Head of Design – Renewable Energy EPC

JOB DESCRIPTION: Head of Design – Renewable Energy EPC

Solar Utility-Scale | Solar Rooftop | BESS | Wind | Hybrid Renewable Energy
Experience: 15–20+ Years
Industry: Solar / Wind / BESS / Renewable Energy / EPC / Power Infrastructure
Education: B.E./B.Tech – Electrical / Electronics + M.Tech/MBA preferred
Function: Engineering / Design
Location: Pune / Project Sites
Reporting To: COO

Role Purpose:
We are looking for an experienced Head of Design – Renewable Energy to lead the complete engineering and design function for Utility-Scale Solar, Rooftop Solar, BESS, Wind and Hybrid Renewable Energy EPC projects.

The candidate will be responsible for end-to-end engineering leadership from project concept and technical feasibility through detailed engineering, IFC drawings, design approvals, construction support, commissioning and final as-built documentation.
The role will ensure that all designs are technically robust, cost-effective, constructible, compliant with applicable codes/grid requirements and aligned with project timelines and commercial objectives.

Key Responsibilities:
1. Engineering & Design Leadership
o Lead the complete Design & Engineering function for Solar, Wind, BESS and Hybrid Renewable Energy EPC projects.
o Establish standard design processes, engineering standards, design checklists, templates and approval workflows across projects.
o Review project requirements, contracts, technical specifications, employer requirements, grid codes and applicable statutory requirements.
o Ensure timely preparation, review and approval of Basic Engineering, Detailed Engineering, IFC Drawings and As-Built Drawings.
o Drive coordination between Electrical, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, SCADA, Protection, BESS and Wind engineering teams.
o Ensure design is aligned with project schedule, procurement strategy, construction methodology and project budget.

2. Solar PV Design
o Lead engineering for Utility-Scale Solar and Rooftop Solar PV projects.
o Review module, inverter, transformer and equipment selection considering technical performance, availability, warranty and lifecycle cost.
o Review DC/AC ratio, string configuration, inverter loading, cable sizing, voltage drop, losses and generation assumptions.
o Review PV layouts, equipment layouts, SLDs, earthing, lightning protection and cable routing.
o Ensure optimisation of land utilisation, module layout, inverter locations, DC/AC collection systems and evacuation infrastructure.
o Review PVSyst simulations, energy yield assessments, performance ratio and generation estimates.
o For rooftop projects, oversee roof survey, structural assessment, shadow analysis, equipment placement, LT/HT integration and safety requirements.

3. BESS Engineering
o Lead technical design and engineering for standalone BESS, Solar + BESS and Hybrid Renewable Energy projects.
o Review MW/MWh sizing, C-rate, battery technology, PCS, BMS, EMS, HVAC, fire detection/suppression and auxiliary systems.
o Evaluate battery degradation, augmentation strategy, round-trip efficiency, availability, warranty and lifecycle performance.
o Review BESS container layouts, electrical architecture, AC/DC coupling, protection philosophy and grid integration.
o Ensure compliance with applicable BESS safety standards, fire protection requirements, grid codes and customer specifications.
o Coordinate with BESS OEMs for technical specifications, FAT, integration, commissioning and performance testing.

4. Wind & Hybrid Renewable Engineering
o Lead engineering coordination for Wind EPC and Solar-Wind Hybrid projects.
o Review wind turbine technical requirements, layouts, electrical systems, pooling arrangements and evacuation infrastructure.
o Coordinate with Wind OEMs, consultants and project teams for turbine integration and project engineering.
o Develop optimum Solar + Wind + BESS hybrid configurations considering generation profile, grid capacity, CUF, storage requirements and commercial objectives.
o Review hybrid plant control philosophy, EMS, SCADA, forecasting and grid integration requirements.

5. EHV, Grid Connectivity & Power Evacuation
o Lead engineering for HT/EHV systems, pooling substations, transmission lines and grid connectivity.
o Review SLDs, protection philosophy, relay coordination, metering, CT/PT selection, transformers, switchgear and substation systems.
o Review 33kV/66kV/110kV/132kV/220kV/400kV evacuation requirements as applicable to projects.
o Ensure compliance with DISCOM/CTU/STU/CEA/grid-code requirements and applicable statutory approvals.
o Coordinate with utilities, consultants and customers for grid connectivity, protection, metering and evacuation approvals.

6. Civil & Structural Engineering
o Provide leadership and review for module mounting structures, equipment foundations, inverter/transformer foundations, control rooms, substations, roads, drainage and site infrastructure.
o For rooftop projects, ensure structural assessment and adequacy before finalising PV layouts.
o For Wind projects, coordinate foundation engineering, geotechnical requirements and OEM technical inputs.
o Drive design optimisation and constructability to reduce civil quantities, execution complexity and project cost.

7. Design Quality & Technical Compliance
o Establish a strong Design Review / Design Verification / Design Approval system.
o Ensure all engineering deliverables are technically checked before release for construction/procurement.
o Implement design review gates such as:
• Concept → Basic Engineering → Detailed Engineering → IFC → Construction Support → As-Built
o Ensure compliance with relevant IS, IEC, IEEE, CEA, BIS, NFPA and applicable international/customer standards.
o Maintain engineering documentation, revision control, technical deviations and design change management.
o Minimise site rework, design errors, NCRs and construction-related engineering issues.

8. Value Engineering & Cost Optimisation
o Drive engineering-led CAPEX optimisation and value engineering across projects.
o Identify opportunities for optimisation in modules, inverters, transformers, cables, structures, BESS systems, EHV equipment, civil works and BOS.
o Work closely with Procurement and Commercial teams to evaluate alternate OEMs and technically acceptable alternatives.
o Develop standardised designs and engineering solutions to achieve economies of scale across projects.
o Ensure design decisions consider CAPEX, OPEX, energy yield, reliability, maintainability and lifecycle cost.

9. Procurement & Vendor Technical Support
o Support Procurement in preparation of technical specifications, datasheets, MR/BOQ and technical bid evaluations.
o Review and approve vendor drawings, datasheets, GTPs, GA drawings, technical deviations and compliance statements.
o Participate in technical negotiations with OEMs and suppliers.
o Ensure purchased equipment is technically compliant with approved design and project requirements.
o Support FAT, inspection, testing and commissioning for critical equipment.

10. Project Execution & Construction Support
o Provide engineering support to Project teams during construction and commissioning.
o Resolve site technical issues and ensure timely closure of RFIs, TQs, NCRs and design-related observations.
o Ensure design changes are properly evaluated, approved and documented.
o Participate in critical project reviews, site visits and technical meetings.
o Ensure smooth transition from Engineering → Procurement → Construction → Commissioning → Handover.

11. Team Leadership & Capability Building
o Build and lead a strong multidisciplinary Design & Engineering team.
o Define roles, responsibilities, KPIs and deliverables for Design Managers, Lead Engineers and Design Engineers.
o Develop internal technical capabilities and standard engineering practices.
o Mentor engineering team members and create a strong technical succession pipeline.
o Establish accountability for TAT, design quality, technical compliance and project support.

12. Pre-Sales & Business Support
o Support Business Development and Pre-Sales teams during RFQ/RFP/tender evaluation and technical solution development.
o Provide technical inputs for project feasibility, preliminary layouts, SLDs, CAPEX optimisation and technical assumptions.
o Participate in customer/consultant technical discussions and pre-bid meetings.
o Review technical risks and design assumptions before GO / NO-GO decisions.
o Support conversion of opportunities into technically executable and commercially viable EPC projects.

Key Deliverables:
o Timely completion of Basic & Detailed Engineering.
o Zero/Minimum critical design errors and construction rework.
o Timely IFC drawing release aligned with project schedule.
o Optimised project CAPEX through design/value engineering.
o Technical compliance with customer, grid and statutory requirements.
o Timely closure of design comments, RFIs, TQs and NCRs.
o Successful Engineering → Procurement → Construction handover.
o Standardisation of engineering designs across projects.
o Successful commissioning and As-Built documentation.

Candidate Profile
o 15–20+ years of relevant experience in Renewable Energy / EPC / Power Infrastructure.
o Strong hands-on and leadership experience in Utility-Scale Solar EPC.
o Strong experience in EHV electrical systems, substations and power evacuation.
o Good experience/exposure in BESS, Solar + BESS and Hybrid Renewable Energy projects.
o Strong experience/exposure in Wind EPC / Wind-Solar Hybrid projects will be preferred.
o Strong understanding of Solar PV electrical design, BESS architecture, EHV systems, grid connectivity and EPC engineering.
o Experience in leading multidisciplinary engineering/design teams.
o Strong knowledge of IS/IEC/CEA/Grid Code and customer-specific technical standards.
o Strong understanding of project execution, constructability, procurement and EPC commercial considerations.
o Experience in design optimisation, value engineering and technical risk management.
o Excellent communication, stakeholder-management and leadership skills.
o Working knowledge of PVSyst, AutoCAD, SketchUp, ETAP/ Power Factory, PVcase/ Helioscope, STAAD/ other relevant engineering tools will be preferred.

Key Performance Indicators
o Engineering Delivery TAT vs. Project Schedule
o Design Error / Rework / NCR Rate
o IFC Drawing Release Adherence
o Engineering Cost Optimisation / Value Engineering Savings
o Technical Compliance & Design Approval TAT
o RFI / TQ / Technical Query Closure TAT
o Procurement Technical Evaluation TAT
o Engineering Support to Project Execution
o Successful Grid / Statutory Technical Approvals
o Successful Commissioning & As-Built Handover
o Design Standardisation & Productivity Improvement
o Pre-Sales Technical Support / Bid Conversion

Ideal Candidate:
A strong technical and strategic Engineering Leader who can independently lead the complete Design & Engineering function for Solar + BESS + Wind EPC projects, while balancing technical performance, energy yield, safety, constructability, project timelines and CAPEX optimisation.
The ideal candidate should be capable of taking ownership from Concept → Feasibility → Basic Engineering → Detailed Design → IFC → Procurement Support → Construction Support → Commissioning → As-Built and should have the leadership maturity to build a high-performing multidisciplinary Design organisation.
Priority:
Candidates with demonstrated experience across Utility-Scale Solar + BESS + EHV Infra + Wind/ Hybrid Renewable Energy will be strongly preferred.

Candidates who have handled end-to-end Design & Engineering for large EPC projects and have successfully led multidisciplinary engineering teams will be given high priority.