Operations & Maintenance Specialist / Trainer

Bureau Veritas · Eritrea

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Position Summary

The Operations & Maintenance Specialist / Trainer will lead the capacity-building and knowledge-transfer programme for Eritrean Electricity Corporation personnel and other designated project stakeholders. The Expert will develop and deliver operator and maintainer training, competency assessments, O&M procedures, spare-parts and warranty-management systems, asset-management arrangements and handover-readiness activities for solar PV, battery energy storage and mini-grid facilities. The role will ensure that operating teams are competent, properly equipped and ready to safely operate, maintain and optimise the completed facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead preparation and implementation of the EEC capacity-building, training and knowledge-transfer plan for PV, BESS, mini-grid, substation, distribution and associated control systems.
• Conduct training-needs assessments covering organisational roles, existing competencies, staffing levels, operational gaps, safety requirements and future facility responsibilities.
• Develop a structured competency framework and training matrix for operators, technicians, engineers, supervisors, control-room personnel, maintenance planners and managers.
• Prepare role-specific learning pathways, course outlines, lesson plans, presentations, practical exercises, simulations, assessments, trainee manuals and trainer guides.
• Deliver classroom, workshop, field-based and on-the-job training using adult-learning methods and practical equipment demonstrations.
• Coordinate supplier- and contractor-led training and ensure that vendor programmes are aligned with project systems, operating philosophy and EEC competency requirements.
• Develop and administer written, oral and practical competency assessments, including pre-training baselines, post-training evaluations and workplace demonstrations.
• Maintain individual competency records, attendance registers, assessment results, certification status, refresher-training requirements and training-effectiveness evaluations.
• Prepare, review and consolidate standard operating procedures, operating instructions, switching procedures, maintenance procedures, checklists and emergency procedures.
• Develop preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance strategies for PV modules, inverters, BESS, PCS, transformers, switchgear, protection, SCADA/EMS, communications and auxiliary systems.
• Prepare maintenance schedules based on manufacturer recommendations, statutory requirements, operating experience, risk and equipment criticality.
• Develop asset registers, equipment hierarchies, tagging conventions, maintenance task lists, work-order processes, inspection routes and maintenance-history requirements.
• Support selection, configuration and implementation of an asset-management or computerised maintenance-management system, including data structures, user roles and reporting requirements.
• Prepare spare-parts, consumables, special-tools and test-equipment philosophies, including initial spares, critical spares, reorder levels, storage conditions and obsolescence risks.
• Review supplier spare-parts recommendations and reconcile them against asset criticality, lead times, local availability, warranty conditions and maintenance strategy.
• Develop warranty registers capturing equipment, warranty period, performance guarantees, exclusions, notification procedures, claim status and responsible parties.
• Coordinate warranty preservation, notification, evidence collection, defect reporting and follow-up during commissioning and the Defects Liability Period.
• Review O&M manuals, vendor documentation, as-built drawings, software records, licences, passwords, configuration files, test dossiers and asset information for completeness and usability.
• Develop operating philosophies covering normal operation, start-up, shutdown, charging, discharging, islanded operation, grid reconnection, curtailment and emergency conditions.
• Prepare safety-critical procedures covering isolation, lockout/tagout, electrical switching, working at height, battery hazards, fire response and emergency shutdown.
• Support commissioning and operational-readiness activities by involving EEC personnel in inspections, testing, energisation, trial operation and performance verification.
• Prepare and maintain an operational-readiness checklist covering staffing, competency, procedures, spares, tools, PPE, permits, communications, emergency arrangements and documentation.
• Conduct handover-readiness reviews and identify gaps that could affect safe operation, maintenance performance, warranty protection or asset availability.
• Support initial operation, troubleshooting and performance optimisation after handover, including analysis of alarms, failures, maintenance trends and recurring defects.
• Develop O&M performance indicators covering availability, reliability, energy yield, BESS efficiency, response time, failures, maintenance compliance, safety and warranty status.
• Prepare training-progress reports, competency dashboards, O&M readiness reports, asset-management reports and handover recommendations.
• Coach selected EEC personnel as internal trainers and develop a sustainable train-the-trainer programme for future induction and refresher training.
• Capture lessons learned and update training materials, procedures and maintenance plans based on commissioning, early-operation and DLP experience.
• Coordinate closely with the Project Director, technical leads, HSE Specialist, contractors, suppliers and EEC management to ensure consistent operational requirements and knowledge transfer.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Operations Management, Asset Management or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in utility operations, mini-grid operations, technical training, maintenance management or asset management.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience with solar PV, battery energy storage or comparable distributed-energy systems.
• Demonstrated O&M or capacity-building experience on at least two projects rated 5 MW or more, or equivalent multi-site mini-grid systems.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering technical training, competency assessments, O&M procedures, maintenance programmes and handover-readiness plans.
• Practical experience with spare-parts planning, warranty administration, asset registers, maintenance schedules and maintenance-management systems.
• Experience supporting commissioning, trial operation, troubleshooting, performance monitoring and transition from construction to operations.
• Experience preparing safety-critical operating and maintenance procedures for electrical, PV, BESS, substation or mini-grid facilities.
• Experience working with utilities, contractors, equipment suppliers, operators, technicians and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Experience in East Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, remote sites or internationally financed energy programmes is an advantage.

Technical and Training Competencies

• Training-needs analysis, competency frameworks, training matrices, curricula, lesson plans and adult-learning methodologies.
• Classroom, practical, on-the-job and train-the-trainer programme delivery for technical personnel.
• Competency assessment, knowledge testing, practical demonstration, certification and refresher-training management.
• Operation and maintenance of solar PV, BESS, mini-grid, substation, protection, SCADA/EMS and supporting electrical systems.
• Preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance planning based on risk, criticality and manufacturer requirements.
• Standard operating procedures, switching procedures, maintenance instructions, checklists and emergency-response procedures.
• Asset registers, equipment hierarchies, tagging, work orders, maintenance history and CMMS/EAM system implementation.
• Spare-parts optimisation, critical-spares analysis, inventory control, storage requirements and obsolescence management.
• Warranty registers, defect notification, evidence management, supplier follow-up and warranty-claim support.
• Operational readiness, commissioning participation, handover verification, DLP follow-up and early-operation support.
• O&M performance indicators, reliability, availability, energy performance, maintenance compliance and management reporting.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, technical writing, stakeholder coordination, presentation and knowledge-transfer capability.

Professional Credentials and Attributes

Professional registration, recognised asset-management certification, training-of-trainers qualification or relevant O&M certification is preferred where applicable. Membership in a recognised engineering, energy, operations, maintenance or asset-management institution is desirable. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong practical knowledge, patience, coaching ability, cultural awareness, safety leadership, structured documentation skills and the ability to translate complex technical systems into clear operating procedures and effective learning experiences.

ACCEPTABLE CV FORMAT

CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

Education: {List college/university or other specialised education, giving names of educational institutions, dates attended and degree(s)/diploma(s) obtained.}

Employment record relevant to the assignment: {Starting with the present position, list relevant employment in reverse chronological order. Provide dates, employing organisation, position held, activities performed, assignment location, facility capacity and contact information for references.}

Membership in Professional Associations and Publications: _________________________________________________________________

Language Skills (indicate only languages in which you can work): _________________________________________________________________

Adequacy for the Assignment:

Contact information: (email ____________________, phone ____________________)

Name ____________________     Signature ____________________     Date ____/____/________

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