Senior Business Development Manager

Acciona Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Job summary

Acciona Group in Cape Town seeks a Business Development Manager to lead the end-to-end development of renewable energy projects, coordinating commercial, technical, environmental, regulatory, and stakeholder activities to move projects from origination to construction readiness.

You will drive wind and photovoltaic initiatives, manage landowner and co-development contracts, and supervise a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Law with specialization or proven experience in renewable energies.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in projects with at least 1 year leading teams.
• Experience in developing renewable energy projects and managing relations with authorities, owners, and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of renewable energy projects through the lifecycle, aligning commercial, technical, environmental, regulatory and stakeholder activities.
• Identify and evaluate wind, solar, and other renewable opportunities; conduct site visits and stakeholder meetings.
• Manage projects from initial processing to commissioning, ensuring deadlines, objectives and technical requirements are met.
• Coordinate landowner agreements and co-development partner contracts, including search, contracting and signing.
• Supervise engineering work and environmental studies for project feasibility.
• Support investment/divestment approvals with detailed analyses and recommendations.
• Build and maintain relationships with public and private entities to secure permits and authorizations.
• Oversee documentation for project processing with multidisciplinary teams; manage reports and permits.
• Coordinate with Project Manager during construction and ensure permits are met; transfer projects to final phases after commissioning.
• Lead and supervise the business development team to meet project objectives.

Skills

Fluent communication

Empathy

Resilience

Relationship management

Commercial acumen

Team leadership

Education

Engineering / Environmental Engineering / Law degree

Tools

Office Suite

AutoCAD

QGIS

Google Earth

Job description

Job Description Summary

The Business Development Manager leads the development of renewable energy projects throughout the project lifecycle, managing commercial, technical, environmental, regulatory, and stakeholder-related activities to advance projects from origination to construction readiness while maximizing value and minimizing development risk.

Job Description

• Ensure the development of renewable energy construction projects, managing all intermediate phases effectively and ensuring compliance with technical, environmental, and administrative requirements, so that construction begins as soon as possible and without delays.
• Identify and evaluate business opportunities in wind, photovoltaic, and other renewable technology projects, conducting site visits and meetings with stakeholders.
• Manage projects comprehensively from initial processing to commissioning, ensuring compliance with deadlines, objectives, and technical requirements.
• Coordinate agreements and arrangements with landowners and co-development partners, including the search, contracting, and signing of necessary agreements for the development of renewable projects.
• Supervise and contract engineering work, as well as environmental studies necessary to assess the project's feasibility.
• Support the internal process of approval of investments and divestments in renewable projects, providing detailed analyses and recommendations for decision-making.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with public and private entities, facilitating the implementation of projects through obtaining necessary permits and authorizations.
• Supervise the preparation and presentation of all necessary documentation for project processing, working with multidisciplinary teams to ensure proper management of reports and permits.
• Oversee the construction process, coordinate with the Project Manager, and ensure that all permits and requirements are met before and during the construction phase.
• Manage the transfer of projects to the final phases, ensuring that all permits, authorizations, and requirements are met before commissioning.
• Lead and supervise the business development team, ensuring project objectives are met and providing guidance and support in task execution.

Qualifications

EDUCATION

• Degree in Engineering / Environmental Engineering / Law + specialization or experience in processing renewable energies

EXPERIENCE

• Experience in developing renewable energy projects
• Experience in managing relationships with authorities, owners, and other stakeholders

SKILLS

• Fluent communication and empathy
• Resilience and high tolerance for frustration.
• Ability to handle difficult relationships (owners)
• Ability to adapt communication according to the interlocutor
• Commercial skills (knowing how to navigate and achieve things)
• Team management

SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE

Languages

• English (high level)

Tools

• Office Suite
• AutoCAD
• QGIS
• Google Earth

Others

• Understanding of engineering, environmental regulations, and the energy sector, especially in renewable energies like wind and photovoltaic
• Knowledge in planning, execution, and supervision of projects to ensure compliance with deadlines and budgets
• Handling administrative procedures to obtain permits and assess the economic viability of projects
• Availability to travel
• Minimum 7 years of experience in the field of Projects and at least 1 year leading teams.