Owner's Engineer Commissioning Manager

MPAMOT; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

MPAMOT is seeking an experienced Owner’s Engineer – Commissioning Manager for an on-site role in the Western Cape. You will lead commissioning planning, witness testing, and provide technical oversight from pre-commissioning through energisation and handover to O&M.

The ideal candidate has at least 15 years in electrical commissioning, with HV switching, protection relay testing, SCADA, and grid compliance experience, plus professional registration where possible.

Qualifications

• Mandatory: electrical engineering qualification with extensive commissioning experience.
• Experience specifically in commissioning, HV switching, protection relay testing, energisation procedures, SCADA commissioning, and grid compliance testing.

Responsibilities

• Oversee commissioning activities on site and ensure readiness for energisation.
• Review and approve commissioning plans, procedures, method statements, and QA/QC documentation.
• Coordinate SATs and testing with Contractors, Suppliers, and client teams.
• Monitor progress, raise risks/non-conformances, and report to management.
• Ensure compliance with project requirements, standards, and safety on site.

Skills

Practical commissioning

HV switching

Protection relay testing

Energisation procedures

SCADA commissioning

Grid compliance testing

Education

National Diploma

BTech

Advanced Diploma

BEng/BSc Eng – Electrical Engineering

Job description

Role Description

The role of Owner’s Engineer (OE) Commissioning Manager for the onsite commissioning scope of services which include, but are not limited to:

• Support the development and review of commissioning plans, procedures, method statements, punch lists, and handover documentation to facilitate the successful transition of the facility into commercial operation.
• Attend and actively participate in site inspections, technical meetings, commissioning workshops, and progress review meetings.
• Review and assess installation, testing, commissioning, and quality documentation prior to commissioning and testing activities to confirm compliance with project requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Conduct routine site inspections to verify construction quality, commissioning readiness, system completion status, and compliance with approved procedures.
• Verify compliance of installed works, testing procedures, and commissioning activities with approved designs, technical specifications, contractual requirements, applicable standards, and industry best practices.
• Provide on-site technical oversight and support throughout the testing and commissioning phase, from pre-commissioning testing through to energisation, grid connection, performance testing, and final handover to the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) team.
• Coordinate commissioning activities between Contractors, Suppliers, and other stakeholders, facilitating the timely investigation, resolution, and close-out of technical and commissioning-related issues.
• Monitor and assess the implementation of commissioning-related Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) processes by the Balance of Plant (BoP) and Turbine Supply and Installation (TSI) Contractors to ensure compliance with project requirements.
• Witness, monitor, and provide technical oversight of testing and commissioning activities associated with the Low Voltage (LV), Medium Voltage (MV), High Voltage (HV) and control systems, including the integration and interfacing of plant systems. The role may also require support to other engineering disciplines and installation activities where necessary.
• Witness and evaluate Site Acceptance Tests (SATs) and commissioning tests on behalf of the Owner for wind turbines, portable transformer stations (PTKs), SCADA systems, Power Plant Controller (PPC) systems, substation equipment, and associated plant infrastructure, including the review of technical reports and test records.
• Monitor project progress during the commissioning phase, providing regular updates to the Owner's Engineer and Owner (Client) management team and escalating risks, delays, non-conformances, and technical issues as required.
• Maintain accurate records of daily activities, observations, inspections, non-conformances, technical queries, requests for information (RFIs), and commissioning concerns for reporting and close-out purposes.
• Where appropriate and relevant to commissioning and testing activities, report health, safety, and quality concerns to the HSE Manager and Owner's Engineer and Owner (Client) management team.
• Provide independent technical advice and recommendations to the Owner's Engineer team regarding commissioning performance, system readiness, defect resolution, and achievement of contractual milestones.

Further Requirements

• Full-time involvement on the project site aligning with the general working time conditions of both contractors and project stakeholders and ensure that they participate in all critical or milestone activities as per the schedule. The Owner and contractors will endeavour to plan & manage key activities within normal working hours but for activities on the project critical path, some deviations and exceptions are expected and cannot be avoided as this could jeopardise the project schedule.
• Pay weekends, Rest and recuperate (R&R), public holiday adjustments and builder’s breaks are subject to the Project Calendar and agreed-to onsite working arrangements. Any additional time-off must be agreed to by the Owner (Client) Site Manager, the OE Site/QC Manager and the OE Project Manager.
• The Employee/Representative will be required to spend time in the site office as well as walking/driving around site performing construction monitoring duties and attending and recording inspections. It is expected that the Employee/Representative has an adequate fitness level to undertake this role.
• All onsite OE staff shall report directly to the OE Site/QC Manager and the OE Project Manager. The OE Site/QC Manager shall report to the Construction Director (Owner appointed) during construction and take direction and instruction from the CD for the duration of their appointment. Direction may also be given by the Owners Project Director or Owners Site Manager.
• The Employee/Representative will be required to wear the applicable PPE and adhere to the Owner and/or Contractor HSE requirements whilst on site.
• All on-site staff should have a good command of English.
• All onsite staff should have the correct base qualifications, certifications and registrations required for the role they shall be performing.
• Working space and facilities (offices, printing, potable water, toilets, and internet access) on-site shall be provided by the Owner.

Personal Attributes

• Proactive
• Practical
• Analytical
• Diligent
• Good technical report writing skills
• Ability to work under project execution related pressure

Candidate Specification

The following specifications apply:

• National Diploma, BTech, Advanced Diploma, BEng/BSc Eng – Electrical Engineering.
• Minimum 15 years’ experience, specifically with:

1. Practical commissioning experience
2. HV switching
3. Protection relay testing
4. Energisation procedures
5. SCADA commissioning
6. Grid compliance testing

• Professional Registration preferred.
• Extensive technical knowledge in the power, transmission, renewable energy, and infrastructure sectors.