Senior Solar and BESS Engineer

Black & Veatch are hiring a Senior Solar and BESS Engineer to support the delivery of solar PV and BESS owner’s engineer consultancy projects for clients, ensuring they are delivered on time, on budget and to a high level of quality. The scope of services will include Feasibility assessment, Project development activities, Design review, Project procurement, Construction supervision and quality management.

The role will also include: managing direct reports, shared and dedicated resources; Staying abreast of market developments; supporting business development activities and tender responses; working with business development function to identify and grow client relationships.

We're looking for a senior engineer with a proven commitment to working in the renewable energy sector and significant client exposure within this target market.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership, engineering management and undertaking of; feasibility studies, front-end engineering design layouts (for solar PV and BESS), energy yield assessments, solar PV and BESS technology assessment, tender preparation and negotiation for Owner’s Engineer projects;
• Focusing on projects in Europe (but also internationally), support the Project Development process (including Acquisitions), across all technical aspects;
• Undertake Energy Yield Assessments (EYA);
• Undertake Optimisation and analysis for new Projects;
• Support the assessment of new technologies (modules, inverters, structures);
• Lead the development of Basic Design, including instructing layouts and SLDs;
• Lead and provide technical input to commercial agreements and contracts to ensure Project risks are mitigated;
• Lead and provide technical input for OE services during construction (management of contractors, design review, programme monitoring, etc.);
• Effectively manage several renewable energy projects concurrently to time and budget constraints (involving management of c. 5 staff to deliver these projects);
• To manage and work alongside other professionals in inter-department multi-disciplinary teams;
• To prepare and review technical and non-technical reports;
• To take a leading role (in conjunction with business development professionals) in and manage various business development activities/tender initiatives;
• To contribute to expanding the client base and lead on managing relationships with key clients;
• Representing B&V at exhibitions and conferences;
• Thought leadership; preparation of abstracts and delivery of technical presentations;
• Stay abreast of market developments and relevant players;
• Review EPC Contractor bids, designs, reports, orders, etc. for compliance with Owner’s Requirements and EPC Contract Appendices;
• Undertake site visits to both new greenfield sites and sites under construction;
• Management of EPC Contractor contracts and associated site construction;
• Support on engineering analysis of curtailment, performance evaluation of new technologies, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

Highly Desirable Experience

• Experience with large-scale Solar PV plants in UK, working either on the Developer, EPC Contractor or Technical Advisor side;
• A knowledge of; ground mount and floating solar PV from a technical perspective, relevant industry publications, recommended practices and guidance;
• A knowledge of; BESS from a technical perspective, relevant industry publications, recommended practices and guidance;
• Experience with project development of solar PV and BESS projects across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region;
• Experience with Bi-facial solar V projects;
• Experience with PVCase, PVsyst, AutoCAD and programming skills;
• Experience with project financing and/or interaction with lenders and Investors;
• Willingness to travel both locally and globally.

Key Skills/Competencies

• English as a first language/completely fluent speaker and writer at equal to first language level;
• Initiative, self-reliance, and drive to deliver results;
• Commercial awareness;
• Experience of project and people/contract management activities;
• Well developed technical skills and experience;
• Numerate and well-developed MS Excel skills;
• Well developed report writing and reviewing skills, using MS Word;
• User of industry standard Solar PV analysis software;
• Prioritising, planning, and organising own workload and team members;
• Accountability, including level of self-motivation and ambition and developing in others;
• Understanding client’s needs, and business development experience;
• Communication and team-working skills and sharing/using best practice information;
• Influencing others, including communication skills and self-confidence in general;
• Willingness to be adaptable, work flexibly.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Engineering, Sciences or equivalent qualification;
• Full professional fluency in written and spoken English (C1/2 level);
• Significant work experience in the solar and or BESS energy sector with knowledge of electrical power systems and proven ability to guide technical discussions and make recommendations;
• Experience in some or all of the following areas is essential:
  • Engineering delivery of:
    • Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility Studies;
    • Front- End Engineering Conceptual Design (for purposes of grid connection application and planning application);
    • Experience in undertaking Energy Yield Assessment (EYA) and good knowledge of pertinent factors affecting PV plant performance;
    • Contract tendering, procurement and negotiations (including PPA, EPC, O&M, OEM Agreements); and
    • Owner’s Engineering during execution phase.
• Strong level of experience in the Solar PV industry and good knowledge of PV generating technologies and constituent components (modules, inverters, structures, trackers, etc.);
• Good knowledge of EPC/O&M contracts, including Technical Appendices;
• Good understanding of PPAs. Grid Connection Agreements and technical inputs to Financial Models;
• Good knowledge of EPC processes and scheduling;
• Site experience (including greenfield, construction and commissioning visits);
• Establishing and maintaining key client relationships;
• Proposal/ tender preparation and review;
• Engagement with collaborative projects and dissemination of findings.