Senior Project Manager

SOLINK; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 670,000 - 781,000; Full time

Job summary

SOLINK seeks a Senior Project Manager to lead a portfolio of solar PV and energy storage projects in Cape Town and across South Africa. You will act as Principal Agent/Owner's Engineer, mentor PMs, and drive projects safely, on budget and to high quality standards.

You will oversee complex portfolios, manage contractual matters, engage stakeholders, and ensure delivery against programme milestones while maintaining industry best practices and regulatory alignment.

Qualifications

• Five+ years in development/construction Project Management/Principal Agent experience.
• At least three years as Project Manager or Project Engineer at an EPC contractor.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience administering construction contracts, including variations, claims and payment certification.
• Ability to manage several concurrent projects and competing priorities.
• Mentor/supervise other project managers.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, mentor and develop Project Managers and Junior Project Managers; act as first escalation point on technical, contractual and client issues.
• Review and quality assure the work of other Project Managers, including payment certificates and client reports.
• Depute for Head of Projects on portfolios, relationships and departmental matters.
• Lead contentious contractual matters across the portfolio, including variation claims and final account settlement.
• Monitor commercial performance and protect project profitability; manage budgets and scope.
• Drive standardised PM processes and reporting; promote best practices across the department.
• Engage with clients and contractors; interface with Owner/Client, QS, architects and engineers.
• Site visits, quality inspections and risk reporting; ensure designs comply with contracts and standards.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Contract administration

Scheduling & planning

Education

BEng/BTech or Diploma in Building Environment

PMP (preferred)

Tools

Google Workspace

Job description

Open position# Senior Project ManagerSOLINK is looking for a Senior Project Manager to manage a portfolio of construction projects in the capacity of Principal Agent/Owner's Engineer across all sectors of the solar PV and battery energy storage market. Based in Cape Town, with frequent travel to project sites across South Africa, the successful candidate will own SOLINK's most complex projects end to end, hold contractors and consultants to account, mentor Project Managers, and deliver projects safely, on programme, within budget and to the required quality standard.Apply nowCape Town, South AfricaSite & OfficeFull-TimeR60,000 – R70,000 CTC per month (negotiable)What you will be doing* Supervise, mentor and develop Project Managers and Junior Project Managers, and act as their first escalation point on technical, contractual and client issues* Review and quality assure the work of other Project Managers, including payment certificate recommendations, client reports and contractual correspondence* Deputise for the Head of Projects on selected portfolios, client relationships and departmental matters* Lead on contentious contractual matters across the portfolio, including variation claims, extension of time claims, penalties, defects and final account settlement* Maintain and improve SOLINK's project contract templates and contractual tools in conjunction with the Head of Projects* Monitor the commercial performance of the assigned portfolio, protecting project profitability and controlling scope* Develop and continually improve the department's processes, tools and templates for the execution of renewable energy projects* Drive consistent adoption of SOLINK's project management systems and reporting standards across the department* Build recognition as a leader in the C&I renewable energy sector through seminars, presentations and industry forums* Maintain a market-leading understanding of codes, standards, technology and regulatory developments, and brief the department accordingly* Driving and assisting overall project execution matters* Project portfolio scheduling and reporting* Engaging with and managing the solar PV contractor. Interfacing with the Project Owner/Client, reporting on the progress, quality and budget of the project* Managing projects as the Principal Agent working with client-appointed quantity surveyors, architects and structural engineers* Arranging, running and recording project meetings, distributing agendas and meeting minutes* Site visits and quality inspections, working together with the SOLINK technical department to assess design and installation quality* Monitoring the construction progress and reporting on possible risks to the project* Managing SOLINK on-site construction representatives* Coordinating with several project stakeholders to deliver complete solar PV projects on time and within budget* Ensuring the design is executed in accordance with the contracts in place, with the project specifications and in compliance with construction good practices, local rules and standards* Project contract and scope of works management* Client liaison and relationship management* Assist the Head of Projects in technology and design reviews, grid reviews, site assessments, contract reviews and structural assessments* Project performance studies for solar PV* Track project budgets and update them weekly* Manage project health and safety responsibilities, including monitoring contractor compliance on site and escalating non-compliance* Develop lessons learned and feed project learnings back to the Project Management and Engineering departments, ensuring continual improvement* Development and delivery of project handover documents to the client* Ensure smooth handover to the OMS department as per the handover procedure* Driving department and company milestones* Management and planning of continuous education sessions, promoting a culture of learning and knowledge-sharing within the organisationRequired* Minimum five years of development/construction Project Management/Principal Agent experience* Minimum three years of that as a Project Manager or Project Engineer at an EPC contractor* Excellent communication and presentation skills* Experience administering construction contracts, including instructions, variations, claims and payment certification* Demonstrated ability to manage several concurrent projects and competing priorities* Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring or leading other project managers* Experience leading contentious contractual matters, including claims, variations, penalties and final account settlement* Technical qualification (B/BSc Eng or BTech, National Diploma or equivalent built environment qualification) or PMP certification* Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel regularly to project sites across South AfricaBeneficial* Solar PV, battery energy storage, electrical or related infrastructure project experience, preferably in the C&I embedded generation market* Knowledge and experience of JBCC Minor Works Agreement/Principal Building Agreements or comparable standard form contracts* Consultancy, Lenders TA, Construction Monitoring or Owner's Engineering experience* Professional registration with SACPCMP, ECSA or a comparable professional body* Electrical qualification or wireman's licence* Solar PV draughting or design experience* Familiar with Google Workspace* Knowledge of the design, construction, operations and maintenance of electrical/mechanical PV system components* Exposure to ground-mount solar, BESS or wheeled energy projectsPhysical requirements* Valid driver's licence* Willingness to travel regularly to project sites across South Africa## Ready to apply?Send us your CV and a short cover note. 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