Senior Engineer – Operations – Botswana Power Corporation

Main purpose of the position

To plan, coordinate and control activities of Operations Department within the Power Station to achieve agreed operational targets, including ensuring that the generation plant performs to agreed standards in terms of plant availability, technical efficiency, environmental impact and safety in order to produce the contracted output in a sustainable manner at an acceptable cost and risk.

Job Responsibilities

• Coordinates the activities of the operations department, allocates responsibilities and provides technical advice to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the power station.
• Determines departmental priorities on technical and manpower plans to the Generation Division’s long, medium and short terms’ strategies and requirements.
• Formulates strategies for emergency and short term planned outages to ensure minimum downtime of generating plant with minimum costs to the Corporation.
• Performs periodic inspections of the plant and liaises with the relevant departments on the re-engineering and refurbishment to attain increased plant reliability and performance.
• Takes responsibility for implementing a team’s formal development framework with guidance from senior colleagues, while informally coaching others throughout the organization in area of expertise.
• Prepares forecasts and generation capability plans to ensure the optimal use of generation assets and availability of resources.
• Examines staff and recommends authorisation of safety certificates for access to the plant to ensure adherence to safety standards.
• Monitors electrical and mechanical operating and work procedures, policies and programmes to ensure adherence to approved operations policies and procedures, relevant statutory requirements and the Corporations safety rules.
• Manages the development and/or delivery of budget plans for own department.
• Procures and monitors the use of fuels and determines causes of variance from specifications and ensures the replenishment accordingly.
• Delivers own small-scale or medium-scale projects by working within an established program management plan.
• Manages operations department projects that directly affect the availability of the generating plant.
• Develops innovative solutions by integrating and analyzing complex and diverse information sources.
• Develops and/or delivers elements of a strategic planning system with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Develops new methods, tools and programs for quality assurance while leading developmental initiatives and/or programs within an area of expertise.
• Develops and/or delivers a plan for a specific area of responsibility by managing others.
• Manage relationships with key internal customers and act as their business partner, while typically using support teams to ensure client satisfaction.
• Manages important client relationships with guidance from senior colleagues or oversees relationship management with a group of more transactional clients and customers.
• Manages and delivers required outcomes for a portfolio of contracts and negotiates service level agreements while planning, coordinating and supervising activities related to major contracts.
• Delivers prescribed outcomes for area of responsibility by working within established knowledge management systems.
• Develops procedures for area of expertise with guidance from senior colleagues, then monitors implementation of those procedures within the organization.
• Evaluates the feasibility/relevance of proposed solutions, then develops and/or delivers a plan for significant aspects of the development program with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Delivers own prescribed outcomes and/or provides support services by using the organization’s safety, health and environment systems and protocols.
• Investigates all incidents/accidents associated with the operation of any plant and implement remedial action and improvements identified to prevent and minimise future incidents and accidents.

Qualifications

• A recognised Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or Equivalent.
• Professional membership of a recognised Institution required.
• Additional management qualifications will be an advantage

Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years relevant post qualification experience, of which, at least three (3) years should have been in a management capacity.
• A minimum of three (3) years’ experience in planning and managing resources to deliver predetermined objectives as specified by management
• Knowledge and experience of the electricity industry in general, and power generation in particular will, be an advantage.
• Fossil-fired power generation experience is required.
• Experience in a production environment will be an advantage.

Competencies