General Manager

About our Client:

Zengamina is a fully integrated private utility in Ikelenge District, North-Western Province, Zambia, serving approximately 4,500 Zambians since 2007. Its power grid connects community households, institutions, and businesses across the district with power sourced from its 700kW run-of-river hydropower plant and 39 km of MV distribution lines. Zengamina has recently started its ~$5 million expansion project that will hybridize the existing hydro scheme with Photo-Voltaic generation, battery storage and add over 3,000 new connections, having a mission to electrify the whole of the rural Ikelenge District.

About the role:

Zengamina is looking for a capable and experienced manager with a technical background to manage all aspects of the Company operations and expansion plans, reporting to the Zengamina CEO.

.  The General Manager’s role is both technical and commercial/administerial. It has 4 key elements:

1. Sustainably improve and manage ZPL’s operations, customer service, and safety processes and procedures, safety and customer service perspective
2. Sustainably improve and manage ZPL’s revenue collection processes and procedures.
3. Manage significant capital expansion projects in distribution and generation – solar and hydro.
4. Build on strong relationships with community stakeholders through effective stakeholder engagement and management.

The GM will lead all aspects of the Company’s day-to-day operations including; personnel management, service delivery, maintenance and investment project planning and execution, billing and collections, financial and management reporting, regulatory reporting, environmental and social management, customer and stakeholder management. The successful candidate will be driven by the potential for improving operations through hands-on management and training of the ZPL team, detailed planning, effective communication, and holding others accountable.

He or she will also be driven by the opportunity to create large-scale positive impact by electrifying all of the Ikelenge District in a sustainable and equitable way. He or she will require solid technical knowledge, interpersonal skills, close attention to detail, and keen interest in developing a highly effective and productive team.

The candidate needs to embrace being located in a rural area and be resourceful and gain satisfaction from solving a myriad of challenges. The candidate must have proven experience of community engagement.

The General Manager will be based in Ikelenge, Zambia and will be asked to make occasional trips to Mwinilunga, Solwezi, and/or Lusaka in support of Company operations.

ZPL encourages Local candidates  to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

The General Manager will be expected to fulfil the following duties and responsibilities:

Build strong operational systems

• Ensure daily activities are planned, communicated, and well-understood by the ZPL staff.
• Design and implement monthly management reporting processes that allow for effective tracking of the Company’s performance against its Key
• Performance Indicators
• Ensure constant compliance with ZPL’s environmental, health, and safety policies and improve ZPL’s “safety culture” and general awareness of safety hazards.
• Improve and manage ZPL’s billing and collections practices with the aim of achieving 95% monthly collections rates.
• Develop and then manage annual operational and maintenance budgets.
• Work with stakeholders and customers to develop and implement programs aimed at 1) increasing productive use of electricity across the existing customer base and 2) growing the customer base with the ultimate goal of achieving annual revenue growth targets.
• Design and implement annual technical training programs for ZPL’s staff and annual “awareness’ ‘training for ZPL’s customers.
• Oversee the implementation of ZPL’s environmental and social management system (ESMS), including timely monthly reporting.

Plan and execute capital expansion projects

• Work closely with the procurement team to develop and implement a project planning and materials procurement process that allows for on-time completion of projects.
• Work closely with ZPL’s CEO and Group Head of Utility Operations to conduct detailed planning for the district-wide expansion of the grid, and expansion of the generating capacity of ZPL through solar and hydro , and play a leading role in implementing the projects.

Positive Community synergy and stakeholder management

• Develop and implement a stakeholder management plan with the goal of maintaining open lines of communication with the District’s chiefs, government officials, and large customers.
• Improve and formalize ZPL’s customer communication protocols.
• Coordinate and communicate with ZESCO and/or its contractors on matters related to ZPL’s partnership.
• Coordinate and communicate with the ERB and/or its contractors on matters related to ZPL’s compliance and reporting.
• Work closely with ZPL’s CEO and community leaders to Establish a
• Community Based Organization (“CBO”) through which community development projects can be identified, planned, and executed with CSR funding from ZPL, leveraged by grants and/or governmental funds when possible.

Desired Skills and Experience 

Essential Education / Experience:

• Bachelor’s (or Masters) degree in an engineering discipline.
• Registered with the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) or equivalent
• 10+ years of relevant work experience in one or more of: Distribution,
• Transmission, Generation, or other Utility Operations, with at least 5 years of experience managing a significant operations team.

Preferred Experience:

• Highly resourceful with the ability to work independently in a self-directed, entrepreneurial environment.
• Demonstrable experience in managing staff, customers, and broader stakeholder management in a rural context.
• Strong understanding of health and safety practices.
• Effective organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize processes and schedules, develop sound project plans, conduct constructability, operability, maintainability reviews and juggle multiple assignments with competing deadlines.
• Strong competency on computer administration, MS Office Suite programs, internet connectivity
• Strong report writing and analytical skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills; a proactive communicator across electronic media/platforms
• Additional languages spoken which are relevant to working in the area (Lunda) is helpful.

Advantageous but not essential skills:

• In-depth technical understanding of hydro power design, engineering, and operational concepts.
• In-depth technical understanding of electricity transmission and distribution grid design, engineering, and operational concepts.
• Strong understanding of the current rural African electrification market including latest technologies, best practices, case studies, and research.

Summary of Competencies:

• All round manager with a technical background in the power sector
• Takes initiative, positive and proactive, hands-on.
• Good communication skills with team members, multicultural environment, local community and stakeholders
• Effective organizational and prioritization skills
• Commitment to professionalism and high standards of integrity and ethics
• Confident on computers, Microsoft suite, and working remotely with online collaboration tools
• Strong written and spoken English skills

Compensation:

This role offers an opportunity for an ambitious, self-driven individual to develop their career with this wide ranging and challenging management role in a fast-expanding Zambian company that is part of an international group.  ZPL’s mission to electrify the whole of the rural Ikelenge District should be a motivation for the applicant.

Salary will be in line with market and experience and will include incentives based on KPIs to allow the candidate to show their potential and get rewarded. High quality accommodation is available for a single person or couple, a housing allowance will be provided for a larger family. Relocation support will be provided. Practical transport within Ikelenge, company Laptop and mobile phone and talk-time, as well as local medical care will be provided.

To Apply:

If you are interested and feel that you meet the criteria outlined above, please email the following to:  careers@talenthousepeople.com  with the subject “ZPL General Manager– [insert your name]”.

1. A copy of your current CV, file name should include your full name.
2. A cover letter addressed to the CEO ZPL, including the following:
   why this role is of interest and why you are suited (technical and managerial experience)
3. Confirmation you can live/work in Ikelenge, and eg. example of previous rural posting, local languages spoken (Lunda ideal)
4. Any international experience (studied or worked abroad, or with international company)
5. When available to start

Note: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

• August 16, 2024