Lead Solar Designer and Project Manager Job Type: Full Time

Highlights

• Company Electric Car
• Super organised team so you can just get on with your job
• Flexible role
• Career development
• Fantastic team & company culture

At a Glance: The Position

PureVolt Solar is seeking a Lead Solar Designer and Project Manager to join our fast-growing solar installation company. We focus mostly on Domestic solar PV installations, and there are two key parts to this role.

Part 1 - Running solar projects from start to finish

Here you'll start by answering the enquiries that come in. We don't do any cold-sales, we just deal with the clients who approach us.

Your first job is to listen to what they need, then put together a system design to suit them.

Once the client is happy, then it's over to our installer team to go and make your design happen. You'll oversee, and make sure it all goes like clockwork and the clients are happy.

Part 2 - Part of the management team here

You'll be joining the senior team here at PureVolt, helping to run and shape the future of the business.

Selecting suppliers, picking out the best brands of equipment to use, helping oversee the installer team, improving company systems, being that technical go-to person when people have questions - you'll be a crucial part of the management team.

At a Glance: Requirements

The main requirement is experience in Solar in Ireland. You need to know the good brands from the bad, and which are the best suppliers to use. When there's a fault code on an inverter, then yeah, you've seen that before and have a good idea where to start to find the solution.

Qualifications wise, then we'd expect an Electrical Engineer or qualified Electrician.

How you fit into the team

You'll be joining a team of 11 people who are hands-on involved in PureVolt.

The Installation Team (6 people)

We have 6 people who do the hands-on installations. They are divided into two teams of 3 - one covering the Leinster area, and one covering the Galway down to Limerick / Cork City area. Each team has a lead electrician, an electrical apprentice and a roofer / carpenter.

The Admin / Management Team (4 people, one being you)

You'd be joining the admin / management team. Here you'd be joining:

• Eileen: She's our non-technical manager, who looks after everything that's not directly related to solar expertise. Finance, HR, Marketing
• Ian: Solar Design Engineer & Project Manager. He works alongside you, and between you two you'll be doing the designs and looking after the technical side of PureVolt.
• Kelly: Our head of customer service and the stalwart that looks after all the SEAI / EirGrid paperwork / Invoicing and alike

And the others...

• Phil: Owner and head honcho. He's here to steer the company in the right direction, and is here to help you with training and guidance anytime.
• Tech & Marketing Team: We also have these on hand, which is super handy. Although your daily work will not overlap too much, your paths will cross, and they are here to help make the systems you need better and better.

Adjusting the Role for your level

There's flexibility here to adjust the role to your level and experience.

We are envisaging someone to slot in with Ian. Between yourself and the other three on the admin / mgt team you'd be doing everything except the hands-on installations. We can though adjust the responsibilities and salary for the right applicant, both tweaking up and down to suit.

Moving up to running the show...

We are happy to consider very experienced solar engineers, who have done a similar role before and really want to move up to taking to running significant parts of the business. If you've an entrepreneurial flair, and would like to cut your business teeth, then get in touch.

...Or first role in Solar Design and Management

Equally, we are happy to consider those who have not overseen teams before and where it would be your first role doing solar designs.

A solar install, from start to finish

This will be one of the main parts of your role with us, so we thought we'd spin you through it, from start to finish.

• Most clients get in touch via the website looking for a draft solar design. You'd take care of that, putting together the perfect design for their needs, along with answering questions they may have about the options such as batteries or hot water diverters.
• We use a range of tools here to help you. Everything from simple things like google maps (handy to get a first look at the roof and basic measurements), through to specialist solar software and applications custom-built by our tech team (that do some serious heavy lifting for us). These tools do all the work of calculating things like costs, margins, annual production figures, creating installation manuals, order sheets for suppliers, and even do the lion's share of form filling in too (NC6 forms, SEAI paperwork and alike.)
• Once you are happy it's the perfect design for the client, then it's time to send that over to the customer and answer any questions they might have about it. And if you think solar is the wrong solution for the client, then it's our job to let them know. We only sell solutions we believe in.
• If the client is happy with the initial system design, either you will then visit the site to conduct a site survey. This ensures that when the installation team arrives, they have everything they need to complete the job and there are no surprises.
• After the site visit, you make any adjustments necessary to the design and send the final solar design to the client. If the client is happy to go ahead, you then pass that over to our installation team.
• We then look after all the paperwork side (for example, SEAI grant forms and NC6 forms). Once we've the green light from such official bodies, we agree an installation date with the client.
• Now you'll be liaising with the suppliers to make sure we have the right equipment ordered and arranged.
• Next, our installation team arrive on site to install the solar pv system. You don't need to go to site for that stage, though you'll be on hand in case the installation team has any questions or any issues pop up.
• Finally we submit all the paperwork to the SEAI and do final invoicing to the client. The job is done, the clients are happy, and we've added another system to reduce Ireland's carbon footprint.

Your Responsibilities

1. Solar Design

• You will be involved right from the start of our customer's solar journey, helping to answer their questions, especially on the technical side, by both phone and email. Great customer service is key.
• You will use your knowledge of the customer's property and their specific requirements, together with your knowledge of Solar PV Systems, to design a PV solution that meets the client's circumstances and needs.
• You will travel to the customer's property to conduct a site survey to ensure everything on the original quote will work and note any modifications required. We'd expect roughly 2 days per week you'd be on the road doing site surveys, covering the west of the country, though occasionally travelling further afield.
• You look after your clients from start to finish, including maintaining excellent communication with them.

2. Project Management

• You will be the glue that holds each project together. Sourcing components, making sure the right equipment turns up to the right site, at the right time. Dealing with suppliers is a critical part of the role, you'll need experience here.
• You will also be managing the install team, to make sure they deliver your great design, and that the client is over the moon with the service from start to finish.

3. Rules and Regulations

• You will use your solid knowledge and understanding of SEAI's rules and regulations to ensure all our Solar PV Installations are conducted according to the SEAI Domestic & Non-Domestic Solar photovoltaic code of practice, Technical Standards and Specifications; and Solar PV Scheme Quality Assurance and Development Procedures.
• You will also make sure we are always fully up to date with all regulations, standards and qualifications for the electrical work we do, including overseeing the installation team always match all requirements.

4. Managing the Supply Chain

• You will use your excellent commercial awareness of the solar supply chain to identify relevant products for clients that meet their specific needs.
• You will be responsible for evaluating technical suitability of materials and equipment and you will play a key role in the procurement of the equipment and materials from approved suppliers.
• You will liaise with suppliers and the procurement team to ensure all kit orders are delivered to the warehouse and/or client site, ensuring the correct materials are to hand on the day of installation.

5. Technical Support

• You will help lead a team of technical experts to support our clients in providing outstanding technical service
• Your offer of high-level technical support will include the ability to diagnose and resolve technical problems for our client, admin team and installation team.

6. Business Acumen

• Competent financial management experience - developing and managing costing, the P&L and an ability to conduct financial analysis looking for continuous improvement in this area

7. Health & Safety

• Identify and document site-specific risks that could cause problems for an installation
• Ensure site rules and installation methods are followed.
• Ensuring that all members of staff directly or indirectly employed under your direction carry out their duties in a safe manner, in compliance with the companies Health and Safety Policy and in particular that of any site-specific risk assessment

8. Rolling up your sleeves

• You will be expected to be able to help out by getting hands-on from time to time. Occasionally, if there's a small job to do, then you might do that yourself instead of sending the full install team. Examples are fault-finding post installation, and small adjustments.

Requirements & Nice to Haves

Requirements

• Excellent understanding of Solar PV design and Electrical Equipment installations which include but are not limited to Inverters, Battery Storage Systems, Fireman Switches, Isolators, EV-Charger Points, CT Clamps etc.
• Background of Electrical Engineer or Electrician (with National Craft Certificate Electrical)
• Previous work history involving PV Solar
• Full Driving License
• Excellent computer skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong business acumen in project planning and management & financial analysis
• Highly collaborative, a true team player
• Customer focused
• Excellent time management skills
• Organised, detail-oriented, and analytical
• Disciplined contributor who brings out the best in those that you work with
• You must be dependable, flexible and take pride in your work

Nice to have, but not required

• Previous experience designing solar systems would be an advantage
• Manual Handling Certificate
• Safe Pass
• Micro Gen / Solar certificate
• Management Experience

Hours and Location

Location: This is a hybrid role where you will be working mainly from home (or the Cork office, if you prefer) for about 3 days a week. You will also spend about 2 days per week doing site visits.

You'd need to be based in one of these counties: Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Clare or Galway (City or East), as you'd mostly be doing site surveys on the West of the Country.

Full-time role. Monday to Friday (Flexitime) - 39 hours

Salary Range

There's a fair range here, depending on your experience level and how you'd like to craft the role to your level. But, we'd expect the salary to be at least €50,000 per year for the more junior and significantly more for those looking for a more senior role.

Any questions?

That is a good thing! We want to make sure you have every opportunity to assess us. Yes, we want you to be the right person for the role, but we also want to make sure you are happy that this is the right role and company for you. Please, if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to get in touch. We would be only too happy to help.

Just email us at jobs@purevolt.ie with your questions, and we will get right back to you.

How to apply

To apply, please email us a cover letter and your CV to jobs@purevolt.ie

Closing Date

The closing date for this role is Friday, May 12th 2023.

Recruitment Process

• We will be shortlisting candidates based on their submitted CV and Cover Letter.
• Shortlisted candidates will progress to a short phone interview.
• Finally, we will arrange for the shortlisted candidates to attend in-person interviews.

More about for PureVolt: Is this the job right for you?

PureVolt Solar are really proud of the positive workplace culture we are building. We aim to keep building a work culture that is best-in-class.

As we grow, we will always strive to ensure our culture stays rooted in its personal, small company feel. We care deeply about our teams and the people that make them up. We operate with a flat-structure where everyone plays an equal and valued role in ensuring the success of the business.

We are dedicated to supporting our employees and making sure everything runs as smoothly for both our team and our clients.

The existing PureVolt Solar team, on the one hand, is a mix of solar and clean energy specialists - and marketing / tech nerds on the other. Why does this matter to you? Well, the marketing guys are why we now have more enquiries than we can currently install. The tech guys are the reason you have all the tools and information you need at your fingertips. And the solar specialists, including you, mean our clients get the best service and system for their needs, not ours.

• At our core, we really care about what we do.
• We believe in Solar.
• We believe in fantastic customer service.
• We believe in fully supporting and rewarding our employees.

If you believe in Solar and you care about how it benefits both the client and the environment - and you are dedicated to providing excellent customer service, then you will be a great fit, and we would really love to speak with you!

More about for PureVolt: Our Company Aims

We're an independent Irish solar panel installer with bases in Cork, Galway and Dublin. Solar is in our DNA, and we're on a mission to see solar panels installed on every roof in Ireland. That way, we can all save money and look after this little planet we all call home.

What we want

We want to see Ireland's homes and businesses switch to renewable energy sources. If that's with us, even better. We're long-term believers, not short-term speculators.

Our plan to get it

PureVolt Solar exist to make it easier for people to make the switch to solar. We do this by giving crystal-clear, honest information and offering the level of service that we would expect ourselves. That's it!

What is in it for us

We want to see our business thrive and grow. But for us, it's about more than just that. Our ultimate goal is to help more people switch to solar so, we can all live in a greener Ireland. That's why PureVolt Solar exists, and that's why we get up in the morning.