for the other things in our life is important – be that our families, our friends or ourselves. So, if working from home, working part-time or having flexible start and finish time will help with this let us know as part of your application.

As well as rewarding you with competitive pay, WSP offers standard benefits including first class medical cover, generous days annual leave, and paid professional subscriptions.

Be you, be happy - we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture which respects and maximizes the contribution individuals can bring to WSP. We recognize the benefits that people with varying backgrounds and experiences can bring. Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.