Utility Engagement Specialist

We’re looking for a Utility Engagement Specialist to manage utility relationships, and the submission and follow-up of grid-related applications with municipalities and utility providers. This field-based role is critical to ensuring project progress and compliance and will suit someone with integrity, initiative, and experience in navigating municipal processes.

Position of the job in the organisation:

The Utility Engagement Specialist will report directly to the Grid Specialist.

Principal responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, including municipal officials, Eskom representatives, and other regulatory bodies.
• Build credibility and trust through consistent, transparent, and professional engagement.
• Navigate bureaucratic and political environments with tact, patience, and persistence to ensure project approvals and alignment.
• Act as the bridge between technical teams and external stakeholders, ensuring collaboration and shared understanding
• Submit and track all energy applications (including Use of System Agreements, Small-Scale Embedded Generation, Embedded Generation, and Grid Connection) in person and online with relevant municipal or utility departments.
• Liaise directly and regularly with municipalities, utility representatives, and local government officials to build trust and ensure application processes are transparent and on track.
• Track and update application statuses on Monday.com project boards to ensure internal teams have up-to-date visibility on all submissions.
• Maintain and organise all related documentation (application forms, correspondence, approvals, permits) on SharePoint for easy access and audit-readiness.
• Schedule meetings, inspections, or networking sessions with municipal and utility stakeholders to facilitate better communication and faster approvals.
• Identify delays, risks, and recurring issues in specific municipalities, documenting patterns and escalating critical items to the Grid Specialist or senior leadership.
• Support internal reporting by compiling progress updates, flagging risks, and recommending corrective actions based on field observations.
• Represent the organisation in a professional and dependable manner when interacting with public officials and external stakeholders.
• Stay informed on municipal processes, updates, or policy changes that may impact project timelines or application requirements.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, project development, and compliance teams to align external application processes with internal project timelines.
• Assist in designing and maintaining a municipal engagement database for knowledge continuity and future project efficiency.
• Offer support and guidance to the Grid Engineer, particularly in areas related to internal systems, tracking, or field communication gaps.
• Contribute to internal process improvements, suggesting better ways to standardise and speed up municipal and utility engagement.
• Any other job duties associated with this role.

Experience & Skills

• 1–3 years of experience coordinating with electricity utilities, especially for solar or renewable energy projects and/or 3+ years of proven experience in a municipal-facing or energy applications role
• Proven track record engaging with South African municipalities, Eskom or other government/regulatory stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success navigating complex approval processes, compliance requirements, and bureaucratic systems.
• Hands-on experience with project registration, grid interconnection applications, and net metering processes
• Familiarity with UoSA, SSEG, EG and Grid Connection applications, Nersa Virtual Wheeling applications, Nersa Quarterly Reports and related utility or supply applications
• Valid driver's license and willing to travel

Specific attributes:

• Strong interpersonal skills: empathetic listener, persuasive communicator, patient negotiator.
• Ability to handle pushback, conflicting requirements without losing momentum.
• Excellent communication skills for continuous follow-ups with utility personnel and internal teams.
• Comfortable working independently and remotely.

Desirable attributes:

• Prior Utility Engagement Specialist or similar role or grid permit experience.
• Political and cultural awareness: able to adapt style for different municipalities and stakeholders.
• Exposure to project development in the energy sector.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings and grid connection layouts is an advantage.

By Month 3:
I will have:

• Built solid working relationships with at least 5 key municipal and utility contacts.
• Shadowed the Grid Specialist in stakeholder interactions and internal reporting.
• Familiarised myself with municipality-specific application requirements and submission processes.

By Month 6:
I will be:

• Independently managing the full lifecycle of multiple application submissions from start to resolution.
• Updating and maintaining SharePoint and Monday.com trackers with 100% accuracy.
• Routinely following up with municipalities and escalating unresolved delays to the Grid Specialist.
• Flagging trends or bottlenecks within specific municipalities and offering potential mitigation strategies.
• Supporting weekly or monthly reporting on progress, risks, and turnaround performance.
• Proactively scheduling meetings with external stakeholders to keep timelines on track.

By Month 12:
I can:

• Confidently represent the company in external stakeholder meetings and municipal workshops.
• Anticipate application risks early and implement process improvements to avoid delays.
• Deliver clear reports that summarise municipal trends, turnaround times, and systemic inefficiencies.
• Train or onboard new Utility Engagement Specialist or junior support staff in the organisation’s processes.
• Lead efforts to standardise municipal engagement strategies across the business.
• Serve as a trusted field advisor to the Grid Specialist and broader Engineering or Project Delivery teams.

Core Values:

We hire, reward, and recognise our team against these values. It is imperative that you believe in these values and demonstrate them consistently.

• We are passionate and proud of what we do.
• We communicate candidly, especially when it is difficult
• We take the initiative, share our mistakes, and grow together
• We are dependable and take accountability
• No one person is bigger than the solution - no egos.

We are currently only considering candidates based in South Africa with valid working rights. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider applications from outside the country at this time.