Head of Operations & Maintenance (Renewable Energy)

Smart4 Energy is seeking a Head of Operations & Maintenance for its renewable energy division in South Africa. The role involves establishing and leading the O&M function for utility-scale assets, focusing on operational excellence, asset performance, and team development. Responsibilities include developing operational frameworks, overseeing maintenance strategies, managing budgets, and ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards. The position is ideal for a commercially minded leader with experience in building high-performing teams.
Head of Operations & Maintenance (Renewable Energy)


Executive Leadership Opportunity | South Africa A leading renewable energy business is seeking an experienced Head of Operations & Maintenance to establish, lead, and grow its Operations & Maintenance function across a portfolio of utility‑scale renewable energy assets.


This is a rare opportunity to build an O&M business from the ground up, creating the operating model, systems, processes, and culture that will support long‑term operational excellence and commercial success. The successful candidate will play a key leadership role in driving asset performance, reliability, profitability, and future growth.


The Opportunity Reporting to the executive leadership team, you will take full responsibility for developing and leading a regional O&M business, overseeing multiple utility‑scale renewable energy assets while implementing industry‑leading maintenance practices and operational standards.
This role is ideal for a commercially minded leader who enjoys building high‑performing teams, developing operational frameworks, and delivering exceptional asset performance across geographically dispersed sites.


Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership Build and lead a high‑performing Operations & Maintenance division. Develop the operating model, governance framework, systems, policies, and procedures that will underpin the business. Drive a culture of operational excellence, accountability, safety, and continuous improvement. Support the growth of the business by identifying opportunities to improve service delivery, operational efficiency, and profitability. Operations & Asset Management Lead the operations and maintenance of a portfolio of utility‑scale renewable energy assets. Maximise plant availability, reliability, and performance through best‑practice maintenance strategies. Oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programmes. Drive root cause investigations and implement sustainable corrective actions. Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, OEM recommendations, industry standards, and regulatory requirements. Process Improvement Develop and implement standard operating procedures, maintenance frameworks, reporting systems, and performance standards. Establish KPI dashboards and operational reporting structures. Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reliability, safety, operational efficiency, and cost optimisation. Take ownership of divisional budgets, forecasting, and financial performance. Manage P&L and deliver against commercial objectives. Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency while maintaining high standards of safety and reliability. Support supplier management, procurement activities, and commercial negotiations. Leadership & People Development Recruit, mentor, and develop multidisciplinary technical teams. Lead site managers, engineers, technicians, contractors, and service providers across multiple locations. Build a high‑performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous development. HSE & Compliance Champion a strong health, safety, and environmental culture. Ensure compliance with all legislative, contractual, and company requirements. Lead incident investigations and drive continuous improvement in HSE performance. About You Degree or Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Renewable Energy, or a related discipline. Extensive experience leading Operations & Maintenance functions within the renewable energy sector. Proven success managing utility‑scale Solar PV, Wind, and/or Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) assets. Demonstrated experience building operational systems, maintenance frameworks, and business processes from the ground up. Strong commercial acumen with direct responsibility for budgets and profit and loss. Experience managing geographically dispersed assets, technical teams, contractors, and service providers. Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills. Why Apply? Lead and shape a growing Operations & Maintenance business. Build a division with the autonomy to implement best‑practice operational standards. Work across a portfolio of utility‑scale renewable energy assets. Join an organisation with ambitious growth plans in the renewable energy sector. Competitive executive remuneration package and long‑term career progression.