Project Development Director - Telecom Energy Services at CrossBoundary

Who You Are 

• Excellence: Demonstrated expertise in negotiating project finance contracts including power purchase agreements, partnerships, leases, secured debt, engineering agreements, procurement contracts, construction agreements, and similar structures. You hold your own work to higher standards because that’s what delivers successful outcomes. Transaction or transaction advisory experience in the renewable energy industry preferred, with experience in decarbonizing and energy transition of Africa’s telecom sector an advantage. 
• Acts Like an Owner: You hold yourself personally accountable for brokering solutions where authority is unclear. When faced with an impasse, you convene the subject-matter experts you need to find a way forward 
• Deliberate Thinker: Proficiency in complex corporate finance models, project finance models, corporate structuring, and tax concepts makes you a pragmatic commercial decision-maker. You’re known for deducing the simple, robust solution from more complicated approaches 
• Curiosity: Not satisfied with “no;” assists others to generate creative solutions by looking at problems from new perspectives. You do not make or accept ultimatums 
• Prioritizes Results: You distill the signal from the noise. Your colleagues praise you for translating complex inputs into a plan of action. A succinct written and oral communicator. 
• Authentically Cares: Patient and skilled at developing relationships with clients, external counsel, suppliers, consultants, and teammates to consistently deliver excellent outcomes 
• Relevant advanced degree in engineering, business, economics or law – such as MBA, JD, LLM – preferred 
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Excel applied to corporate finance and project finance modeling 
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and visual storytelling 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, engineering, law or other relevant field 
• 10+ years of experience in project development, transaction advisory, and infrastructure development 
• Understanding of common implementation challenges through all phases of an energy project lifecycle  
• Demonstrable project finance understanding and commercial acumen 
• Applied understanding of commercial aspects of the energy transition of the telecom sector and the sector unique PPA structures that would be required 
• A strong network among active power project developers, suppliers, and construction partners relevant to the telecoms or distributed energy industries, especially in Africa 
• Commercial skill to facilitate collaboration across multi-disciplinary project teams  

Primary Responsibilities 

• Collate and assess inputs from subject matter experts from other CBE teams to navigate contracting for complex power purchase transactions and portfolio acquisitions, especially multi-stakeholder transactions. Take a holistic view of commercial, financial, legal, and tax constraints to support Business Development in negotiation tactics during development/tendering phase and in contract negotiations 
• Oversee project financial and technical feasibility throughout project development, in line with CBE standards, regulatory requirements, and client expectations 
• Perform in-depth financial analysis to develop the appropriate strategy for executing a given project transaction 
• Manage transaction documentation, deal structuring, and commitments across multiple deal contracts, working alongside support from internal and external Legal counsel  
• Identify gaps in CBE's value proposition to counterparties and generate new ideas for how to better bridge those gaps 
• Manage multi-disciplinary CBE telecom solutions team, prioritizing coaching and mentorship, skills growth, and instilling the confidence to take on new professional challenges 
• Manage external counsel and consultants to deliver on time and on budget 
• Design and deliver client-ready presentations advocating CBE’s desired commercial strategies. Advise counterparties on diverse aspects of financial, tax, and corporate structuring concerns using insights from CBE Finance and Operations teams 
• Cultivate a wide set of developers and technical partners to originate, develop, and close project opportunities across CBE's geographies 
• Assist Investment, ESG, and Operations teams to accurately diligence and report on deal aspects to investors, noting implications for group financial model and portfolio risk 
• Manage project risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.