Main job function
The Head of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Improvement and Asset Management leads the strategic, operational, and financial performance of renewable-energy portfolio across Southern Africa. The role combines technical excellence in O&M with strong financial and governance stewardship to ensure maximum asset performance, profitability, and sustainability, fully aligned with global standards and values.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Asset Management Leadership
Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams across asset performance, finance, legal,and sustainability.
Maximise asset value and profitability through lifecycle management and continuous performance improvement.
Align regional asset-management strategies O&M improvement programmes and governance frameworks.
Financial Management & P&L Accountability
Hold full profit-and-loss responsibility for the O&M portfolio.
Oversee financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and cost control.
Manage OPEX / CAPEX budgets, cash-flow performance, and investor financial reporting.
Ensure transparency and accuracy in financial statements and variance analyses.
Regulatory and Contractual Compliance
Guarantee compliance with PPAs, O&M contracts, Asset Management Agreements (AMA/MSA/SA), and financing covenants.
Coordinate with Legal & Compliance to ensure fulfilment of all contractual obligations.
Apply Clients policies, global governance standards, and statutory regulations in all operational activities.
Operations & Maintenance Improvement
Ramp up and enhance O&M structures, systems, and processes at country level.
Integrate operations including the Control Room, Logistics, Contract Management, Industrial Risk, and Energy Management functions.
Lead innovation and cross-technology initiatives (e.g., PowerG, RoBoost, Sustainable Plant).
Drive adoption of digital tools, predictive maintenance, and data analytics to improve performance.
Define, monitor, and report KPIs on reliability, availability, and maintenance efficiency.
Risk Management and Insurance
Identify and mitigate operational, financial, and environmental risks across the asset base.
Implement preventive and corrective measures in coordination with HSEQ.
Oversee insurance programmes to ensure adequate risk coverage and compliance with lender requirements.
Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Compliance
Enforce Clients HSE policies and local legal requirements.
Ensure incident reporting, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions.
Foster a proactive safety culture and environmental stewardship at all sites.
Stakeholder Management
Maintain strong relationships with government agencies, regulators, shareholders, landowners, and strategic partners.
Coordinate internal collaboration with Procurement, Digital Hub, Engineering, and Global O&M teams.
Represent the company in investor reviews, lender meetings, and strategic forums.
Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement
Lead continuous-improvement projects to enhance asset reliability and reduce downtime.
Oversee strategic upgrades and optimisation initiatives across plants.
Promote a data-driven performance culture using benchmarking and best-practice sharing.
Reporting and Governance
Deliver timely, accurate, and transparent operational and financial reporting.
Ensure compliance with internal audit, ESG, and corporate-governance requirements.
Present portfolio performance, risk, and improvement plans to senior management and Board-level committees.
Qualifications & Experience
Master’s degree in Engineering, Economics, or equivalent. MBA or related postgraduate qualification advantageous.
12–15 years in power generation / renewable energy O&M and asset management.
Minimum 4 years in senior leadership managing multidisciplinary teams.
Proven experience in P&L ownership, investment modelling, and lifecycle cost analysis.
Strong understanding of contractual structures, financial reporting, and regulatory frameworks.
Demonstrated success in implementing digital O&M tools, reliability engineering, and asset-performance improvement programmes.
Core Competencies
Strategic and analytical leadership with sound financial acumen.
Deep understanding of renewable-energy O&M systems and asset-management processes.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
Resilient, results-driven, and adept at leading diverse teams.
Commitment to Clients values of Innovation, Trust, Proactivity, and Responsibility.
A Consultant will be in touch if you are shortlisted for the position. Please consider your application unsuccessful should you not have been contacted within 2 weeks. We will keep your CV on our database and contact you should you match the criteria of any other vacancies.
To apply for this job email your details to Chantel@armstrongappointments.com