Strategic Utilities Manager

Strategic Utilities Manager - Gauteng, South Africa

We are the market leader in commercial real estate services and investments and provide an integrated suite of high-quality real estate services to our clients across Africa and the Middle East, including facilities management, advisory & transaction services, project management.

Continual focus on the effective management, reporting and optimisation of utility costs and recoveries and effective integration into the overall aims of the portfolio services division. This role is primarily a strategic role focused on strategic initiatives to ensure cost optimisation, cost recovery management, analytics based on usage data and driving enhancement projects both operationally and to improve automation of manual tasks.

• Minimum of Grade 12 or equivalent qualification and/or training
• 5+ years relevant experience in the utility field
• Knowledge of South African Municipal procedures and accounting processes
• Detailed knowledge and experience working with Municipal and Eskom tariffs and bylaws
• Must have Computer literacy: MS Office - Excel Advanced, Outlook and Word
• The role is client facing and require excellent communication and influencing skills, and a high tolerance for stress and an ability to calmly understand challenges and creatively direct the team towards problem solving.
• The role requires excellent planning and organising skills, analytical thinking and attention to details to be able to plan, develop and implement effective processes and systems with a clear picture of the cross-cutting nature of each activity and interface.
• The role requires a good understanding of utility usage and costs, municipal systems and processes and financial and business acumen.

• Design, implementation and continual improvement of standard operating procedures and processes to ensure effective utility cost and recovery management
• Proactively identify opportunities for utilities cost savings and recovery optimization
• Identify areas for automation and operational improvement and work with third parties (both internal and external) to plan and execute change management projects that will affect operational improvement
• Oversee and manage special projects for the client including metering rollouts, change management programs, anomalies, expansion and contraction plans
• Develop and implement effective reporting to the client in line with weekly, monthly and annual reporting requirements giving due consideration to the inter-related impacts
• Oversee, co-ordinate and report on activities related to the optimisation program/projects.