Construction Director

ENGIE group is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services. Together with our 97,300 employees, our customers, partners and stakeholders, we are committed to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally friendly solutions. Inspired by our purpose ("raison d'être"), we reconcile economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet, building on our key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to our customers.

ENGIE's Business Unit for the Asia Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region is headquartered in Dubai. The region has activities in large scale power generation, water desalination, district cooling, energy solutions and renewables including green hydrogen, wind and solar. We act throughout the value chain: strategy, design, engineering, energy-efficient asset construction, digital platforms, operations management, financing syndication and outcome assurance. And, by using globally leading technologies, we create innovative energy and smart solutions that help to make the world a better place.

ENGIE AMEA Flexible Generation & Supply is engaging in the retrofit of one of its operating power and desalination assets in the UAE. The site is located about 250 km West of Abu Dhabi. The Project will consist of converting the asset into an Open Cycle Power Plant in view of a new Power Purchase Agreement of 15 years. Multiple contractors and the plant operator will carry out the project. The plant will provide flexible reserve capacity, as required, supporting the country's move towards zero carbon emissions. The Project is expected to achieve financial by end 2024 and reach commercial operations by June 2026.

In agreement with its partners, ENGIE will appoint the construction director for the project. The construction director will report to the project company's executive managing director and manage the project through its construction until it reaches commercial operations. The Construction Director will be responsible and accountable for all aspects and stages of the plant's construction, placing health and safety as the top priority. The Construction Director will be based permanently at the Site. After the Project is completed, ENGIE will assign the Construction Director to another mission to be agreed upon.

The Construction Director is responsible for:

• Delivering the Project on time, on cost, to the required standards of health safety, environment, and quality to achieve the acceptance tests and deliver reliable operation.
• Monitoring, coordinating, and reporting the Contractors' activities at the site and during the design review stage with a view to defending the best interest of the Project Company.
• Directing the Project Company's construction and the Owner's Engineer teams at the site.
• Coordinate the Contractors' construction activities with the plant Operator and supervise the Operator's project-related decommissioning, plant modification, and rehabilitation works.
• Ensuring a smooth and timely completion of all interface activities/information exchanges with the Project's stakeholders (in particular, but not limited to water supply and electrical grid).

As an ENGIE employee, the Construction Director will report to the UAE Asset Manager.

As secondee to the Project, the Construction Director will report to the Executive Managing Director of the Project Company (Owner).

• Leads the plant construction activities from the owner's side with the assistance of the Owner's staff, the Owner's Engineer, and the Operator to ensure that the Project is performed properly in terms of quality, schedule, and budget in line with the Construction Contracts and without lost-time accidents, severe injuries, and/or fatalities.
• Will ensure Engie HSSE standards and Guidelines are applied and strictly followed. The construction director is accountable for the project's HSSE results.
• Monitors the Project works at the site and liaises with and coordinates the efforts of the Owner's Engineer, the Contractors, the Operator, the local authorities, and the interface parties.
• Makes sure that the Project will follow Good Engineering and Construction Practices and the best practices for Project Management according to the Project Management Institute guidelines set up by the ENGIE group guidelines by the Industrial Project Oversight & Support team.
• Timely reports technical variances to the Executive Managing Director and proposes mitigation or alternative solutions jointly with the owner's engineer.
• Make sure that agreed corrective actions to mitigate the effects of variances are planned and carried out.
• The overall schedule of the Project will be monitored and updated when needed, integrating the Contractors' and Operators' schedules with the schedule of permits, authorizations, contractual obligations, and other matters.
• He/she will lead technical meetings with the contractors and Operators, water suppliers, power off-takers, and environmental and regulatory authorities.
• Coordinate the decommissioning and commissioning activities in relation to the Project with the Operator and the Contractors.
• He/she will prepare the acceptance test procedure with the owner engineer, integrating the contractors' and operators' input. We will coordinate with the Contractors and Operators on the Acceptance Test performance and issue the notifications and reports as required under the Power Purchase Agreement.
• Lead design review meeting sessions and make technical decisions with the support of the owner's engineer.
• Works with the Project Company's Health and Safety Officer to ensure that the Contractors and the Operator implement health and safety, and environmental measures on-site in accordance with the respective contracts.
• Under the supervision of the Executive Managing Director, manage the Project's contractual/commercial issues and claims.
• Analyse requests for Change Orders received from the Contractors and give recommendations to the Executive Managing Director.
• Handle technical issues that may occur during the Project execution with the support of the Owner's Engineer.
• Supervise the Owner's Project team and the Owner's Engineer team and assess their performance.
• Interact with the Lenders Engineer, Construction and Operational Insurance advisers.
• Will issue Project Weekly Progress Report, Monthly Progress Report, and Quarterly Report for the Project Company.
• Will manage all daily interfaces between the Plant and the relevant stakeholders (Off-taker, Load Dispatch Centre, local authorities, fire brigade, power supplier, and Environmental Authorities as applicable).
• Host various visitors at the site (Shareholders, Authorities, etc.).
• Shall collaborate closely with the Executive Managing Director of the Project Company, ENGIE UAE Asset Manager, and all key members of the shareholders' technical and operating support teams.
• Regularly report to shareholders for construction follow-up, steering or technical committees, and ensure interfaces with relevant shareholders' internal stakeholders.
• He/she will be familiar with construction contracts and contract management.
• Assist the Executive Managing Director in writing the contractual letters to the Contractors, the Off-taker, and other relevant parties (e.g., in relation to interfaces).
• Identify/anticipate deliverables to be given to the off-taker, environmental authorities, and power supplier in due course.
• Coordinate the smooth progress of the commissioning with the Off-taker and Load Dispatch Centre.
• With the support of the Operator, the power, water, and consumable consumption will be managed during the Project execution.

Degree / Experience

• University degree in Civil, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering.
• Minimum 10 years of international experience in construction and site work in power generation projects.
• Would have preferably worked as a Contractor in a senior Project management/site position.
• A PMP certificate is a plus.
• He/she would preferably hold a recognized H&S qualification (NEBOSH general certificate or similar).
• Experience in the Middle East is a plus.
• Proven experience leading complex construction activities in a challenging HSSE environment.
• Strong HSE skills and leadership
• Grounded and assertive negotiations skills with strong capacity to convince
• Strong Contract management skills with experience in EPC and multi-contract
• Sound technical knowledge of large-scale power projects allows him to rapidly identify potential technical issues on-site during the execution to investigate and discuss those issues with the Contractors, with the support of the Owner's Engineer.
• Comfortable with contractual terms of IWP/IPP/IWPP Project documents and able to enforce those contractual terms towards the Contractors.
• Excellent communication and reporting capability. Must be able to work independently and to bridge cultural differences.
• Ability to coordinate and direct, and influence others. He should show capability of leadership.

Technology

• Good knowledge of appropriate Gas Turbine technology is a plus
• At ease with digital working environment.

Other

• Ability to work in a broad cultural spectrum.
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Arabic and French languages skills are a plus
• Goal and decision-oriented.

Location

• United Arab Emirates, 250 km west of Abu Dhabi