A renewable energy project is built by many different people, and the mix changes as the project moves from idea to generation. Employers who understand which roles they need, and when, recruit more effectively and avoid paying for capability too early or too late. This guide describes the main roles on a solar, wind or battery storage project, grouped by stage.
Development roles
Development is where a project is created. The team identifies sites, secures land and permits, manages environmental and community processes, arranges grid connection and prepares the commercial structure.
Project developers and development managers, who lead the project through its early stages
Land and permitting specialists
Environmental and social specialists, including community engagement
Grid and connection engineers
Commercial and offtake specialists
Legal and regulatory professionals
Financial modelling and structuring specialists
Financing and corporate roles
Projects must be financed, and the people involved combine technical understanding with financial skill. Project finance managers and finance directors work with lenders, investors and advisers to reach financial close, while the executive team sets strategy and builds the pipeline. Many of the specialist advisers sit outside the business, but the internal team must be able to direct and challenge them.
Construction roles
Construction is the stage with the greatest headcount and the greatest risk. Typical roles include:
- Project directors, who are accountable for delivery
- Construction managers and site managers
- Electrical engineers, covering medium and high voltage work
- Civil and structural engineers
- Commissioning engineers
- Health, safety and environmental leaders
- Quantity surveyors and contract managers
- Quality and document control specialists
Roles that differ by technology
Many roles are common across technologies, but each has its own specialists. Solar projects need engineers with photovoltaic design and installation experience. Wind projects need specialists in turbine installation and the associated civil and electrical works. Battery storage projects need engineers experienced in controls, power electronics and fire safety, and increasingly, people who understand how storage is operated and dispatched.
Operations and asset management roles
Once the plant is generating, the focus moves to availability, performance and compliance.
Operations and maintenance managers
Asset managers, who are accountable for the commercial performance of the plant
Site technicians and maintenance teams
Control room and SCADA specialists
Performance and data analysts
Grid compliance and reporting professionals
Leadership roles
Across all stages, businesses also need leaders who can set direction and manage risk. Chief executives, chief operating officers, heads of development and heads of construction or operations shape how the business grows. As companies build portfolios across several markets, experience beyond a single country becomes increasingly valuable.
How roles change as a project moves
Few people stay in the same role from development to operations. Development specialists move to the next project, construction teams demobilise, and operations teams take over for the long term. Employers who plan the hand-over between stages, and who are open about what happens to each role as the project moves on, find it easier to attract and keep strong people.
How SET Consulting recruits for renewable energy and power
SET Consulting recruits across independent power producers, solar, wind, battery storage, grid, EPC, development, construction, operations and executive leadership roles. Where a search needs access to African or international talent, we can draw on the wider Copper Quail group. Our consultants bring more than twenty years of South African market knowledge and a median tenure of more than a decade.
Frequently asked questions
What roles are needed to build a solar farm?
A solar farm typically needs developers, permitting and environmental specialists, grid engineers, a project director, construction and site managers, electrical and civil engineers, commissioning engineers, safety leaders and contract managers, followed by an operations team.
What additional roles does battery storage need?
Battery storage projects need specialists in controls, power electronics, fire safety and system integration, as well as people who understand how storage assets are operated and dispatched.
Do the same people move from development to operations?
Rarely. The skills differ at each stage, so teams usually change as the project progresses.
Can SET Consulting recruit across all of these roles?
Yes. We recruit across development, construction, operations and executive leadership in renewable energy and power.
Read more about our work in this sector.