SA - ED Project Officer Intern – Loeriesfontein

Company Overview:

Loeriesfontein Wind Farm achieved its Commercial Operations Date on schedule and on budget, as part of the third round of the South African government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

Loeriesfontein Wind Farm received support from the local municipality and surrounding communities during the construction phase and into operations. A number of economic development projects, aimed at contributing to sustainable community growth through financial and non-financial community development involvement. During the operations, a monetary commitment has been made to specifically developing enterprises and improving the socio-economic welfare of the community for 20 years.

Situated in the Hantam Municipal Area, 60km north of Loeriesfontein in the Northern Cape, Loeriesfontein Wind Farm spans 3,453 hectares of agricultural land and comprises sixty-one 99m-high wind turbines.

When operating at full capacity, the 140MW Loeriesfontein Wind Farm generates around 563,500 MWh/year of clean renewable energy per year and is expected to supply electricity to power up to 120 000 South African homes.

Summary of Role:

The Economic Development Officer Intern will provide administrative support to the Project Officer, who is the point of contact for the local community, as well as assist the Economic Development Manager (ED Manager) when distributing key project information. This role will provide a learning environment for the Intern to develop skills in community engagement by learning from the Project Officer

What will you do:

*         Supporting the Project Officer as front-line point of contact for the Project Company in the project office during the operations phase

*         Provide information to Public Relations team for all articles and newsletter information.

*         Organise radio interviews.

*         Assist in distribution of reports, project information and newsletters.

*         Support the ED team with implementation of projects.

*         Provide support to the Project Officer to administer the grievance mechanism on the ground.

*         Building strong relationships with all relevant local partners/stakeholders/authorities/ communities/ businesses/ local government and local media.

*         Maintains strong working relationships with and has open and transparent communication between all members of the team to ensure a healthy working environment is maintained.

*         Assist in organising community meetings, focussed group sessions and key informant interviews with various stakeholders.

*         Assist the Project Officer with preparing Annexure B reports on relevant SED and EnD projects

*         Engages regularly with beneficiaries / service providers to gain relevant information regarding the initiatives and to monitor their impact.

*         Take minutes at meetings and maintain socio-economic and enterprise development projects files and reports, as instructed by the ED Manager

*         Receive and document community project proposals on behalf of the Project Office, if required

*         Assist Economic Development Manager and Project Officer as needed.

What we require

*         N6 Business Management / Management Assistant

*         Candidate should have good written and oral communications skills.

*         Candidate should work well with people.

*         Must be able to travel when required.

*         Adaptable

*         A passion to work with and in communities.

*         No political affiliations

*         Licence will be beneficial.

*         Good interpersonal skills and be comfortable in dealing with people at different levels.

*         Theoretical knowledge or some exposure to coordinating small projects.

*         Knowledge about the area of Hantam Municipal area will be beneficial.

*         Ability to use Microsoft software e.g., Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook

*         Fluency in English and Afrikaans is essential.

What we offer

We offer you the opportunity to work in a dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation, in a growing market in a fast-paced industry.