Job Openings at CrossBoundary

Job Description

• CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) is recruiting a Construction Manager to manage the construction process for CBE’s renewable energy (solar PV, wind, etc.) projects for commercial and industrial customers.
• The Construction Manager will contribute to all facets of project planning and execution for CBE’s projects that are under construction.
• The Construction Manager will be the main interface point between CBE’s Project Development Team, CBE’s EPC contractors, and CBE’s clients on topics related to the construction of CBE’s projects.
• This role will require occasional international travel and reports to the Head of Project Development.
• CBE is not an EPC or a pure developer, as we seek to build a portfolio of long-term, high-performing assets.
• CBE will look to you for practical insights on how to make discrete business decisions that will directly affect our financial outcomes.

Who We Are

• The CrossBoundary Energy team is a unique group of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the world's most challenging and exciting renewable energy markets.
• The chosen candidate will play an important role in a unique team with the opportunity to make a large impact on the clean energy landscape in Africa.
• Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.

Who You Are

• Self-starter who is passionate about clean energy and its potential to transform fragile states and frontier markets in Africa.
• A systematic and highly organized professional; takes personal accountability for tracking numerous activities and driving them all to successful conclusion.
• Comfortable with ambiguity; builds strong relationships even in stressful environments.
• An analytical, practical thinker known for choosing the simple, robust solution where more complicated approaches would deliver the same results; focuses on the core issues.
• Clear and professional communicator in person, in writing, and by phone.
• Calm, measured, but firm when disagreeing; you can assert your own perspective while motivating stakeholders to move toward a common goal.
• Resilient in the face of obstacles and calm under pressure.
• Patient and skilled at interacting with contractors, team members, suppliers, and service providers.
• Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships within the CBE team and with external stakeholders.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 7+ years’ work experience in construction management required.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver on construction of large-scale energy projects, through the full project lifecycle.
• Demonstrated progression of project construction management responsibilities.
• Work experience/competency or demonstrated familiarity with large-scale and hybrid renewable energy generation plants, especially hybrid solar PV, BESS plants, and wind power plants.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or construction-related field.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of MS Office suite (e.g., PowerPoint, Excel, Word, etc.), as well as, demonstrated competency in the use of MS Projects.
• Demonstrated ability to independently supervise multi-stakeholder projects.
• Experience in document control, scheduling, and cost control/tracking.
• Project Managers Professional (PMP) certificate or comparable experience and/or demonstration of formal training in project management is desired but not required.
• Communicates effectively across diverse audiences.
• Writes clearly and professionally.

Primary Responsibilities

• Monitor and update project work schedules using existing templates and effectively track project progress throughout construction.
• Effectively manage internal and external stakeholders to complete scheduled tasks.
• Identify project schedule and budget risks at an early stage and alert Project Development Manager in time to minimize or mitigate impacts.
• Meet with third-party technical stakeholders (including attending weekly progress meetings and tracking EHS updates) to ask questions and accurately take notes on construction problems for later discussion and review with Project Development Manager.
• Consistently, accurately, and clearly capture project EHS and construction data. Transmit weekly reports to the team through existing tools in accordance with reporting deadlines, including stakeholder grievances and any incident reports.
• Investigate opportunities to improve project implementation process to deliver best value to the customer and CBE.
• Interpret basic technical design principles related to energy systems, electrical systems, and the built environment, including technical drawings and equipment data sheets.
• Apply international standards for environmental, social, and health & safety risk management thoroughly, knowledgeably, and consistently on solar construction sites via ESMS procedures.
• Coordinate preparation, review and revision of draft RAMs produced by EPC and subcontractors to plan appropriately for mitigating risks during project construction.
• Demonstrate awareness of all laws and regulations relevant for project work and proactively raise questions with Project Development Manager about best practices for compliance.
• Support application for and acquisition of project permits for generation, construction, environmental certification, and any other permissions as appropriate.
• Use and build existing processes and tools to manage project implementation, and effectively de-risk CBE’s construction projects.
• Support in asserting key elements of EHS on a construction site, confidently recommending changes and new ways of operating to teammates and external contractors.
• Support in conducting site audits of compliance to CBE and international EHS standards. Recommend and validate corrective actions to close compliance gaps.
• Work with CBE’s Supplier Chain team to track procurement orders and coordinate with the EPC contractor to prioritize construction activities according to equipment delivery schedules.
• Assess and substantiate variation orders/change orders and escalate to internal project development team as necessary.
• Perform pre-invoice verification to ensure that milestones’ deliverables are achieved before payments are paid out to EPC contractors.

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Job Description

• Wind energy is seen as a critical technology to assist CBE in achieving higher levels of RE contribution to our customers.
• Our current wind portfolio under construction and development includes ~300MW of projects across Madagascar, Kenya and Australia with additional potential being explored in other regions including Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique.
• CBE is recruiting a full-time Senior Wind Engineering Manager to drive the development and implementation of our existing and future wind portfolio.
• The role will initially be focused on managing the wind projects under construction and development and expand into the development of new opportunities and the associated growth and management of the wind engineering team.  

Who We Are

• The CrossBoundary Energy team is a unique group of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the world's most challenging and exciting markets.
• The chosen candidate will play an important role in a unique team with the opportunity to make a large impact on the clean energy landscape across the world.
• Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.

Who You Are

• Enthusiastic about working, traveling, and living in sometimes challenging environments
• High tolerance for ambiguity and an ability to operate effectively in a changing context
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences
• Ability to build strong relationships with partners and colleagues in challenging environments

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s engineering degree
• 5+ years’ experience carrying out engineering services related to wind power projects, wind energy project development or project technical due diligence
• Experience with the development, implementation and/or operation of medium to large scale wind energy generation projects –consulting, developer, IPP, operator
• Detailed understanding of wind power plant design

Primary Responsibilities

• Overall lead for technical development of CBE’s wind project portfolio from early lead stage through to financial close;  
• Provide ongoing technical support and design review throughout project implementation, network integration and commissioning;
• Conduct hybrid sizing, configuration and design including optimal configuration of wind, solar, thermal and storage seeking to optimize for LCoE;
• Carry out site and situation analysis of projects and effectively drive the technical development to address high risk and critical path workstreams;
• Manage data gathering from customers and associated 3rd parties as required to effectively carry out studies and associated development activities;
• Manage the early-stage technical analysis of projects including the engagement with third party consultants and specialists as may be required to carry out specialist studies;
• Manage contractor engagement, configuration optimization and detailed design review;
• Support the business development team with technical inputs for pricing, proposal materials and customer engagement;
• Provide technical support during PPA drafting and negotiations;
• Project management through implementation including:
  • Managing Kickoff meeting and ongoing stakeholder engagement
  • Project progress and quality reviews
  • Management of PPA, Supply and Construction contracts
• Support the CBE technical team on an adhoc basis on projects across the full CBE portfolio

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Job Description

• CrossBoundary is recruiting a full-time Chief People Officer (CPO) to lead the firm’s global People division, including talent acquisition, employee experience, compliance, immigration, compensation & benefits strategy, performance management, people analytics, etc.
• We seek candidates with at least ten years of experience and a proven track record of leadership in human resources management, talent acquisition, and talent development, with a preference for experience in the financial services and/or the renewable energy sector.
• The CPO at CrossBoundary is far from the typical HR Executive.
• We believe our team members give us a competitive advantage.
• This role will aim to create innovative People services and programs that enable our team members to develop, grow, and succeed.
• The ideal candidate will fulfill the role of a modern CPO, be able to work and thrive globally and be willing to travel.
• This role is a member of our Executive team and reports to the Co-founder and Managing Partner.

Who We Are

• The CrossBoundary team is a unique group of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the world’s most challenging and exciting markets.
• Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and implement overall People division strategy to meet firm needs
• Oversee talent acquisition team efforts, including sourcing, interviewing, and selecting top talent to ensure the firm has the right people in the right roles
• Support the employee experience team, including onboarding, crossboarding, and offboarding, to ensure that all team members have a positive experience at CrossBoundary
• Ensure compliance with all applicable employment laws and regulations, including immigration
• Develop and implement a compensation and benefits strategy that is competitive, equitable, and aligned with the firm’s values, virtues, and goals
• Lead and innovate on the firm’s performance management process to ensure it’s scalable and support the creation of employee learning and development programs
• Manage all employee relations matters
• Build out CrossBoundary’s people analytics capabilities to ensure the firm is making data-driven decisions and make relevant information available to stakeholders
• Continue to build upon our culture of inclusion, diversity, and belonging, and promote an environment that values and supports employee engagement, development, and growth
• Ensure employee safety and wellness
• Innovate People systems and make sure they are maintained and scalable over time
• Lead the growing People team, and maintain responsibility for team hiring, capacity building, performance management, and general team leadership duties 

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications:

• Proven track record of leadership in human resources management, talent acquisition, and talent development
• In-depth knowledge of human resources best practices and desire to stay up to date with the latest trends in the market
• Demonstrated leadership in fast-moving and complex environments
• Biased towards action 
• Strong locus of control; takes extreme ownership over results
• Excellent interpersonal and conflict management skills
• Self-starter and innovator who is passionate about creating lasting change in underserved markets
• Proven ability to recruit and build high-performing teams in multiple jurisdictions
• Knowledge of HR employment laws and regulations across countries, including immigration laws
• Excellent presentation and negotiation skills; ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences and through all levels of the firm
• Comfort with ambiguity; can operate effectively in a changing context
• Knowledge of various HR systems

Required skills and qualifications:

• 10+ years’ experience in human resource management, talent acquisition, and talent development with a preference for experience in the financial services and/or the renewable energy sector
• Experience as a People Executive within a firm that is globally dispersed required
• Experience working in the financial services and energy sectors will be regarded favorably
• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred

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Job Description 

• CrossBoundary Energy Access is recruiting a full-time Senior Project Development and Construction Engineer.
• The Senior Project Development and Construction Engineer will be a core part of CBEA’s growing in-house technical team. CBEA has contracted multiple mini-grid developers to develop and build mini-grids on its behalf in Nigeria (Developer Partners).
• The Senior Project  Engineer will provide technical oversight and supervision to CBEA’s Developer Partners as they work to bring CBEA’s projects to commissioning, and serve as CBEA’s on-the-ground representative to Developer Partners and other stakeholders in Nigeria.
• The role will include, but not be limited to, ensuring mini-grids are built in line with CBEA standards and existing project development and EPC agreements, validation of engineering designs, oversight of construction works progress, and confirmation of acceptance tests.
• The successful candidate will need to demonstrate an ability to use sound judgement to make decisions about assets being built in a challenging environment. 
• We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with previous experience in implementing and overseeing projects through engineering, procurement, and construction phases.
• Experience in developing countries and particularly Africa will be regarded extremely favorably.
• The selected candidate will report to the Senior Technical Manager.
• The role will be remote (based in Nigeria) from the rest of the team (based in Nairobi) and will require frequent travel. Qualifications in engineering are required. 
• CrossBoundary is not a development firm and is not seeking typical development skills – CBEA will look to you for practical insights on how to make discrete business decisions that will directly affect our financial outcomes.

Who We Are

• The chosen candidate will play an important role in a unique team with the opportunity to make a large impact on the energy access and renewable energy landscapes in Africa, bringing first-time grid quality power to 1 million people.
• Team members come from diverse backgrounds, but share a number of qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.
• CBEA is a small team, so we are looking for someone with a flexible skillset that can be adapted to add value across all of the team’s various activities.
• The ideal candidate is comfortable with ambiguity, able to build and maintain strong internal and external relationships, and passionate about energy access and renewable energy. 

Who You Are

• Self-starter who is passionate about creating lasting change in frontier markets
• Interest in or willingness to learn about mini-grids and the off-grid energy sector
• Belief that innovation is at the heart of finding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges
• Willingness to take on new types of work, even without prior experience or direct supervision
• Willingness to work and live in a sometimes-challenging environment
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to make professional recommendations with limited guidance based on experience and on-site information

Primary Responsibilities

 Development

• Work closely with Developer Partners on mini-grid site selection. You will analyze site survey data for multiple sites and provide insights on productive use potential hence ensure the best sites are progressed
• Manage Developer Partners to ensure relevant permits, community commercial agreements and site exclusivities are secured on time
• Oversee project development milestones for multiple mini-grids projects, by regularly following up with the Developer Partners
• Arrange and lead stakeholder engagements and meetings to further project objectives
• Drive productive loads strategies to ensure developers have put in place measures to collect sufficient data at development phase and clear plans are in place to connect productive users

Construction 

• Review and approve engineering designs for power generation plant and power distribution network to ensure developers comply with CBEA standards
• Track and monitor project activities and milestones at deployment phase i.e. procurement and construction and provide project management oversight
• Provide technical oversight at construction phase to ensure mini-grid sites are constructed as per CBEA standards
• Provide technical oversight on acceptance tests and start-up of operations at new mini-grid sites
• Apply CBEA’s HSES policies to development, construction operations and maintenance on our sites and help to develop safe operating practices and standards 

Qualifications

Ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications:

• Strong quantitative skills
• Familiar with mini-grids site assessments
• Excellent analytical ability and discipline; ability to think clearly, structure problems logically, and then design and implement solutions that focus on the core issues
• Ability to analyze large data in excel
• Ability to work with AutoCAD, GIS software, and data collection tools
• Ability to work in solar PV and microgrid design tools e.g. HOMER, PV Syst, Helioscope, etc
• Ability to build strong relationships with partners and colleagues in challenging environments
• Excellent presentation skills; ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences
• Self-starter who is passionate about creating lasting change in frontier markets
• Comfort with ambiguity; ability to operate effectively in a changing context
• Willingness to work and live in a sometimes- challenging environment

Required skills and qualifications: 

• 4+ years of experience in assessing, developing, implementing and managing energy projects or power systems engineering
• 2+ years’ work experience in solar PV mini-grids development, construction or maintenance with a top-tier firm
• Strong understanding of AC/DC Electrical Power Systems, Power Electronics, and/or Solar Energy
• Experience in quality assurance/supervision of solar PV systems and power distribution network designs, bill of materials, technical specifications, construction, testing and commissioning
• Experience in mini-grid site assessments including end-user surveys, demand assessment, productive use, etc
• Work experience or demonstrated familiarity with renewable energy systems, particularly solar PV installations or operating assets
• Proficient in data acquisition systems and monitoring systems
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering field required; other advanced degrees and project management courses will be regarded favorably
• Demonstrated ability to independently supervise multi-stakeholder projects 
• Clear and effective communicator across diverse audiences

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Job Description  

• CrossBoundary Energy is recruiting a full-time Energy Policy Director to drive CBE’s pan-African energy regulatory engagement strategy.
• We are seeking a resourceful and creative problem-solver to execute CBE’s vision for changing how African governments view distributed energy.
• The Energy Policy Director will support project development teams to secure licenses through direct advocacy and management of in-country consultants, as well as sourcing current and specific research to guide CBE’s business development efforts in new markets.
• This person will also help design and carry out strategic activities to secure and promote our solar business models for the long-term across Africa, including advocacy for appropriate net-metering, captive power, and power wheeling approaches (across East and West Africa).
• We expect the Director’s work to directly shape the future of distributed energy deployment on the continent.
• This member of the team will report to the Head of Energy Policy & Regulatory Affairs and collaborate regularly with the business development, project development, legal, and asset management functions on strategy and compliance topics. 

Who We Are 

• The CrossBoundary team is a unique group of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the most challenging and exciting markets in the world.
• Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action. 

Who You Are 

• A seasoned policy expert, with 5+ years’ experience at a leading multinational professional services firm, policy research or consulting institution, or infrastructure firm, including experience on African energy projects 
• An established ‘voice’ in the clean energy sector, with a record of success liaising with utilities or energy regulators to secure agreements or licensing to successfully implement power projects 
• Experienced in advising or implementing distributed energy projects, as distinct from utility-scale (i.e., captive, commercial-industrial, mini-grids) 
• Familiar with the key terms of power purchase agreements and the business models of independent power producers  
• Skilled at creating and leveraging professional relationships across countries, personalities, and the political spectrum to achieve a positive impact. Comfortable in working in complex, and highly political environments, when needed 
• Politically savvy; passionate about understanding the unique machinery of government in different countries, and understands that there is no one-size-fits-all policy solution  
• Systematic and highly organized, you can track multiple activities across diverse workstreams while delivering results on time 
• Ethical and highly principled; you hold yourself to rigorous international standards for anti-bribery and anti-corruption without exception 
• You thrive in a non-hierarchical, collaborative environment and welcome input on your work from any teammate. There is nothing you’d task someone else to do that you wouldn’t do yourself 
• Professional fluency in French 

Required Qualifications 

• 3+ years’ experience at a leading multinational professional services firm, policy research or consulting institution, or infrastructure firm, including experience in highly regulated sectors in underserved markets 
• 2+ years’ business experience in Africa or on Africa-based projects  
• Specific insights and real-world experience about how policy engagement by private businesses can successfully shape national market environments 
• Established network in the energy sector, including in CBE countries of operation 
• Expert and professional communicator in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.) 
• Bachelors’ degree in relevant field 
• Professional fluency in English 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Lead energy regulatory analyses across African countries to inform business development, project development, and investment decisions 
• Support CBE direct engagements with energy regulators and policymakers across several jurisdictions, to negotiate successful acquisition of project permits needed to achieve CBE’s business goals 
• In collaboration with the Head of Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs, work with policymakers to best practices and new ways of thinking about distributed energy to advance CBE's business interests and impact goals  
• Maintain extensive practical familiarity with energy, investment, and corporate regulations across Africa to readily advise relevant project teams 
• Summarize impacts of new and existing regulations to current renewable energy projects, then plan and manage rollout of any activities required to align with these standards  
• Regularly evaluate policy risks to achieving business goals and single out top priority concerns. Summarize for management and investors and offer recommendations on how best to mitigate 
• Maintain strategic relationships with senior local counsel to advise on new regulations 
• Lead CBE relationships within the energy industry across several jurisdictions and ensure CBE Regulatory team has effective engagement with releavant associations and industry bodies, where useful. Leverage influence to build buy-in among competitors and cooperate in advocating policymakers and regulators for mutually beneficial sector-wide policies  
• Manage CBE's internal database of laws and regulations across all markets, creating and overseeing processes to ensure that our information is current and relevant to project development teams 
• Supervise local policy consultants on specific advocacy or project permitting objectives