Senior Project Officer - Rwanda

Senior Project Officer 
CrossBoundary Energy 
About the Firm 
CrossBoundary Energy develops, owns, and operates distributed renewable energy solutions for businesses, offering cheaper and cleaner energy through power purchase and lease agreements. With a secured portfolio exceeding $680M, the company boasts over 500MW of solar PV and wind generation, approximately 600MWh of battery energy storage, and around 50MW of enabling thermal generation assets. Their clients include industry leaders like Rio Tinto, Unilever, Diageo, Heineken, and Devki Group.
The diverse portfolio features large-scale renewable-led hybrid power plants for mines, rooftop and ground-mount solar PV plants for industrial clients, and distributed solar PV and battery power solutions for telecommunications sites. As a member of the CrossBoundary Group, founded in 2011, CrossBoundary Energy is dedicated to unlocking the power of capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. Learn more at www.crossboundaryenergy.com.
Job Description 
CrossBoundary Energy is recruiting a Senior Project Officer to lead CBE’s field oversight of a solar and battery storage energy project implemented in Rwinkwavu, Rwanda. The project consists of a 5.1 MWp solar PV plant and an 8 MWh battery energy storage system to be wheeled to the offtaker. The project is set to start its 15-month construction period, starting in Q1 2025. 
 
This is a initial fixed term employment opportunity for the duration of the construction period, with the potential to be converted into a full-time Operations and Maintenance role once the project is operational. The successful candidate will be seconded to the projects main Engineering Procurement and Construction contractor, Soventix Gmbh. 
 
We are seeking a multitalented Senior Project Officer who will act as CBE’s on-site representative for the solar project’s construction, working alongside CBE’s engineering, procurement, and construction partners to validate project schedule, budget, and risk mitigation. This role will be responsible for reporting on project progress, managing project partners to act consistently with CBE’s technical and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) standards, raising gaps in performance to CBE’s Development Manager, and ensuring corrective measures are taken on- site where needed. The Senior Project Officer will also act as CBE’s on-site representative to our electricity client, representing CBE and elevating client concerns about all aspects of project delivery. As part of the project’s Environmental & Social Management System (ESMS), the Senior Project Officer will also be responsible for reporting and, with support, resolving safety incidents and community grievances at the site. 
 
The Senior Project Officer will report to the Project Implementation lead. They will have dotted line accountability to the Project Development Manager for the project. 
 
Who We Are 
The CBE 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 

• Excellence: Demonstrated expertise in implementing international best practices for managing construction risks across a variety of projects 

• Excellence: You hold yourself to high standards and lead by example. You overdeliver on all tasks – big or small – necessary to contribute toward the team objective 

• Acts Like an Owner: A systematic and highly organized project manager; takes personal accountability for tracking activities across workstreams to drive them all to successful conclusion 

• Deliberate Thinker: A pragmatic decision-maker known for choosing the simplest solution to reach the goal 

• Deliberate Thinker: Your writing in documents and emails is brief, clear, and free of misspellings or confusing formatting. You speak up in team meetings to summarize your conclusions and offer new ideas 

• Curiosity: Not satisfied with “no;” assists others to generate creative solutions. You do not make or accept ultimatums 

• Bias to Action: Self-starter who is passionate about creating lasting change in Africa. You are comfortable with ambiguity, accountable for your decisions, and can operate without direction in a fast-moving environment 

• Prioritizes Results: Effectively employs software and project management tools to meet project and personal goals 

• Authentically Cares: Patient in developing good working relationships with clients, suppliers, and consultants 

• Integrity: Your set your standards above the minimum required for compliance where necessary to deliver an excellent project 

Required Qualifications 

• Citizen of Rwanda 

• 4+ years of experience in construction management AND EHS oversight for African infrastructure projects 

• Professional fluency in Kinyarwanda, speaking and writing 

• Professional fluency in English, speaking and writing 

• Professional fluency in use of Microsoft Office suite tools, including Excel and Word 

• Demonstrated ability to organize and complete work independently, without on-site supervision  

Primary Responsibilities 
The Senior Project Officer will support the CBE project team, EPC and subcontractors in general project implementation coordination and EHS management duties. Additional specific duties are listed below: 

• Monitor and update project work schedules using existing templates and effectively track project progress throughout the solar project lifecycle 

• Effectively manage internal and external stakeholders to complete scheduled tasks 

• Identify project schedule and budget risks at an early stage and alert Development Manager / Implementation Manager in time to minimize or mitigate impacts 

• Meet with third-party technical stakeholders (including attending weekly EHS and progress meetings) to ask questions and accurately take notes on construction problems for later discussion and review with Development Manager / Implementation 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 to deliver best value to the customer and optimize project returns 

• 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 review and revision of draft RAMs produced by EPC and subcontractors to plan appropriately for mitigating risks during project construction 

• Assert key elements of EHS on a construction site, confidently recommending changes and new ways of operating to teammates and external contractors 

• Conduct site audits of compliance to CBE and international EHS standards. Recommend and validate corrective actions to close compliance gaps 

• 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 

• Assist with administrative tasks for the project as directed

• Implement all business and project approved processes

Think you have what it takes but not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you're passionate about what we're building, we want to hear from you! 
 
Location 
Candidates will perform work for an envisioned 15-month time period on-site in Rwinkwavu, Rwanda supervising construction activities. Staff may be based in Kigali with a regular travel to Rwinkwavu.
 
Equal Opportunity Employer 
CrossBoundary is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected]