Transmission Line Engineer Job at West African Power Pool

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) is a specialized institution of ECOWAS that operates in the general interest of the regional power network system in order to ensure a reliable power supply throughout the region (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo). Today, WAPP comprises thirty-five (35) electricity companies that are public and private power generation, transmission, distribution and commercialisation entities involved in the operation of the power network system in West Africa.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Position: Transmission Line Engineer

Job Location: PMU Head Office, Abuja, Nigeria
Project Name: WAPP North Core/Projet Dorsale Nord Interconnection Project
Employing Institution: Project Management Unit (PMU) of the North Core Project
Reports to: Senior Technical Coordinator of PMU
Appointment: Full time, approximately 36 months
Language required: Proficiency in English or French with a good knowledge of the second language.
Job Context: Extensive travel within the project zones

Project Background

• The West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) is a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which, among others, ensures regional power system integration and the realization of a regional electricity market.
• Within the framework of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), the Governments of Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo and Burkina are collaborating to develop a sub-regional interconnection project referred to as the 330 kV WAPP North Core Project.
• The project involves the construction of approximately 875 km of 330 kV transmission lines from Nigeria to Burkina Faso, through Niger, and Benin, 24 km of 225 kV transmission lines in Burkina Faso, the construction or extension of seven substations, and the extension of two national control centers.
• The project will also involve the electrification of rural communities located within a 5 km radius on both sides of the line, and the implementation of a number of environmental and social mitigation measures. These include, among others, the implementation of Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) to provide for persons and communities affected by project implementation activities.
• The project is being financed by The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), African Development Bank (AfDB), European Union (EU) and the World Bank (WB).
• Given the regional dimension of the project, and in order to enhance its coordination, the Energy Ministers of the North Core countries agreed to put in place an institutional framework which includes the establishment of the Project Management Unit (PMU) to, among others, assist in the preparation and physical implementation of the North Core project.
• The supervision will be done by an Owner’s Engineer on behalf of the PMU. The PMU, based in Abuja (Nigeria), will have also local offices in the countries.

Job Purpose

• Under the direct supervision of PMU Senior Technical Coordinator, the Transmission Line Engineer’s mandate will be to work closely with the Owner’s Engineer and local PMUs to monitor and ensure the effective execution of works for the construction of High Voltage transmission lines included in the project.
• His/Her tasks will be done in accordance with contracts signed with construction companies based on international and donors’ standards namely the World Bank, AfDB, AFD and EU.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The Transmission Line Engineer will assist the Senior Technical Coordinator to monitor the engineering, schedules, and reporting on progress of High Voltage Transmission Line construction works.

Specific tasks include:

• Review and validate transmission lines design (including SWS technology), technical specifications, and construction schedule submitted by Contractors;
• Ensure project implementation adheres to the contract specifications and applicable international standards;
• Ensure that the implementation of construction work adheres to the project timeline;
• Coordinate the TL construction works with RAP process in accordance with E&S safeguards colleagues;
• Follow up on correspondences between the OE, Contractors, PMU and the other stakeholders;
• Review reporting from Contractors and OE;
• Check and certify invoices of OE and contractors;
• Monitor the implementation of the Quality Management Plan set up by companies;
• Monitor safety arrangements during works (Personal protective equipment, Staff certifications to handle specific electricity related tasks, etc);
• Verify coherence and coordination with rural electrification projects;
• Collect all relevant information on the construction, anticipate and identify problems and risks arising and recommend necessary actions to ensure sound implementation of the project;
• Assess and advise on all proposed technical variations justification or otherwise of claims;
• Attend Factory Acceptance Tests;
• Inspect the quality and quantity of transmission line components;
• Supervise commissioning of transmission lines;
• Ensure technical support to local PMUs ;
• Coordinate the interfaces with national utilities (NIGELEC, SONABEL) of the rural electrification component of the North Core Project and especially for Burkina Faso with the SWS technology;
• Coordinate the interfaces with TCN on Kainji-Birnin Kebbi Project financed by AFD in Nigeria;
• Respond effectively to any other job assigned by the Senior Technical Coordinator.

Qualification and Experience
The Transmission Line Engineer must have the following:

• Electrical or Mechanical Engineering Degree; (or degree in a related field)
• At least 5 years of proven experience in HV (132 kV and above) transmission line design, construction or maintenance or experience in two (2) HV transmission line construction projects of 132 kV and above;
• Regional experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams and project stakeholders is desirable.

Knowledge Requirements:

• Hands – on experience in three-dimensional (3D) engineering models software such as PLS –CADD, JOVE, AUTOCAD, etc;
• Knowledge and thorough understanding of transmission lines engineering including conductors, isolators, structures and foundations;
• Knowledge and understanding of transmission lines structure and foundation design and calculations;
• Knowledge and understanding of land survey, topography and GIS;
• Strong knowledge in managing engineering contracts awarded during implementation of energy projects will be an advantage.

Desirable Qualities, Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent organizational skills and ability to work in a team and under pressure;
• Excellent planning and project management skills; Able to work with little or no supervision.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, good team player and dependable;
• Possess a strong desire to perform work as directed in a conscientious, timely, safe and professional manner;
• High level of personal initiative and ability to interact with personnel, clients, and contractors.
• Ability to use MS office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other data processing software), and the internet;

Language Requirements:

• It is required that the Transmission Line Engineer is proficient in English or/and French (Read, write, speak) with a good knowledge of the other language.

Duration

• The contract is for a period of 36 months with a probation period of six (6) months.

Reporting Requirements:

• The Transmission Line Engineer will be required to prepare weekly progress reports on the implementation and progress rate of works, as well as monthly and quarterly reports on the project.
• These reports shall comprise information, including but not limited to Billing, Reporting and Forecasting, Progress tables, Schedule Updates, Quality, Safety and identification of Project Risks.
• These reports will be validated by the Senior Technical Coordinator and approved by the PMU Director.

Performance Assessment:

• The performance of the Transmission Line Engineer will be evaluated annually by the Senior Technical Coordinator and approved by the PMU Director based on the following among others:
  • Timely delivery of reports to the PMU;
  • Implementation of project meet industry standards such as NESC, IEEE, ASCE, ACI and ANSI;
  • Project implementation adheres to applicable OSHA safety standards.
• Other key performance indicators derived from the duties and responsibilities above, and agreed upon between the jobholder and the Senior Technical Coordinator, would be used as the basis for measuring the performance of the jobholder.

Click here to view/Download Terms of Reference (ToR) - PDF

Click here to download Application Form (MS Word)

Application Procedure
Before applying, candidates should Download and fill the Application Form Above which should be uploaded when completing the online application

For further enquiries: Kindly send emails to recruitment@blueprintconsultgh.com or call +233 302 963401