Senior Design Engineer — Solar Energy & BESS

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

Job Title : Senior Design Engineer — Solar Energy & BESS

Department : Technical & Engineering Department

Reports To : Head of Engineering

Contract Type : Permanent Contract (CDI)

Location : Head Office Antananarivo Madagascar + occasional project/trade-show travel (International)

CONTEXT & KEY CHALLENGES

Our technical design office develops large-scale photovoltaic solar power plants — from 10 MWp to several hundred MWp — with or without coupling to battery energy storage systems (BESS). Our projects operate in complex environments: high-voltage grid connection, grid integration, and optimization of injected energy and industrial self-consumption (very large scale C&I).

Joining the team as a Senior Engineer, you will be the go-to technical expert relied on by project managers for business developments, sales, and delivery teams. Your expertise directly shapes the quality and bankability of the complete studies we produce.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Design & Engineering

• Carry out feasibility studies and detailed preliminary designs (APS/APD — concept and detailed design stages) for PV plants ranging from 10 to 200+ MWp, with or without BESS
• Size PV systems (modules, inverters, transformers, MV/HV cabling) and energy storage systems (lithium-ion, DC/AC topology)
• Perform production simulations using PVsyst or equivalent tools and analyse P50/P90 results.
• Design single-line electrical diagrams, site layout plans, and shading studies.
• Produce bankable engineering reports (ready for lender's technical advisor (LTA) review)
• Draft technical specifications for equipment and works tenders

Optimised costing & Technical proposal assessments

• Prepare bills of materials (BOM), quantity take-offs, and detailed CAPEX cost estimates
• Assess site data (irradiation, topography, geotechnical conditions, grid connection)
• Prepare technical responses to tenders and draft the technical sections of commercial proposals.
• Be a source of proposals for technical and economic optimizations based on proven solutions from the international market.
• Assess project technical risks and propose mitigation solutions.
• Take part in client meetings and support BizDev/sales teams during technical negotiations

Grid Coordination & Expertise

• Liaise with grid operators on high-voltage grid connection studies.
• Oversee grid studies and ensure regulatory compliance (IEC, EN, NFC standards)
• Coordinate input from third-party design offices (geotechnical, environmental, structural)
• Supervise and validate deliverables from junior and mid-level engineers on the team

Technology Watch & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain an active technology watch (new PV & energy conversion technologies, BESS systems, hybrid solutions)
• Contribute to improving the design office's methods and tools.
• To assist with monitoring suppliers and their qualification process in conjunction with the procurement department
• Take part in post-construction lessons-learned reviews to improve future designs (REX postmortem).
• Train and support less experienced engineers in developing their skills

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Education

• Engineering degree (5-year, Master's level) in electrical engineering, energy, or power engineering
• Specialization in renewable energy is a plus

Experience

• Minimum 5 years in a design office or PV development role
• Proven track record on projects >10 MWp (utility scale)
• BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) experience is a strong asset

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Software Proficiency

• PVsyst (advanced proficiency — required)
• AutoCAD / SketchUp (design drawings)
• Advanced Excel (sizing calculations, BOM)
• PowerPoint (client deliverables)

Technical Areas

• MV/HV electrical engineering, grid connection
• BESS sizing (topology, sizing, degradation)
• IEC 62109, IEC 61724, EN, NFC 15-100 standards
• Bankability and engineering reports (due diligence)