Utility Engagement Specialist

Solarafrica-Energy-Pty-Ltd; Irene; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Solarafrica-Energy-Pty-Ltd is seeking a Utility Engagement Specialist to manage municipal and utility relationships and to submit grid-related applications with authorities. The role bridges technical teams and external stakeholders to ensure project progress and compliant submissions.

The ideal candidate will navigate complex regulatory processes, maintain up-to-date records in Monday.com and SharePoint, and travel as required while operating remotely with integrity and initiative.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years coordinating with electricity utilities or 3+ years in municipal-facing/energy applications.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain relationships with municipal officials, Eskom, and regulators.
• Submit and track energy applications (UoSA, SSEG, EG, Grid Connection) with authorities.
• Coordinate with municipal and utility stakeholders to keep processes on track.
• Maintain documentation on SharePoint and project boards (Monday.com).
• Schedule meetings and escalate delays to Grid Specialist or leadership.
• Represent the company professionally with public officials and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with engineering, project development, and compliance teams.

Skills

Energy utilities coordination

Municipal engagement

Stakeholder management

Regulatory navigation

Grid interconnection

Documentation skills

Driver's license

Tools

SharePoint

Monday.com

Regulatory portals

Job description

We're looking for a Utility Engagement Specialist to manage utility relationships, and the submission and follow-up of grid-related applications with municipalities and utility providers. This field-based role is critical to ensuring project progress and compliance and will suit someone with integrity, initiative, and experience in navigating municipal processes.

Position of the job in the organisation:

The Utility Engagement Specialist will report directly to the Grid Specialist.

Principal responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, including municipal officials, Eskom representatives, and other regulatory bodies.
• Build credibility and trust through consistent, transparent, and professional engagement.
• Navigate bureaucratic and political environments with tact, patience, and persistence to ensure project approvals and alignment.
• Act as the bridge between technical teams and external stakeholders, ensuring collaboration and shared understanding
• Submit and track all energy applications (including Use of System Agreements, Small-Scale Embedded Generation, Embedded Generation, and Grid Connection) in person and online with relevant municipal or utility departments.
• Liaise directly and regularly with municipalities, utility representatives, and local government officials to build trust and ensure application processes are transparent and on track.
• Track and update application statuses on Monday.com project boards to ensure internal teams have up-to-date visibility on all submissions.
• Maintain and organise all related documentation (application forms, correspondence, approvals, permits) on SharePoint for easy access and audit-readiness.
• Schedule meetings, inspections, or networking sessions with municipal and utility stakeholders to facilitate better communication and faster approvals.
• Identify delays, risks, and recurring issues in specific municipalities, documenting patterns and escalating critical items to the Grid Specialist or senior leadership.
• Support internal reporting by compiling progress updates, flagging risks, and recommending corrective actions based on field observations.
• Represent the organisation in a professional and dependable manner when interacting with public officials and external stakeholders.
• Stay informed on municipal processes, updates, or policy changes that may impact project timelines or application requirements.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, project development, and compliance teams to align external application processes with internal project timelines.
• Assist in designing and maintaining a municipal engagement database for knowledge continuity and future project efficiency.
• Offer support and guidance to the Grid Engineer, particularly in areas related to internal systems, tracking, or field communication gaps.
• Contribute to internal process improvements, suggesting better ways to standardise and speed up municipal and utility engagement.
• Any other job duties associated with this role.

Experience & Skills

• 1-3 years of experience coordinating with electricity utilities, especially for solar or renewable energy projects and/or 3+ years of proven experience in a municipal-facing or energy applications role
• Proven track record engaging with South African municipalities, Eskom or other government/regulatory stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success navigating complex approval processes, compliance requirements, and bureaucratic systems.
• Hands-on experience with project registration, grid interconnection applications, and net metering processes
• Familiarity with UoSA, SSEG, EG and Grid Connection applications, Nersa Virtual Wheeling applications, Nersa Quarterly Reports and related utility or supply applications
• Valid driver's license and willing to travel

Specific attributes:

• Strong interpersonal skills: empathetic listener, persuasive communicator, patient negotiator.
• Ability to handle pushback, conflicting requirements without losing momentum.
• Excellent communication skills for continuous follow-ups with utility personnel and internal teams.
• Comfortable working independently and remotely.

Desirable attributes:

• Prior Utility Engagement Specialist or similar role or grid permit experience.
• Political and cultural awareness: able to adapt style for different municipalities and stakeholders.
• Exposure to project development in the energy sector.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings and grid connection layouts is an advantage.

By Month 3:

I Will have:

• Built solid working relationships with at least 5 key municipal and utility contacts.
• Shadowed the Grid Specialist in stakeholder interactions and internal reporting.
• Familiarised myself with municipality-specific application requirements and submission processes.

By Month 6:

I Will be:

• Independently managing the full lifecycle of multiple application submissions from start to resolution.
• Updating and maintaining SharePoint and Monday.com trackers with 100% accuracy.
• Routinely following up with municipalities and escalating unresolved delays to the Grid Specialist.
• Flagging trends or bottlenecks within specific municipalities and offering potential mitigation strategies.
• Supporting weekly or monthly reporting on progress, risks, and turnaround performance.
• Proactively scheduling meetings with external stakeholders to keep timelines on track.

By Month 12:

I can:

• Confidently represent the company in external stakeholder meetings and municipal workshops.
• Anticipate application risks early and implement process improvements to avoid delays.
• Deliver clear reports that summarise municipal trends, turnaround times, and systemic inefficiencies.
• Train or onboard new Utility Engagement Specialist or junior support staff in the organisation’s processes.
• Lead efforts to standardise municipal engagement strategies across the business.
• Serve as a trusted field advisor to the Grid Specialist and broader Engineering or Project Delivery teams.

Core Values:

We hire, reward, and recognise our team against these values. It is imperative that you believe in these values and demonstrate them consistently.

• We are passionate and proud of what we do.
• We communicate candidly, especially when it is difficult
• We take the initiative, share our mistakes, and grow together
• We are dependable and take accountability
• No one person is bigger than the solution - no egos.

We are currently only considering candidates based in South Africa with valid working rights. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider applications from outside the country at this time.