Principal Engineer

WSP South Africa is seeking an experienced and passionate Senior Thermal Power Plant Engineer to serve as a senior technical consultant for gas turbine and gas engine projects in Southern Africa. This role will also support international business as required. The position involves technical advisory work, project management, and interfacing with various engineering disciplines. The candidate must be registered with ECSA as a Professional Engineer and be willing to travel both domestically and internationally.

Key Responsibilities:

• Technical Advisory & Project Management:
  • Manage and perform high-quality technical advisory work on thermal power plant projects.
  • Interface between engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, civil, and control and instrumentation).
  • Prepare functional designs, specifications, and tender documents to internationally accepted standards.
  • Review detailed designs from OEMs or EPCs submitted by contractors.
  • Conduct site audits and provide inputs to project scoping.
  • Assess the technical performance of thermal power plants.
  • Provide project engineering support during the execution phase, including responding to technical queries, factory inspections, testing of materials, and monitoring construction progress.
• Proposal Preparation & Consultancy Services:
  • Prepare proposals for consultancy services related to thermal power plant projects.
• Health and Safety:
  • Role model standards for SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality) performance and behavior.
  • Contribute to identifying SHEQ risks and driving processes to achieve Zero Harm.
  • Promote company values and maintain a safe working environment.

Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Educational Qualifications:
  • BSc Engineering (Electrical or Mechanical) Degree.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 8 years of experience with gas turbines and gas engines in simple and combined cycle systems.
  • In-depth knowledge and field expertise in power plant modeling, design, construction supervision, and commissioning.
  • Experience providing technical advisory services to investors, project developers, and banks.
  • Knowledge and experience with gas infrastructure in Southern Africa.
  • Proven experience in business development.
  • Familiarity with various OEM gas turbine and gas engine models.
  • International experience in thermal power plant project development and delivery.
  • Experience across the full thermal power plant lifecycle, including feasibility, development engineering, construction monitoring, testing, commissioning, and operational inspections.
  • Knowledge of thermal plant modeling software, including Thermoflow.
• Professional Registration:
  • ECSA registration as a Professional Engineer.

Key Competencies & Skills:

• Technical Expertise:
  • Strong background in thermal power plants with at least 8 years of relevant experience.
  • Ability to work effectively within a team of engineers.
  • Excellent technical report writing skills.
• Project Management:
  • Ability to manage time, quality, and effort to deliver quality results within time and cost constraints.
  • Proficient in coordinating and managing projects under pressure.
• Communication & Independence:
  • Strong communication skills and the ability to function independently.

Additional Information:

• Up to 10% travel to clients, sites, and manufacturers’ premises is anticipated, including foreign travel within Africa.