Job Opportunities in South Africa

Are you passionate about driving the future of renewable energy? As a Commercial Asset Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in transforming how businesses and communities access and benefit from green energy. In this dynamic position, you’ll be the key link between our customers and our cutting-edge solar energy assets, ensuring that every project not only meets but exceeds expectations.

Your mission is to champion the customer experience, from the moment a deal is signed through to the long-term operation and maintenance of our solar assets. You’ll manage the intricate details of contracts, foster deep and lasting relationships with customers, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver outstanding service. Your expertise in commercial, contract, and financial management will be critical as you oversee the performance and optimisation of our green energy portfolio.

As a Commercial Asset Manager, you will be responsible for managing the customer relationship, contracts, performance, and financial aspects of our customer green energy portfolio. You will provide appropriate reporting to the business and customers and oversee all aspects of the customer relationship to ensure an excellent customer experience and optimal asset performance. This role requires strong customer, commercial and contract management expertise in the management of an asset-based business, and the ability to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders.


Position of the job in the organisation: The successful candidate will report directly to the Head of Asset Management


Principal responsibilities:


Contract Management:

• Manage contracts for solar project special purpose vehicles (SPVs), including monitoring, reporting, and providing financial and administrative support.
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, including service level agreements (SLAs), and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Interpret contracts where there are disputes or ambiguities in the customer or other stakeholder relationships.

Customer experience & relationship management:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with customers, investors, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure timely and effective resolution of customer issues, maintaining high levels of satisfaction.:
• Take over the customer relationship from sales upon signature of the agreement with the customer.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers from deal signature through to operations & maintenance of the assets.
• Act as the primary contact person for customers and address any issues or concerns promptly.
• Oversee the customer relationship through the engineering and projects phases through to operations & maintenance of the asset.

Co-ordinate cross-functional teams to deliver excellent customer experiences:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including operations, engineering, finance, and project development, to support the successful operation and optimisation of renewable energy projects.
• Lead cross-functional meetings and initiatives to enhance customer service and asset performance.
• Foster a collaborative environment where team members feel valued and heard. Communicate effectively with internal stakeholders and external partners to coordinate activities and resolve technical issues.

Oversee financial analysis & management of customers:

• Analyse financial performance and other metrics for each asset
• Ensure all reporting to the business, external stakeholders and customers is done on time and to a high standard
• Continuously improve the standard of reporting
• Ensure customer billing for all customers is completed by the third business day of each month
• Work closely with finance and accounting teams to develop budgets, forecasts, and financial reports related to asset performance and maintenance activities.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide regular reports on the technical and financial performance of renewable energy assets.

Customer Visits and Data Management:

• Visit customers regularly to ensure a strong relationship is maintained and customer satisfaction is continuously improved. At least four visits per year.
• Maintain data security and confidentiality of project-related information and documentation.

Project Optimisation:

• Together with the Technical Asset Manager, evaluate asset performance and identify opportunities to optimise performance, reduce downtime, and improve efficiency.
• Review and enhance maintenance strategies and activities to maximise asset uptime and minimise disruptions.
• Together with the Technical Asset Manager, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the performance of each asset and track progress over time.

Health and Safety Compliance:

• Comply with all required fire, health, and safety requirements for the environment you are working in, including attending any required training and acting in accordance with policies and risk assessments.

Any other job duties associated with this role or any other reasonable request by management

PERSON DESCRIPTION
Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in finance, management, law or related field.
• 3+ years of proven experience in customer management.
• Strong understanding of contracts and finances.
• Valid driver's license and willing to travel

Specific attributes:

• Demonstrated experience in contract management, including monitoring, reporting, and providing financial and administrative support.
• Proven ability to optimise customer asset performance and reduce downtime through effective contract management.
• Strong customer orientation.
• Experience in financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Leadership and team collaboration
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills

Desirable attributes:

• Experience in the renewables industry – preferred.

What Does Success Look Like?
By Month 3:

• I will have reviewed and familiarised myself with the contracts and performance metrics of our customer portfolio, including monitoring systems, maintenance schedules, and financial agreements.
• I will have reviewed and familiarised myself with our asset management agreements and be able to identify areas where we can improve in complying with the agreements.
• I will have established effective communication channels with customers and our Funds, ensuring clear expectations and timely updates on asset performance.
• I will have implemented preliminary optimisations to improve customer asset performance and reduce downtime, based on the review of maintenance strategies and activities.
• I would have established effective monitoring and reporting systems to track the performance of renewable energy assets and identify areas for optimisation.

By Month 6:

• I will be actively managing the performance of our project portfolio, optimising project performance and reducing downtime through strategic inter-departmental collaboration.
• I will have built strong relationships with key customers, effectively directing the business’s efforts to meet or exceed contracted service level agreements (SLAs) with customers.
• I will be conducting regular key customer meetings to assess relationship status and asset conditions, co-ordinating ongoing optimisations and addressing any emerging issues with customers proactively.
• I will be preparing comprehensive asset management reports on each asset, providing detailed insights into project performance, maintenance activities, and financial metrics.

By Month 12:

• I can confidently demonstrate measurable improvements in the performance of customer relationships and financial outcomes of our solar asset portfolio, including improved financial returns and an increase in NPS.
• Together with the Technical Asset Manager I will have established a robust asset management framework, including KPIs and reporting mechanisms, to monitor and track the performance of each asset effectively.
• I will have identified and implemented long-term strategies to optimise the lifetime value and sustainability of our customer portfolio, ensuring continued success and growth.

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.