Efficiency & Design Assurance Lead

About the company

Helios Towers is an independent telecommunications infrastructure provider with one of the largest tower footprints across Africa and the Middle East. The company develops, owns, and operates passive telecom infrastructure that helps mobile network operators expand connectivity faster, more reliably, more cost-effectively, and with a smaller carbon footprint.

Role overview

The Group Engineering Efficiency & Design Assurance Lead sits within Group Engineering and is responsible for making sure that power and hybrid system designs are practical, safe, easy to maintain, and able to deliver the expected operational and commercial outcomes in real site conditions.

This position provides independent engineering oversight across design, validation, and field execution, serving as the key connection between design intent and what is actually delivered in the field. A major part of the job is to improve right-first-time delivery, increase energy efficiency, cut diesel generator dependence, and support the move toward zero-DG and net-zero power solutions across the group.

Key responsibilities

• Assess and sign off Product Development & Design power and hybrid system designs to ensure they can work effectively in the field, remain safe, and be maintained without difficulty.
• Check delivered solutions against design specifications and expected performance targets.
• Support proof-of-concept work and pilot rollouts to test new technologies, configurations, and equipment in live site environments.
• Build and contribute to business cases for site improvements, technology replacements, and design enhancements, with a focus on efficiency gains and stronger return on invested capital.
• Review asset performance over time and study failure patterns to uncover opportunities for cost savings, warranty claims, longer asset life, and better total cost of ownership.
• Feed operational learnings back into engineering standards, design updates, and governance processes so that design and operations are better aligned.
• Identify and validate opportunities to reduce fuel usage and improve energy efficiency, including lower DG runtime, zero-DG operation, and net-zero power pathways.

Required experience

• Extensive background in power systems engineering in telecom, energy, or infrastructure settings.
• Hands-on experience in design assurance, engineering validation, or technical governance with responsibility for field performance.
• Practical experience delivering pilots, trials, or large deployments of power or hybrid energy systems.
• Strong knowledge of telecom site power architecture, including generators, batteries, rectifiers, control systems, and renewable energy components.
• Ability to apply commercial and financial thinking to engineering choices, including lifecycle cost and return-on-investment analysis.

Desired skills

• Strong analytical thinking and structured problem-solving.
• Ability to turn technical standards and designs into clear guidance that can be used on site.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing ability across technical and non-technical teams.
• Experience working across several operating companies or geographic regions.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to balance engineering quality with business priorities.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Discretionary bonus
• Medical insurance
• Life insurance

Equal opportunity statement

The employer is committed to equal employment opportunities. Applicants are considered without discrimination based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. For roles in South Africa, Employment Equity targets may be applied during evaluation.