Commercial Sales Energy Lead - Medium

Noa Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A renewable energy firm in Cape Town seeks a Commercial Energy Sales Lead to drive energy supply agreements for medium and small customers. You will handle customer engagement, market analysis, and team leadership. Ideal candidates have 8+ years in sales within the energy sector and are passionate about renewable energy. This position offers the opportunity to significantly impact the transition to clean energy solutions.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in sales or business development in the energy sector.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• A passion for renewable energy and sustainable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Deliver on a scalable pipeline of energy supply agreements.
• Identify and engage high-priority customers.
• Lead a team of 5-10 people over 2-4 years.
• Collaborate with internal teams on renewable energy solutions.

Skills

Strategic business development

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

Public speaking

Problem-solving

Job description

ABOUT NOA

NOA is an integrated renewable energy independent power producer, established to provide its customers with innovative and flexible solutions on their journey towards ‘Net Zero’ emissions and low-cost clean energy – by wheeling the energy generated by utility scale solar and wind generation facilities, augmented by battery energy storage systems.

To achieve this, NOA has assembled several critical building blocks:

• A strong balance sheet with secured and disbursed equity funding from blue chip shareholders (the Old Mutual group, via the Ideas Managed Fund and the AIIF 4 Fund, both managed by AIIM) with long standing commitment to the renewable energy space in Africa.
• An innovative capital and operational structure backed by a top-tier South African commercial institution;
• development partnerships with several of the most successful project developers in South Africa, with successes in both the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Program (REIPPP) and the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) space.
• An aggregation entity (NOA Group Trading) aimed, in part, at disrupting the conventional project finance model that has characterised the C&I space to date, which is in the process of obtaining a trading licence from NERSA.
• Demonstrated track-record through some of the first private wheeling transactions to enter construction (including 30MW currently in operations for a listed mining company) and more than 625MW of wind and solar generation facilities in the financial close process
• An agile group of energy sector veterans committed to making a major contribution to the low-carbon energy transition – both in South Africa and across the rest of the African continent – who have been assembled to realise a mission of delivering more than 10GW of clean energy generation in the next 10 years.

PURPOSE

The Commercial Energy Sales Lead - Medium Customers is responsible for delivering on a consistent and scalable pipeline of energy supply agreements from the Medium (<50MW Notified Maximum Demand) and Small (1-5MW Notified Maximum Demand) segments and contributing to the evolution of the suite of NOA renewable energy products.

Reporting to the Head of Sales, this role focuses on identifying and developing high-priority customers in the segment, responding to RFPs (where applicable), engaging with qualified leads, supporting the execution and delivery of sales opportunities, and developing strategies to engage customers directly.

A key priority is ensuring that NOA’s wheeling products align with customer energy needs, adhere to and keep ahead of regulatory requirements and market trends.

This role requires a combination of strategic business development, commercial acumen, sales expertise, and stakeholder engagement to drive the delivery and close of complex energy supply transactions in a rapidly evolving market.

Overall responsibility for the performance of the segment means this role must be comfortable managing and scaling a team of 5-10 people over the next 2-4 years. The successful applicant will prove adept at providing reporting insights into the overall performance of the segment and the sales force, using quarterly OKR’s and an up to date CRM system to ensure alignment across the segment and the broader sales organisation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Market & Opportunity Analysis
   • Research the energy needs, procurement processes, and regulatory landscape for medium customers to identify opportunities.
2. Business Planning & Strategy Development
   • Develop business plans that outline financial, operational, and strategic feasibility for customer energy solutions.
   • Build and maintain relationships with large energy consumers across sectors such as manufacturing, mining, retail, municipalities, and agriculture.
   • Stay ahead of market trends, policy changes, and Eskom tariff structures to position the aggregator’s offerings competitively.
3. Stakeholder & Partnership Engagement
   • Establish and strengthen relationships with municipal decision-makers, energy managers, procurement officers, and regulatory bodies.
4. Product & Solution Development for Customers
   • Collaborate with internal teams to design and implement viable renewable energy solutions suited for medium to small customers.
5. Sales & Business Development Execution
   • Lead the sales process by identifying customer needs, engaging key decision-makers, and securing energy supply contracts.
   • Negotiate Energy Supply Agreements, wheeling arrangements with customers.
   • Present compelling value propositions, demonstrating how energy aggregation and trading solutions can reduce costs, improve reliability, and optimise energy consumption.
6. Performance Tracking and Reporting
   • Track and report sales performance, customer acquisition metrics, and contract execution rates.
   • Provide senior management with insights on customer demand trends, risk factors, and new opportunities.
   • Leverage data analytics to assess market dynamics and adjust strategies accordingly.
7. Cross-Functional Collaboration
   • Work closely with NOA’s product development, legal, and trading teams to align customer solutions with strategy.
   • Work closely with the trading team to structure and price energy supply agreements competitively.
   • Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks, licensing requirements, and Eskom connection policies.
8. Innovation & Industry Best Practices
   • Research and implement global and regional best practices to drive innovation and optimize energy solutions for customers.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• 8+ years of experience in sales, business development, or product development, ideally in the energy sector, with demonstrated reporting capabilities.
• Proven ability to identify and secure business opportunities in a new and growing market, preferably with regulatory oversight.
• A collaborative approach to working with internal teams and external partners to drive strategic sales and product success.
• A passion for renewable energy and a commitment to supporting customers in their transition to sustainable energy solutions.
• Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills to engage effectively with stakeholders and customers.
• A strong understanding of South Africa’s customer market, including regulatory and operational requirements.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong strategic business development and sales acumen.
• Excellent stakeholder management, lobbying, and advocacy skills
• Strong problem-solving and negotiation skills, with the ability to navigate complex municipal procurement processes.
• A collaborative mindset, capable of working across teams to drive product and sales success.
• A passion for renewable energy and a commitment to helping municipalities transition to sustainable energy solutions.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication, including experience in public speaking and industry representation.
• Ability to simplify complex regulatory issues and influence decision-making.
• Deep understanding of municipal governance, energy regulations, and local government procurement.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCE

• Leadership & Team Collaboration
• Strategic Thinking & Vision
• Communication & Influence
• Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
• Adaptability & Resilience
• Customer-Centric Mindset
• Innovation & Creativity