Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

VAC-2026-0004: PROJECT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – TECHNICAL

Responsibilities or duties

This role is responsible for the successful evaluation of proposals, documentation and development of CEC projects, including project technical and commercial structuring, technical, commercial and legal viability assessment, budgeting, and coordination expert input from consultants and internal teams across key project development workstreams, securing approvals through presentation to relevant approval committees within CEC.

The position will report to the Head – Project Development.

Key Accountabilities

Co-manage the full project development lifecycle from sourcing, evaluation, drafting of business cases, securing management and regulatory approvals and closing in-line with CEC’s strategic objectives.

Sourcing Function

• Developing Project Sourcing Strategies that align with overall company goals, such as cost reduction, quality improvement, or sustainability initiatives.
• Proactively scan the market to identify potential projects that fit within CEC’s strategic vision.

Evaluation Function

• Review project proposals for commercial fit to CEC’s strategic intent.
• Monitor market trends, regulatory changes, and competitor activity to provide insights that support commercial strategy and project performance.
• Identification of potential project risks (permitting, environmental, commercial) and provide input on mitigation strategies.
• Develop financial models, cost-benefit analyses, valuation, and risk-return evaluations to ensure project profitability and investment soundness.

Approval Function

• Take the lead in coordinating the process of securing all key project licenses, permits and other applicable approvals.
• Provide commercial and economic inputs to support project recommendations, including financial viability, strategic alignment, and risk assessment, for management consideration.
• Support the preparation of project Investment Papers by providing financial, economic, and strategic inputs to inform Project Steering Committee and CEC Board decisions.

Closeout Function

• Provide technical inputs to support the drafting, negotiation, and closing of key project agreements, reviewing payment structures, revenue streams, and financial obligations to ensure alignment with project financial models and strategic objectives.
• Facilitate the negotiation of financing agreements and management of Conditions Precedent leading to financial close.
• Support the preparation of project handover paper to the appointed project manager for onward implementation.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Experience needed

To be successful in this role, you will be required to have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Relevant qualifications in Business Studies, Project Management are an added advantage.
• Registered member of EIZ.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in project development, preferably within the renewable energy sector.
• Hands-on experience across the full project development lifecycle, including feasibility studies, budgeting, permitting, and advancing projects from concept to construction-ready stage.
• Exposure to financial modeling, risk assessment, and project finance, with familiarity in contract management, tendering, and bid evaluation processes.
• Proven experience in coordinating multi-discipline, cross-functional teams and liaising with regulatory authorities, consultants, contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Experience with renewable energy simulation and modeling tools (e.g., PVsyst, Homer-Pro, PV WATTS) for feasibility and design assessments of solar projects.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to drive project progress, resolve challenges, and ensure stakeholder alignment.

• Co-manage the full project development lifecycle from sourcing, evaluation, drafting of business cases, securing management and regulatory approvals and closing in-line with CEC’s strategic objectives.
• Developing Project Sourcing Strategies that align with overall company goals, such as cost reduction, quality improvement, or sustainability initiatives.
• Proactively scan the market to identify potential projects that fit within CEC’s strategic vision.
• Review project proposals for commercial fit to CEC’s strategic intent.
• Monitor market trends, regulatory changes, and competitor activity to provide insights that support commercial strategy and project performance.
• Identification of potential project risks (permitting, environmental, commercial) and provide input on mitigation strategies.
• Develop financial models, cost-benefit analyses, valuation, and risk-return evaluations to ensure project profitability and investment soundness.
• Take the lead in coordinating the process of securing all key project licenses, permits and other applicable approvals.
• Provide commercial and economic inputs to support project recommendations, including financial viability, strategic alignment, and risk assessment, for management consideration.
• Support the preparation of project Investment Papers by providing financial, economic, and strategic inputs to inform Project Steering Committee and CEC Board decisions.
• Provide technical inputs to support the drafting, negotiation, and closing of key project agreements, reviewing payment structures, revenue streams, and financial obligations to ensure alignment with project financial models and strategic objectives.
• Facilitate the negotiation of financing agreements and management of Conditions Precedent leading to financial close.
• Support the preparation of project handover paper to the appointed project manager for onward implementation.

• Financial modeling
• Risk assessment
• Project finance
• Contract management
• Tendering
• Bid evaluation
• Coordination of multi-discipline, cross-functional teams
• Liaising with regulatory authorities, consultants, contractors, and other stakeholders
• Renewable energy simulation and modeling tools (e.g., PVsyst, Homer-Pro, PV WATTS)
• Analytical skills
• Organizational skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to drive project progress
• Ability to resolve challenges
• Ability to ensure stakeholder alignment

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Relevant qualifications in Business Studies, Project Management are an added advantage.
• Registered member of EIZ.