Project Head

Role & responsibilities

1. POSITION PURPOSE

The Project Head Hydro Power Project will have overall responsibility for the strategic leadership, planning, execution, commissioning, and successful delivery of the Hydro Power Project.

The position will lead the complete project lifecycle and will be accountable for achieving project objectives relating to time, cost, quality, safety, technical performance, statutory compliance, contractual obligations, and operational readiness.

The Project Head will provide strong leadership across engineering, construction, procurement, contracts, commercial, finance, HSE, quality, administration, commissioning, and stakeholder management functions.

2. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

A. Strategic Project Leadership

• Provide overall strategic and operational leadership for the Hydro Power Project.
• Translate company objectives into project execution plans, milestones, and measurable deliverables.
• Establish project governance, reporting mechanisms, review systems, and accountability structures.
• Develop and implement the overall project execution strategy.
• Ensure alignment between project objectives, business plans, financial targets, and technical requirements.
• Take ownership of critical project decisions and ensure timely resolution of issues.
• Provide regular project status reports and strategic recommendations to the Board / MD / CEO.

B. Project Planning & Execution

• Lead the project from engineering, procurement and construction through commissioning, stabilization, and final handover.
• Develop and monitor the Project Master Schedule and detailed execution plans.
• Establish project milestones, critical-path activities, resource requirements, and recovery plans.
• Monitor progress against approved schedules and identify potential delays at an early stage.
• Implement corrective and preventive actions to ensure timely project completion.
• Ensure effective coordination between civil, electrical, mechanical, hydro-mechanical, transmission, control & instrumentation, and other disciplines.

C. Engineering & Technical Management

• Provide leadership and oversight for engineering and technical activities.
• Coordinate with engineering consultants, EPC contractors, specialist agencies, and technical advisors.
• Review engineering deliverables, technical specifications, drawings, design modifications, and method statements.
• Ensure proper interface management between civil, electro-mechanical, hydro-mechanical, electrical, transmission, and auxiliary systems.
• Lead resolution of critical technical issues affecting project execution.

D. Civil & Infrastructure Works

• Provide strategic oversight of dam and associated structures, reservoir/intake structures, tunnels, shafts, powerhouse, tailrace, roads, bridges, camps, utilities, foundations, and other project-specific infrastructure.
• Ensure construction activities comply with approved designs, specifications, quality standards, and schedules.

E. Electro-Mechanical & Power Systems

• Oversee procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning of turbines, generators, transformers, switchgear, control systems, and associated equipment.
• Monitor hydro-mechanical equipment installation and performance.
• Coordinate electrical systems, protection systems, SCADA, control & instrumentation, and auxiliary systems.
• Ensure integration of generating units with the transmission network.

F. Project Cost & Financial Control

• Assume overall accountability for project cost management.
• Develop and monitor project budgets, cost forecasts, cash-flow requirements, and expenditure plans.
• Ensure project expenditure remains within approved budgets.
• Monitor commitments, purchase orders, contracts, variations, claims, and financial exposures.
• Drive value engineering and cost optimization without compromising safety, quality, reliability, or project performance.

G. Contracts & Commercial Management

• Lead administration and management of major EPC, civil, electro-mechanical, consultancy, and subcontractor contracts.
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, milestones, warranties, guarantees, and deliverables.
• Review major contractual variations, claims, extensions of time, and commercial risks.
• Lead negotiations with major contractors, consultants, suppliers, and service providers.
• Proactively manage disputes and minimize contractual and commercial exposure.

H. Procurement & Supply Chain

• Ensure timely procurement and delivery of critical project equipment, materials, and services.
• Coordinate long-lead and critical-path items with Procurement and Supply Chain.
• Monitor supplier performance, manufacturing schedules, inspections, logistics, and delivery.
• Develop contingency plans for critical materials and equipment.

I. Quality Assurance & Quality Control

• Establish a strong project-wide Quality Management System.
• Ensure compliance with approved specifications, drawings, inspection plans, codes, and applicable standards.
• Monitor contractor and supplier quality performance.
• Drive timely closure of non-conformities, defects, and punch-list items.
• Minimize rework and ensure first-time-right execution.

J. Health, Safety & Environment

• Establish and maintain a zero-harm safety culture.
• Ensure strict compliance with company HSE policies and applicable statutory requirements.
• Monitor contractor and subcontractor safety performance.
• Ensure risk assessments, method statements, permit-to-work systems, emergency response plans, and safety audits are implemented.
• Review serious incidents, near misses, and corrective actions.
• Ensure environmental protection requirements are implemented.

K. Risk Management

• Establish a comprehensive project risk management framework.
• Identify technical, commercial, financial, contractual, environmental, regulatory, and operational risks.
• Maintain and periodically review the Project Risk Register.
• Develop mitigation and contingency plans for high-impact risks.
• Escalate critical risks to senior management with clear recommendations.

L. Commissioning & Operational Readiness

• Lead the overall commissioning and start-up strategy.
• Coordinate testing and commissioning of civil, mechanical, electrical, hydro-mechanical, control, protection, and auxiliary systems.
• Ensure readiness of operations, maintenance, manpower, spares, tools, systems, procedures, and documentation.
• Coordinate synchronization and performance testing of generating units.
• Ensure contractual performance and reliability tests are successfully completed.
• Lead final project handover to Operations & Maintenance.

M. Regulatory & Stakeholder Management

• Maintain effective relationships with government authorities, regulators, local administration, consultants, lenders, contractors, communities, utilities, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure timely completion of statutory approvals, permits, inspections, licenses, and regulatory requirements.
• Represent the organization in senior-level project meetings.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and resolve critical issues professionally.

N. Leadership & People Management

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary project organization.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, reporting structures, and performance expectations.
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, discipline, and continuous improvement.
• Recruit and retain competent project professionals in coordination with HR.
• Develop succession and second-line leadership capabilities.
• Conduct periodic performance reviews of key project personnel.

3. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

The Project Head will be evaluated against measurable project and business outcomes, including:

KPI Area

Key Performance Measure

Project Schedule

Achievement of approved project milestones

Project Cost

Completion within approved CAPEX / project budget

Construction

Progress against planned physical completion

Commissioning

Timely commissioning and synchronization

Generation

Achievement of targeted generation capacity and performance

Quality

Compliance with approved quality standards

HSE

Zero fatality and continuous improvement in safety performance

Procurement

Timely availability of critical equipment and materials

Contracts

Effective management of claims, variations and disputes

Risk

Timely identification and mitigation of critical project risks

Stakeholders

Effective regulatory and stakeholder management

Team

Productivity, capability and retention of key project personnel

Handover

Complete and timely handover to Operations & Maintenance

4. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

Essential:

• Bachelor's Degree in Civil / Mechanical / Electrical / Power Engineering or a closely related discipline.

Preferred:

• Master's Degree in Engineering / Project Management / Business Administration.
• PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent project management certification.
• Professional engineering certification or membership of a recognized engineering institution.

5. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 18–25+ years of overall professional experience, with substantial experience in large-scale Hydro Power / Power Generation / EPC / Infrastructure Projects.
  • Minimum 10+ years in senior project leadership / project management roles.
  • Proven experience managing large and complex hydro power projects from development/execution through commissioning and handover.
  • Strong experience in multidisciplinary project management involving civil, electrical, mechanical, hydro-mechanical, transmission, and control systems.
  • Demonstrated experience managing EPC contractors, consultants, subcontractors, suppliers, and international project teams.
  • Experience in managing large CAPEX projects and complex commercial contracts.
  • International project experience, particularly in Africa, Middle East, Asia, or other emerging markets, will be highly advantageous.

6. CORE COMPETENCIES

Technical:

• Hydro Power Project Development & Execution
• EPC / Turnkey Project Management
• Civil & Electro-Mechanical Works
• Power Generation Systems
• Project Planning & Scheduling
• Commissioning & Start-up
• Quality Management
• HSE Management
• Contract & Claims Management
• Procurement & Supply Chain
• Cost Control & Budget Management
• Risk Management

Leadership:

• Strategic Leadership
• Decision Making
• Team Building
• Stakeholder Management
• Negotiation
• Conflict Resolution
• Commercial Acumen
• Problem Solving
• Change Management
• Crisis Management
• Performance Management

7. SYSTEMS & TOOLS

• Primavera P6 / MS Project
  • Advanced MS Excel and MS Office
  • ERP systems
  • Project Management Information Systems (PMIS)
  • Cost-control and project reporting systems
  • Engineering document management systems
  • Power project planning and monitoring tools

8. IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate will be a strategic, commercially aware, technically strong, and execution-focused Project Leader with a proven track record of delivering major Hydro Power / Power Infrastructure Projects.

The candidate must demonstrate the ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams, manage complex EPC and construction environments, take ownership of project outcomes, make timely and commercially sound decisions, manage senior stakeholders effectively, operate in remote and challenging project locations, and deliver projects safely, within budget, and within agreed timelines.

9. AUTHORITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

Within the approved Delegation of Authority, the Project Head will have responsibility for project-level decisions relating to project execution and resource deployment, contractor and consultant coordination, project planning and scheduling, construction priorities, technical coordination, procurement priorities, quality and HSE compliance, project cost and commercial monitoring, project risk mitigation, commissioning readiness, and operational handover.

Major financial commitments, contractual variations, strategic decisions, and matters outside delegated authority shall be escalated to the MD / CEO / Board for approval.

10. REPORTING & FUNCTIONAL INTERFACES

Primary Reporting: Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer

Key Internal Interfaces:

• Board / Senior Management
• Project Management Team
• Engineering & Design
• Construction
• Procurement & Supply Chain
• Commercial & Contracts
• Finance & Accounts
• HSE
• Quality Assurance / Quality Control
• HR & Administration
• Operations & Maintenance
• Legal & Compliance

External Interfaces:

• Government & Regulatory Authorities
• EPC Contractors
• Civil Contractors
• Electro-Mechanical Contractors
• Engineering Consultants
• Equipment Manufacturers
• Suppliers & Vendors
• Financial / Technical Advisors
• Local Authorities & Communities
• Power / Transmission Utilities

11. WORKING CONDITIONS

• Primarily based at the Hydro Power Project site.
  • May require extensive travel between project locations, corporate office, suppliers, contractors, and government offices.
  • Must be willing to work in remote and challenging geographical environments.
  • Requires flexibility to work extended hours during critical construction, commissioning, testing, and emergency situations.

12. OVERALL SUCCESS CRITERIA

The successful Project Head will be expected to deliver the Hydro Power Project with strong governance, disciplined execution, financial control, technical excellence, uncompromising safety standards, and timely commissioning, while ensuring sustainable value creation for the organization.

The ultimate accountability of the position is to ensure successful project delivery from execution through commercial operation and handover, achieving approved project objectives for capacity, schedule, cost, quality, safety, reliability, and long-term operational performance.