Contracts and Land Manager

SUMMARY:
Contracts and Land Manager

POSITION INFO:

Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and manage risk review sessions, to drive early engagement, strategy development and approvals;

• Acts as the key strategic resource for review of contracts for projects;

• Draft and negotiate LoIs, conduct legal due diligence support for investments and divestment processes;

• Draft and negotiate acquisition agreements, partnership/joint venture agreements, joint development agreements, development services agreements and other agreements of a similar nature;

• Draft and negotiate mandate letters, finance term sheets, negotiate finance agreements for projects, manage CP fulfillment process in order to ensure financial close in accordance with expected timelines;

• Draft and negotiate power purchase and/or offtake agreements, grid connection agreements and related transmission and distribution agreements

• Conduct periodically general risk assessments to identify potential areas of compliance vulnerability and risk within the relevant region;

• Collaborate with other departments to identify contractual and area risks, and mitigating actions for projects as early as possible. Identify and evaluate project risks, support in developing/implement corrective action plans to mitigate potential risks, and provide general guidance on implementation;

• Analysis of tender documents and Terms and identifying variances with the company’s risk and standard T&C’s and policies;

• Verification and review of all contract conditions in the bid submissions process to ensure compliance with established internal risks, legal policies and requirements;

• Assist the team to obtain business documentation required to support qualifying tenders such as business Licenses and registration documents;

• Monitors and manages the company''''''''s various certifications, insurance policies, bonds, guarantees, and works actively to ensure timely renewals;

• Contract planning and administration of multiple, project and finance documents between different stakeholders, and inter-related entities within the company’s group structure;

• Management and maintenance of appropriate and efficient filing systems for various contracts and documentation;

• Interfaces with senior management team, company secretary, finance and legal personnel to meet overall project deliverables. Key Performance Indicators;

• Responding to contractual-related queries within the relevant time-frames;

• Draft and negotiate land option, land lease and/or similar project land related agreements;

• Secure and manage land agreements for all phases of renewable energy projects, including planning, construction, and decommissioning;

• Conduct due diligence on land-related aspects during project acquisitions, ensuring all legal and regulatory requirements are met;

• Negotiate, draft, and finalise land lease agreements, engaging with landowners and ensuring proper registration with authorities;

• Address investor inquiries during transactions, manage land-related costs, and keep documentation up to date;

• Generate and maintain project maps and land agreement records, ensuring accurate data management;

• Organise and lead meetings with landowners, providing updates and addressing concerns throughout the project lifecycle;

• Communicate land agreement conditions to construction teams, monitor compliance;

Requirements: Qualification and Skill:

• A Legal related tertiary qualification, Business Administration or degree in related Engineering discipline;

• Must have 5 years’ experience in a similar legal role;

• 3+ years of experience in land acquisition, preferably within the renewable energy sector in South Africa;

• Experience in project finance / infrastructure development in South Africa and/or corporate law with exposure to the following agreements will be advantageous:

  • a) Project Agreements (PPA, EPC, O&M, MSA)

  • b) Finance Agreements (CTA, FA, Security Documents)

  • c) Landowner agreements: Option and lease agreements, servitude agreements

• Direct experience in renewable energy will be advantageous;

• Must be confident in handling multiple long agreements;

• The ideal candidate will have an acute attention to detail, excellent organization and document management skills;

• Must be fully proficient in English (verbal and written communication), and an excellent communicator;

• Must be fully computer literate (MS Office Suite and Google App Suite);

• The ideal candidate will be passionate about the renewable energy industry and will embody respect and responsibility in the full sense of the word, while enjoying contributing to a team of highly knowledgeable professionals