Lead Electrical Engineer / Technologist

WSP USA; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA in Cape Town seeks a Lead Electrical Engineer to join its property and build services team, providing technical leadership and acting as the electrical design authority for high‑reliability power systems across data centre and industrial projects.

You will lead HV/MV/LV designs with emphasis on resilience, redundancy and operational continuity, leveraging data centre experience where applicable, and manage client relationships to ensure on-time delivery.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of electrical design in data centre and industrial projects.
• Experience with HV/MV/LV power systems and system resilience.
• Knowledge of IEC, SANS, BS standards for MV/LV power systems.
• Familiar with JBCC, Fidic, NEC contracts.
• Ability to manage budgets, fees and WIP.
• Willingness to travel locally and globally.
• Proactive, team player, strong communication skills.
• At least 10 years of consulting engineering experience.
• Driver's licence and own transport.
• Data centre knowledge advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Preparing accurate and concise designs, budgets, tender specs, and project financial control.
• Collaborating with a global multi-disciplinary team of engineers.
• Delivering projects from inception to close-out with focus on Data Centres.
• Managing client relationships and acting as a trusted technical advisor.
• Setting up client/consultant fee/contract agreements and managing professional fees.
• Managing internal office project finances (hourly forecasting, WIP and invoicing).

Skills

Power systems

MV/LV distribution

Data centre knowledge

Project leadership

Technical reporting

Communication

Autodesk Revit/Navisworks

ISO 19650/CDE

Arc flash studies

Contract knowledge

Travel ready

ECSA registration

Education

BSc Eng or B.Tech in Electrical Engineering

Professional Registration with ECSA (Pr.Eng/Pr.Tech Eng)

Tools

eTAP

Autodesk Revit

Navisworks

Excel

Job description

Company Description

WSP is one of the most diverse consulting firms in Africa. To further our strategic business execution plan, we are seeking leaders that share our guiding principles – we value our people and our reputation; we are locally dedicated with international scale; we are future focused and challenge the status quo; we foster collaboration in everything we do and we have an empowering culture and hold ourselves accountable. We are committed to the achievement and maintenance of diversity and equity in employment

A little more about your role

We are looking for a Lead Electrical Engineer to join our property and build services team to provide technical leadership and act as the electrical design authority for high-reliability power systems across data centre and industrial infrastructure projects.

Lead the design and delivery of HV/MV and LV electrical systems, focusing on system resilience, redundancy, and operational continuity in environments where power failure has significant operational and/or financial impact.

Experience in data centre environments will be advantageous.

You will be..

• Preparing accurate and concise designs, design calculations, budgets, tender specification creation, performing project financial control and diligent construction monitoring and project management (electrical) throughout all stages of a project life cycle.

• Collaborating and working with global multi-disciplinary team of engineers on a project while taking an active part in the design process and co-ordination.

• Completing all types of projects from inception to close out with limited input from management and/or other senior engineers. Focus will be on Data Centres projects.

• Being able to focus on client care and professional team management including on-time delivery.

• Develop and maintain client relationships, acting as a trusted technical advisor and securing repeat work within data centre and industrial sectors.

• Setting up client/consultant fee/contract agreements, calculating professional fees and the effective management of professional fees on all projects.

• Managing internal office project finances regarding hourly forecasting, WIP and invoicing.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate

• Excellent communication skills (English) and including technical report writing abilities. Ability to have clear and accurate communication skills with internal and external professional teams and including clients via email, telecommunication, and face-to-face meetings.

• Working knowledge of IEC, SANS and BS standards applicable to MV/LV power systems. Exposure to data centre standards (TIA-942 / Uptime principles) advantageous.

• Good knowledge of various building contracts applicable to the building services industry (i.e., JBCC, Fidic, NEC, etc.).

• Strong knowledge of MV and LV power distribution systems.

• Strong knowledge of large-scale standby generation systems, synchronisation schemes, and system resilience design. Understanding of power quality, system reliability, and redundancy design .

• Knowledge and experience with Autodesk Products (Revit, Navisworks, etc.). Advantageous understanding of ISO 19650 and CDE Information Management.

• Lead and review power system studies including load flow, short circuit, protection coordination, and arc flash using eTAP or equivalent tools.

• Higher than average Microsoft Office package (Excel, Word, Outlook, Power Point, etc.) skills.

• Be able to work independently, lead project teams, take accountability / ownership for designs.

• High-level commitment to quality when performing design reviews, for sign-off.

• Strong planning and priority management skills.

• A good knowledge of the latest technologies within the industrial and building services industry (e.g., lighting, UPS etc.). Data centre knowledge advantageous.

• Self-motivated and ambitious. Ability to raise, suggest and drive to office/ internal efficiencies.

• Able to interface professionally across all levels of the professional team and with the client, think on their feet and remain calm when faced with a challenge/ confrontation.

• Have a pro-active attitude.

• Ability to offer input with multiple engineering disciplines in project meetings.

• Good client marketing characteristics and including external project professional team members.

• Must be a team player and be able to work independently on challenging projects that may have tight timelines.

• Drivers licence and own mode of transport to travel to office and sites.

• Willingness and ability to travel within locally and globally.

• Minimum BSc Eng. or B. Tech in Electrical Engineering.

• Professional Registration with ECSA (Pr.Eng or Pr.Tech Eng) required.

• At least 10 years consulting engineering experience with building services and industrial environment.