Head of Project Development

We are one of the Financial Times' Africa's Fastest Growing Companies! PowerGen ranked 40th in the overall rankings and 5th in the Energy & Utilities sector. PowerGen a leading renewable energy platform in sub-Saharan Africa. PowerGen owns and operates renewable energy and distribution utility assets to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power to all. We are looking for professionals who want to be a part of a highly driven team which is at the forefront of the market and hungry to reshape the landscape of energy in Africa. We want leaders who are committed to the mission and able to think broadly and dynamically about a complex challenge, without losing focus on the critical day-to-day details of managing projects or a team.

Purpose

PowerGen is expanding into large-scale generation and grid projects for mining, industrial and utility-scale offtakers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Head of Project Development has two mandates:

• Develop / Deliver: lead the development of PowerGen’s large-scale solar PV + storage projects (and other technologies) from award through to financial close.
• Build / Lead: establish and lead a mature project development function (team, processes, governance and tools) so that PowerGen can develop large-scale projects repeatedly and at scale.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead development of large-scale projects (award to financial close)

• Development lead: own and be accountable for the development of each of PowerGen’s large-scale projects from award to financial close, within budget and on timeline.
• Workstreams: lead and integrate across development workstreams: PPA / commercial, EPC and O&M, technical / design, regulatory and permitting, tax, grid interconnection, land, environmental & social (E&S), and overall project governance and risk management (see preliminary RACI in Annex).
• Development plan and schedule: develop and own integrated development plans and critical path to financial close / COD
• Development budgets: set and secure approval for development budgets; own spend against budget.
• Consultants and advisors: be responsible/accountable for selection, contracting and management of consultants and service providers across workstreams (technical, legal, E&S, grid, tax, etc.), holding them to scope, quality, timeline and cost.
• Risk: lead identification of development risks early, define and implement mitigation strategies, maintain project risk registers, and escalate material issues.
• Bankability: keep projects bankable from award to financial close (e.g., appropriate risk allocation across contracts and counterparties, consistency across the project agreements, risk mitigation, permits and approvals, offtaker credit support).
• Project agreements: Lead / support (TBD) negotiation and documentation of project agreements (PPA, EPC, O&M, land, grid, JV/partners).
• Financing: support debt and equity raising together with the Investments team (lender and investor due diligence, financial model inputs, information packs and satisfaction of conditions precedent).
• Business development: support business development in securing new large-scale awards through development feasibility, project structuring and input to proposals and pricing.
• Handover: ensure a complete, well-documented handover to Implementation and Asset Management at financial close.

2. Build a mature project development function

The role holder will build PowerGen’s dedicated project development function and formal development process for large-scale projects, including:

• Team: define the target structure and resource requirements for the project development team and phase hiring in line with the pipeline.
• Capability building: grow internal talent through training, apprenticing on live projects and coaching; spread development know-how across BD, Engineering, Strategic Procurement, Project Execution / Implement, Operations / Asset Management.
• Development process: design and implement a stage-gated development process with gate criteria, deliverables and investment committee touchpoints.
• Governance: set up and lead project governance (e.g. decision rights/accountability (RACI), reporting cadence, risk monitoring / mitigation framework, approval of development spend at each gate).
• Partner and supplier ecosystem: build a pool of pre-qualified advisors, consultants, etc.; put framework agreements in place where useful.
• Interfaces: define how Project Development works with BD, Investments / Finance, Engineering, Implementation / Project Execution, Strategic Procurement, Legal and Asset Management / Operations.
• Tools and templates: build and maintain a standard toolkit through development of priority projects listed above; i.e. not as a separate exercise (e.g., development plans / schedules, risk registers, due diligence checklists, CP trackers, term sheets / contract templates)

3. Development leadership

• Strategic oversight: provide oversight across the large-scale development portfolio; prioritise resources and development capital across projects.
• Development strategy: shape key development choices, e.g., EPC / contracting strategy (e.g., full wrap vs. multi-contract), early works decisions, procurement approach, PPA structuring and negotiation tactics, financing structure and local partnering.
• Market insight: bring market intelligence (e.g., regulation, costs, competitors, lender and investor appetite) into PowerGen’s strategic and investment decision-making.
• Senior representation: represent PowerGen with offtakers, governments, regulators, utilities, lenders, investors and partners.
• Learning: capture lessons learned and benchmark development costs and timelines, feeding these back into strategic decisions, processes and pricing.
• People management: lead, develop and motivate the project development team; set objectives, run performance reviews and build an accountable, high-performance culture.
• Leadership team: contribute to the Commercial & Development leadership team and to Group strategy

Success Measures

• Project delivery: priority large-scale projects developed from award to financial close on time and within approved development budgets.
• Bankability: projects remain bankable from award through to financial close (e.g., appropriate risk allocation across contracts and parties, budget discipline, and regulatory approvals secured on plan).
• Risk management: material development risks identified early and mitigated, no unmanaged surprises at gate reviews or financial close.
• New awards: effective support to BD in securing new large-scale pipeline.
• Function build: a performing project development team in place, with a formalised development process, governance and tooling adopted across projects, and clear, working interfaces in place with other teams / functions.
• Team leadership: team members developing to lead workstreams and projects independently; healthy engagement and retention, key hires made on plan.
• Strategic contribution: clear, timely recommendations on development strategy (contracting, PPA, financing structure) that are adopted at management/IC level and improve project outcomes.

Competencies

• Proven track record as lead developer of large-scale solar PV and/or BESS projects taken to financial close, including project-financed transactions with DFIs and/or commercial lenders.
• Hands-on command across development workstreams: PPA, EPC / O&M, technical, grid interconnection, land, permitting, E&S (IFC Performance Standards), tax and regulatory.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills (PPA structuring, EPC / O&M contracting and risk allocation across project agreements).
• Sound understanding of project bankability drivers and standards.
• Demonstrated management and leadership: building and leading teams, hiring and coaching, and managing consultants and development budgets.
• Builder mindset: experience setting up processes, governance and tools in a growing organisation.
• Strategic thinking and sound judgment; credible input into senior and investment decisions.
• Senior stakeholder management with governments, regulators, utilities, mining / industrial offtakers, lenders and investors.
• Entrepreneurial and hands-on; comfortable in dynamic, ambiguous environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English; French a strong advantage.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Finance, Business, Law, Renewable Energy or a related field.
• 10–15 years’ experience in energy or infrastructure project development, of which at least 5 years in a lead developer or development management role.
• Multiple large-scale (50 MW+) renewable energy projects taken to financial close.
• At least 3 years managing teams with direct reports, as well as development budgets and consultant portfolios.
• Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa or other emerging markets; DRC or francophone Africa experience an advantage.
• Experience with mining / industrial offtakers, hydro, or mini- / metro-grids an advantage.

Benefits and Compensation:

A competitive package including annual compensation, performance bonuses, health insurance, professional development and team building events. And you'll be working with a dynamic team of people passionate about electrifying East and West Africa!

Why Join Us

• Lead landmark solar hybrid projects transforming Nigeria’s and West Africa’s energy landscape.
• Be part of a fast-growing regional team with projects across Africa.
• Take ownership of complex, high-impact projects from concept to operation.