Business Development Manager

Company Overview:

Solarcentury Africa, a market leader in the development of solar PV and energy storage projects, across multiple countries. Headquartered in the UK, Solarcentury Africa has an impressive project portfolio, having worked on impactful projects in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Eritrea.

Solarcentury Africa is a fully integrated solutions provider of renewable technologies. We are globally capable with a focused commitment to Africa. As industry leaders, we tackle energy needs of diverse large scale energy consumers as well as governments. We are pioneers of smart renewable energy technology and optimised command and controls. We are also developing several projects in the SADC region, which will be following a merchant approach, where we will look to trade the power produced from these plants through our trading company.

In March 2021, BB Energy acquired Solarcentury’ s business in Africa, aligning with its commitment to the energy transition. This partnership enhances Solarcentury Africa’s capabilities, ensuring the delivery of optimal solutions for clients’ specific needs.

Mission:

At Solarcentury Africa, our mission is clear: to provide low-cost, clean, and reliable power. Whether through industrial installations or large-scale solar farms. Solarcentury Africa has over 500 MW of secured projects in operation, construction and active development and a robust pipeline extending up to 4 GW. This growth signifies our unwavering dedication to shaping a sustainable energy landscape and driving positive change on a significant scale.

Role Overview:

As a Business Development Manager at Solarcentury Africa, you will play a pivotal role in driving the company's growth and impact. Reporting directly to the Head of Business Development, you will be responsible for identifying and developing strategic business opportunities in the renewables sector.

The role focuses on Africa but will also give opportunity to work on projects globally. This is an integral role within Solarcentury Africa and is a fundamental part of the company’s international expansion strategy. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated self-starter with a proven track record in international development and drafting of proposals for renewable energy projects. This position is based in the UK and is a fantastic opportunity to develop Solarcentury Africa’s international business, directly impacting the company’s commercial growth and profitability and strategic direction. This position will require international travel both to/from Solarcentury Africa HQ in London and also to other African and non-African countries.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities in the renewable and energy storage sector across the designated region, specifically Southern Africa.
• Prepare and deliver compelling presentations and proposals to potential clients, showcasing Solarcentury Africa’s capabilities and solutions. The candidate will take a lead role on all proposals at the company so must have excellent presentation and English writing skills, including the ability to coordinate internal teams and inputs.
• Work close with Solarcentury Africa’s engineering team to analyse several scenarios for renewable energy hybrid systems for our clients, including performing commercial sensitivities to identify viable options.
• The successful candidate will be expected to use a financial model to determine the most cost-effective scenario renewable solution to present to the client. The candidate will also be expected to present this complex data in a succinct way within proposals to enable the successful award of the project.
• Work closely with Solarcentury Africa’s internal teams to ensure seamless transition from project origination to project implementation.
• Collaborate with the Head of Business Development to develop and implement business strategies aligned with the company's goals.
• Maintain and consistently track a strong pipeline of projects and supporting negotiations with clients.
• Assess and pre-qualify incoming client enquiries, technically and commercially.
• Conduct market research and analysis to stay informed about industry trends, competitor activities, specific country requirements, regulator pricing updates in relevant countries and regulatory changes.
• Supporting international marketing events

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, environmental science, sustainable development or a related field. Master’s degree is preferred but not essential.
• Experience in the solar energy sector is preferred but not essential.
• Candidate must have a proven track record of successful business origination and successfully writing and winning proposals.

• Basic technical knowledge and understanding of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies, battery storage systems, and grid integration solutions for captive power projects. Ideally the candidate should have a basic understanding of renewable fractions and how renewable energy systems are sized so the supply meets the demand.
• Experience working with financial models for solar projects is preferred, including an understanding of how energy tariffs are calculated.

• General knowledge of the African energy landscape and regulatory frameworks.

• Proven ability to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to address challenges associated with solar project development in the African context.

• General knowledge of approaches to funding large scale renewable projects.

• Passion for advancing sustainable development goals and an understanding of the environmental and social implications of solar energy projects.

Additional Information:

• Language proficiency in English; additional proficiency in other languages is a plus.
• The candidate should have excellent presentation skills as well as excellent knowledge of excel and data analysis.
• Willingness to travel extensively within Africa as required by project demands.

Solarcentury Africa is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.