National Utilities Manager

Who we are

We are a leading real estate services company that combines global standards with specialised local knowledge to create customisable high-performance solutions for our clients.  We advise property owners and occupiers on every aspect of their property strategies and assist them in the development, buying, selling, leasing, valuing and management of their assets. Our dedication to quality and excellence sets us apart in the industry.

Why choose us

Be part of a forward-thinking culture that values entrepreneurial spirit and celebrates your best work. Collaborate with talented property professionals, leverage unparalleled resources, and enjoy opportunities for both personal and professional growth. At JHI, your contributions are encouraged and celebrated, ensuring a rewarding journey as you advance in your career.

About the role

We are seeking a National Utility Manager to manage and improve utilities consumption within the organisation in line with agreed policy and strategy; so that environmental footprint and carbon emissions are minimised economically and sustainably. Report on variances to the client, provides support to business units on utility matters, manage the SLAs with the different service providers on behalf of the client, administer utility billings to tenants and report on utility income, report on utility expense and queries. Manage staff effectively and provide guidance in terms of utility tasks, present annual utility training to the team to ensure all parties are up to date with the latest workflow and industry standards, meet client’s standards and global standards in terms of utility management as set out in the Service Level Agreement with the client. The term utilities includes water, electricity, gas consumption, waste collection and data consumption.

What you will bring

Inherent requirements for the position (non-negotiable)

• Engineering Degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechatronic Engineering
• Between 5-7 years minimum experience within a utilities management space for a municipality, or real estate portfolio.
• Must hold a Certified Energy Manager Qualification

Additional demonstrable requirements:

• Communication
• Strategic planning
• Emotional Intelligence
• Customer and quality focus
• Change management
• Problem solving and decision making
• Finance and business acumen

What you will be doing

In this role, you will be required to:

• Investigate variances via worksheet that includes net utility figures, accruals and notes on queries
• Identify and isolate the problem and period involved. Provide a solution and inform landlord, and other stakeholders.
• Various monthly meetings with service providers including utility company to conclude reporting
• Setup meetings with asset managers monthly to report on NET UTILITY variances
• Process includes investigating both expenses and income side of buildings in the portfolio.
• Collaborate with Utility management service provider(s), asset and property managers; providing key financial information and relevant data to support the drive for management buy in to proposed Energy/Water/Revenue Recovery projects/initiatives.
• Match technical information (readings, meters, tariffs per consumption) on council accounts with the sites
• Approve council account variances after investigated and confirmed
• Integration with finance and accounts payable department. 
• Approve / confirm new building take on (meters charged correctly) for buildings on the portfolio in consultation with the local utilities managers/utility controllers sitting at building level.
• Monthly accrual process calculation and management as per client’s accrual policy
• Identify technical risk to landlord – calculate accruals in accordance to the client’s accrual policy and resolve council queries
• Manage service providers including utility management company, gas supply companies etc. (ensure their system matches our system, provide tenant movements, double check recons, check billing)
• Load utility billings to tenant accounts to the company’s deadline. Check, identify and address issues relating to billing
• Manage billing process in terms of debtor administrators checking pre-billing, ensure new tenant movements gets updated with utility company
• Forecasting, Budget Planning and Maintenance
• Input into annual formulation of budgets – both Opex and Capex.
• Financial management and monthly reporting on expenditure and variances
• Perform procurement duties: RFI, RFP and RFQ Process Management in collaboration with Group Procurement Department.
• Adhoc and Special Projects
• Manage projects in accordance with sound project management processes to achieve objectives.
• Keep abreast with current trends so that the organization keeps up to date with environmental impact factors which determine the overall footprint.
• Understand clearly how the carbon footprint for a typical building is calculated and how the utility streams influence this calculation.

If you are ready to take the next step in your career and make a significant impact in property management, we encourage you to apply for the National Utility Manager position. Bring your expertise in utilities management, budgeting, and tenant relations to our dynamic team.

JHI is committed to striving for diversity and equitable representation in our workforce. Preference may thus be given to suitably qualified candidates as identified in our employment equity plan. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.