Director of Solar Water Farm Development & Deployment

Director of Solar Water Farm Development & Deployment

Location: Remote | Reports to: VP of Solar Water Farms | Department: Solar Water Farms

WHO WE ARE

GivePower's mission is to electrify the world with clean energy and provide greater health, economic, and educational opportunities to those who need them most. Since 2013, we've constructed nearly 2,800 solar projects across 33 countries, improving the lives of over 3 million people. Our growing team is made up of passionate, creative problem-solvers who value community, vision, and impact. If you crave an opportunity to meaningfully improve the lives of those in need, come join the charge.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of SWF Development & Deployment manages and oversees GivePower’s Solar Water Farm (SWF) projects globally, from early-stage development through construction and handover to operations. Reporting to the VP of Solar Water Farms, this leader leads the planning, execution, and delivery of a portfolio of projects while working closely with internal teams, contractors, vendors, and partners to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to quality standards.

Working closely with the VP of Solar Water Farms, the Director translates the program’s expansion goals into executable project plans. A key emphasis is leading the project team and owning scope, schedule, budget, and contractor performance for every Solar Water Farm leading up to site launch. The role contributes greatly to the level of GivePower’s impact firsthand and is an instrumental part of creating sustainable solutions to one of the world’s most pressing challenges.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Site Development: Oversees all aspects of the SWF site development process, including project identification, market research, and technical validation, and presents projects to senior leadership for go/no-go decisions.
• Land, Permitting & Approvals: Oversees land acquisition, permitting, and early-stage approvals with legal, project developers, government authorities, and local stakeholders.
• Market Validation: Collaborates with Country Managers to assess market validation, project risks, and alignment with organizational goals.
• Feasibility & Scoping: Works with engineering and deployment teams to assess technical and financial feasibility and define scope, schedule, and budget for each project.
• Construction Oversight: Oversees SWF construction, including contractor site safety, quality, and environmental compliance.
• Bidding & Contractor Selection: Leads local RFP and bid processes, including bid package preparation, bid analysis, and contractor negotiations, and recommends contractor selection to the VP of Solar Water Farms.
• Contracts & Project Documentation: Oversees project mechanics and documentation, including contracts, invoices, change orders, and payment milestones, approving within delegated authority and escalating as needed.
• Contractor Management: Manages contractor relationships and performance, ensuring deliverables including permitting, quality standards, payment milestones, and closeout requirements, and leads resolution of contractor issues and disputes.
• Handover to Operations: Oversees the transition from Deployment to Operations, including site opening planning and budget, coordination between deployment, O&M, and site operations teams, internal handover documentation, and closeout documentation required by authorities for operation and distribution of water.
• Team Leadership: Manages and mentors a team of development managers, deployment managers, project managers, and support staff, providing guidance, feedback, and professional development opportunities.
• Budget Ownership: Owns project budgets for all Solar Water Farms from development through site launch, including setting budget baselines, tracking actuals and forecasts, managing contingency, and reporting variances to the VP of Solar Water Farms.
• Schedule Ownership: Owns the global SWF project schedule, including critical path, key milestones, and open items, and flags schedule, scope, or budget risks to the VP of Solar Water Farms.
• KPIs & Reporting: Tracks progress against KPIs and reports on project status to senior leadership and stakeholders. Ensures accurate project data is captured across tracking tools, including Salesforce, Procore, and Asana.
• Process Improvement: Leads the development and continuous improvement of internal templates, standard operating procedures, and methods of communication with other departments (Finance, Legal, Operations, Engineering, Creative).

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE QUALITIES

• Prioritizes and manages multiple projects simultaneously
• Motivates and manages teams, preferably remote and cross-cultural teams
• Thrives in a dynamic environment as a natural problem solver, with constant attention to detail and accuracy

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• 8+ years of experience in project or construction management, including 3+ years in renewable energy, water, or infrastructure
• 3+ years of experience managing teams
• Expert project management skills, with proven experience owning project budgets and schedules
• Experience managing EPC contractors, including RFPs, negotiations, and contract administration
• Experience delivering projects in East Africa or other emerging markets strongly preferred
• Understanding of solar systems, maintenance, and design preferred
• Understanding of water treatment systems (including desalination/RO) and battery storage preferred
• Experience with project tracking and CRM tools such as Salesforce, Procore, and Asana preferred
• Willing and able to travel nationally and internationally, up to 30% of the time
• Fluency in English; Swahili a plus
• Expert communication skills, with experience engaging contractors, government authorities, and community stakeholders

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

GivePower is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, gender, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other characteristic protected by local laws and regulations.