Job Title: Project Engineer - Solar & BESS
Location: Saudi Arabia (onsite at project site)
About The Role
Our client, a renewable energy developer active in Saudi Arabia, is hiring a Project Engineer to support the delivery of a ~50MW Solar and ~200MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project. The role covers estimation, monitoring and control of cost, engineering, schedule and quality through the project lifecycle, working closely with the Site Manager and wider project management team from business development through execution and close-out.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee on-site activities from site assessment and feasibility through design, procurement, installation and commissioning, up to successful handover to the O&M team, and provide on-site guidance during the operations phase when required.
- Supervise on-site mobilisation, earthworks, road construction, foundation works including piling for the solar steel structure system, tracker installation, and all other major and auxiliary installation and commissioning activities across the Solar and BESS systems.
- Champion a Zero Accident Target culture, ensuring all work is carried out safely and in line with environmental best practice and community protection.
- Coordinate with the EPC contractor, subcontractors, and MEP and civil disciplines to ensure electrical works integrate seamlessly with structural, mechanical and civil scopes.
- Act as liaison between project teams, external clients and other functional areas.
- Review electrical, mechanical and civil drawings and documentation, including road and foundation drawings, single-line diagrams, wiring/cable schedules and site layouts, ensuring site constraints are properly accounted for ahead of construction.
- Ensure compliance with Saudi/GCC standards, grid interconnection codes and local utility requirements, as well as international standards such as IEC and IEEE.
- Provide technical support and guidance to installers, technicians and other professionals working across solar, BESS and electrical systems.
- Support quality control and assurance on-site, enforcing the approved Inspection Test Plan (ITP) across civil, mechanical and electrical works.
- Embed electrical safety practices on site, including permit to work, LOTO, working at heights, and MV/HV safety, and monitor crew compliance.
- Track progress against the baseline schedule and budget, issuing weekly updates and flagging delays, risks or non-conformities with proposed mitigation measures.
- Coordinate commissioning activities including FAT, SAT, performance testing and grid connection acceptance.
- Provide periodic progress reports to senior management covering safety, quality, cost and risk status.
- Support procurement with order tracking and documentation, and assist business development on new projects as required.
- Maintain an issue and risk log across active projects.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Civil or Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
- 5-7 years of relevant experience in solar, PV tracking systems and/or BESS projects, ideally spanning both construction and commissioning phases, with civil and mechanical exposure.
- Proven experience on greenfield, ground-mount solar farms (10MW+) and large-scale BESS installations (2MVA/8MWh+) strongly preferred.
- Hands-on experience commissioning and testing site levelling, roads, foundations, solar piling and PV MEP tracking systems.
- Strong written and spoken English (Arabic is a plus).
- Proven ability to manage multidisciplinary site teams, contractors and subcontractors.
- Comfortable working under pressure, managing multiple priorities, and travelling to and from site regularly.
- Proficient in MS Office; familiarity with AutoCAD, PVSyst, MS Project or Primavera is an advantage.
- Strong safety mindset and commitment to HSE best practice.
Desirable
- Knowledge of battery chemistries, BESS thermal management and BMS architecture.
- Experience with PV electrical commissioning and SCADA/EMS for storage and solar plants.
- Familiarity with EPC contracting, change order management, cost control and claims.
- Fluent in Arabic.