Associate Director, Conceptual Engineering

Masdar is seeking an Associate Director, Conceptual Engineering in Abu Dhabi, responsible for overseeing technical aspects of renewable energy projects globally. The role includes strategic planning, team leadership, and ensuring project alignment with organizational goals. The candidate will manage engineering teams, provide technical guidance, and support the execution of business plans while monitoring technology trends to enhance Masdar's contributions to sustainability.
Company Description

Masdar is the UAE’s clean energy champion and one of the largest companies of its kind in the world, advancing the development and deployment of renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Established in 2006, Masdar is today active in over 40 countries, helping them to achieve their clean energy objectives and advance sustainable development.

Masdar is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), and under this ownership the company is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and an annual green hydrogen production capacity of up to 1 million tonnes by the same year.

Job Description

Purpose for this role:

To be responsible for providing services on technical and techno-economic aspects during the life cycle of a project related to all renewable energy (RE) technologies globally namely solar PV, wind, thermal/process based (CSP, WTE, Geothermal, etc.) and energy storage (standalone and hybrid solutions). The role involves strategic planning, resource allocation, and ensuring project alignment with organizational goals.

The Associate Director, Conceptual Engineering will provide technical guidance and leadership to multiple teams of engineers and technical consultants besides the strategic decisions, creating of policy and procedure and ensuring best practice implementation within the Engineering.

To lead a team of technology experts in relation to all renewable technology projects and to be accountable for knowledge transfer to other members of the team. As part of an integrated project team, to supervise, review, prepare and agree on project specifications, budgets and timescales with contractors, clients or other stakeholders, and to define basic design, and create or review test procedures for solar PV, wind, thermal/process based and energy storage (CSP, WTE, battery,Geothermal, etc.) plant components.

Job Responsibilities:

Support for delivering the unit’s business plans:
• Contribute to the execution of the operation's annual objectives in line with Masdar’s vision, mission and overall strategy.
• Provide strategic contribution and ensure risk management processes in place through analyzing how Operations can set new technological and environmental trends and support business incubation in Abu Dhabi.
• Monitor and analyze long· term technology and market trends and provide recommendations on how Masdar can contribute to technological advancements relevant to other divisions and to Abu Dhabi.

Team management and supervision
• Organize and supervise the technical activities and work of subordinates ensuring that workload is assigned according to the experience and availability within a specific team and it is carried out in an efficient manner which is consistent with operating policies and procedures.

Provision of technical and techno-economic support with respects to conceptual engineering stream for all RE projects and assets in operation:
• Lead the provision of conceptual engineering (technical and techno-economic support) for all projects and assets in operations, balancing between in-house and external service providers, and combining lowest cost with maximum knowledge build-up and flexibility.
• Incorporate new tools and software to support the business need
• Lead pre-screening and/or technical feasibility studies of RE projects including identification of technical risk.
• Lead concept design works for RE projects and proposes optimised plant layout. Contracting and supervision of technical consultants for RE Projects development
• Manage contracting and supervision of technical consultants for all RE projects development.
• Manage on-site resource assessment with ground measurement including procurement installation and operation processes.
• Lead studies and optimise plant configuration for RE projects.
• Lead resource assessment, energy yield assessment and data analysis by using state-of-the-art modelling tools Procure and supervise geotechnical, topographical and other relevant studies for RE projects during development phase.

Participation in all phases of RFP and tenders for RE Power projects:
• Procure technical advisors for support during the bidding stage.
• Provide technical requirements to be included in all RFPs for EPC, O&M, OEM and/or plant components.
• Participate in (EPC, O&M and/or main equipment) contract negotiation regarding technical aspects.
• Endorse the technology selection, plant design finalization and the technical work with Supply Chain during the main equipment procurement.

Construction and commissioning supervision of RE Power plants:
• Recommend technology or infrastructure changes to improve project performance, reduce operational costs, or comply with regulations

Technical support to RE projects/assets:
• Lead provision of technical support to Portfolio Management team, as required, in operational matters that may rise during the asset lifetime.
• Review monthly and annual reports from existing RE projects.
• Be part of the Technical Advisory Committee for operation assets (as required)

Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Engineering or Renewable Energy or related field

Chartered Engineer status(e.g. IET, EUR Ing, PEng) is an asset

Project Management certification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2,) is an asset

Preferred Experience:

12 years of experience in the RE industry in large multi-national companies (preferably with an EPC contractor, developer, engineering firm or technical consultant) or an equivalent experience

Job-Specific Skills:
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills leading to a consultative approach within a corporate / multifunctional environment
• Knowledge of renewable energy, traditional energy industry and latest R&D trends
• Strong understanding of the complexity and challenges of driving/building a project delivery culture
• Knowledge of latest engineering trends
• Experienced user in plant simulation software/s and basic knowledge in using AutoCAD
• Ability to prioritize actions and work within a diverse team
• Ability to work in a dynamic fast paced, diverse environment
• Project management skills and planning and organizing skills
• Attention to detail

Additional Information

The successful candiate will provide services along the entire value chain and life cycle of all RE project of Masdar globally. The jobholder also represents Masdar on Technical Advisory Committees for projects and operations relating to solar power.

Masdar is one of the world’s fastest growing renewable energy companies and a green hydrogen leader, placing the UAE at the forefront of the energy transition.

As a pioneer in advancing the clean energy sector and a key enabler of the UAE’s vision as a global leader in sustainability and climate action, Masdar has developed projects in more than 40 countries across six continents and has invested, or committed to invest, in worldwide projects with a combined value of more than US$30 billion.

Masdar unites the UAE’s three energy champions – Mubadala, ADNOC and TAQA – and will utilize their combined expertise to fulfill its purpose as a global clean energy pioneer across renewables and green hydrogen.

Promoting innovation in solar, wind, energy storage, waste-to-energy, and geothermal energy, Masdar has a proven record of delivering pioneering projects using cutting-edge clean energy technologies, that are commercially viable and bankable.