Head of Design – Renewable Energy

Department: Engineering & Design

Location: Chennai / Ahmedabad (with project site travel)

Role Overview

The Head of Design will lead and oversee the complete design function across Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical disciplines for large-scale renewable energy projects. This role is critical in driving design excellence, standardization, cost optimization, and timely delivery of designs for utility-scale and commercial solar/wind projects. The incumbent will manage major projects end-to-end, mentor multi-disciplinary teams, and ensure all designs meet statutory, client, and quality requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Design Leadership & Governance

Head the Design Department comprising Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical design teams.
Define design philosophy, standards, SOPs, and best practices across all disciplines.
Ensure integration and coordination between civil, electrical, and mechanical designs.
Review and approve all critical design deliverables before client submission.

Project Design Management

Lead design activities for utility-scale and large commercial renewable energy projects.
Ensure timely delivery of layouts, calculations, drawings, BOQs, and technical documents.
Support pre-bid and tendering teams with feasibility studies, conceptual designs, and technical inputs.
Manage design timelines aligned with project execution schedules.

Technical Oversight (Multi-Disciplinary)

Civil: Site feasibility, grading, drainage, foundations, roads, and structural layouts.
Electrical: DC & AC system design, SLDs, protection systems, grid integration, energy yield analysis.
Mechanical: Module mounting structures, trackers, wind/load calculations, fabrication drawings.
Module mounting structure design (fixed-tilt and tracker-based systems), tracker coordination, wind and structural load calculations, preparation of fabrication drawings, and design optimization for constructability, cost efficiency, and long-term performance.
Ensure optimization of designs for cost, constructability, and long-term performance.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

Ensure compliance with IS, IEC, MNRE, utility, DISCOM, and client standards.
Oversee design audits, risk assessments, and technical reviews.
Interface with clients, consultants, and third-party reviewers during design approvals.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Coordination

Work closely with Project Management, Procurement, Construction, QA/QC, and O&M teams.
Provide design clarifications and technical support during execution and commissioning stages.
Coordinate with vendors and OEMs for design validation and approvals.

Team Development & Capability Building

Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing design teams.
Drive training, knowledge sharing, and succession planning within the department.
Support recruitment and onboarding of key design resources.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

Drive design standardization, modularization, and value engineering initiatives.
Evaluate and implement new technologies, tools, and software relevant to RE design.
Contribute to organizational growth through improved design efficiency and innovation.

Qualifications & Experience

Education: B.E./B.Tech in Civil / Electrical / Mechanical Engineering (Master's preferred).
Experience: 12–18 years of experience in Renewable Energy design, with at least 5+ years in a leadership or departmental head role.
Proven experience handling large-scale solar/wind projects (100+ MW cumulative exposure preferred).

Skills & Tools

Strong command over AutoCAD, STAAD Pro, PVsyst, ETAP, Helioscope, Civil 3D, and relevant design tools.
Excellent understanding of project lifecycle, EPC execution, and design-build coordination.
Strong leadership, decision-making, stakeholder management, and communication skills.

Key Competencies

Strategic thinking with hands-on technical depth
Strong ownership and accountability
Ability to manage complexity and multiple large projects
High standards for quality, safety, and compliance

Head Design