Technical Support Manager

Job Title: Technical Support Manager

Department: Digital or R&D

Reporting Line: Head of Digital or Head of R&D 

Location: Kampala or Berlin

About ENGIE Energy Access 

ENGIE Energy Access is a leading Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grids solutions provider in Africa, with a mission to deliver affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions and life-changing services with exceptional customer experience. The company is a result of the integration of Fenix International, ENGIE Mobisol and ENGIE PowerCorner; and develops innovative, off-grid solar solutions for homes, public services and businesses, enabling customers and distribution partners access to clean, affordable energy. The PAYGo solar home systems are financed through affordable installments from $0.14 per day and the mini-grids foster economic development by enabling electrical productive use and triggering business opportunities for entrepreneurs in rural communities. 

With over 1,700 employees, operations in nine countries across Africa (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), over 1 million customers and more than 5 million lives impacted so far, ENGIE Energy Access aims to remain a leading clean energy company, serving millions of customers across Africa by 2025. 

www.engie-africa.com  

www.linkedin.com/company/engie-africa 

Job Purpose/Mission  

ENGIE Energy Access is looking for an experienced and self-sufficient leader to consolidate and define the technical support strategy across Software, Data and Hardware. You will initially be leading a team of 5-6 technical staff who are located both in-country and in the Berlin head office. Your team will be tasked with providing exceptional support for 5,000+ users of the Software and Data products and 250 technicians. You will need to work with senior colleagues across Digital and Research & Development to ensure comprehensive escalation of issues and that the long-term resolution of issues comply with SLAs and any support policies.  

Responsibilities 

• Manage, mentor and motivate your team to deliver exceptional service across the organisation 
• Define the Technical Support Strategy for all Product (Software, Data and Hardware) across our 9 operating markets 
• Set up and lead an efficient Level 1 technical operating framework 
• Develop the necessary relationships at engineering and management levels in order to drive the necessary Tier 2 engineering activities 
• Establish and maintain SLAs to the satisfaction of country leadership teams 
• Ensure all best practices, FAQs and support documentation is up to date 
• Drive solutions for in-country escalation and self-diagnosis of issues to speed resolution and reduce workload for central teams 
• Provide technical leadership and skills, in order to grow and develop the team to close the gap with Tier 2 engineering activities 
• Engage with engineering teams for final escalation of issues and with product management for long-term resolution of issues 
• Conduct regular surveys to engage with users and identify areas of satisfaction and improvement 
• Define, monitor and report on team KPI’s to the Head of R&D 
• Provide line management function to the team  

At EEA, we have high expectations for our managers. Each manager plays a key role in creating an exceptional experience not only for our customers but for every person on our team. Our managers help A2E realize our ambitious goals while developing their own leadership skills and facilitating growth for their direct reports.  

We believe that great managers: 

• Deliver ambitious results: As a high-performing and accountable leader, you create an enabling environment for effective action and bold decision which contribute to successful delivery of results. 
• Act with integrity: As an ethical leader you are honest, respectful, objective, and transparent. You create and build upon a foundation of trust and openness. 
• Inspire and mentor the team: As an inspirational leader you walk the talk. You empower and coach your team with trust and humility. 
• Are accessible: as an accessible leader, you develop and maintain deep connections with stakeholders through approachability and active listening. 
• Ensure diversity and inclusion: as an inclusive leader, you ensure diversity and foster a sense of belonging. 

Knowledge and skills    

Experience: 

• 5+ years of experience providing technical support for internal or external users 
• Leadership experience with remote teams 
• Line management (mentoring/appraisals/performance reviews etc) of a technical team 
• Strong communication skills to perform root cause analysis with technical and non-technical teams 
• Able to forge a strong cooperation with the R&D and Product teams 
• Willingness to be flexible and do is needed to maintain outstanding level of service 
• Ability to maintain big-picture vision while being detail-oriented 
• Outstanding written and verbal communications skills  
• High competency in Microsoft Office products 
• Education and/or work experience in Africa 
• Degree in engineering, software or related technical subject preferred  

Language(s):  

• English 
• French and/or German is a plus 

Technology: 

• MySQL database and Tableau experience 
• Experience using ticketing software such as Service Desk 
• Experience in administration of web applications / strong technical acumen 
• A broad understanding of firmware and consumer electronics systems 
• Experience with IoT devices 
• Microsoft Office, Sharepoint, Confluence 

ENGIE is an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. All applications are screened based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without any regard to origin, age, name, sexual identity, orientation or preference, religion, marital status, health, disability, political opinions, union involvement or citizenship. Our differences are our strengths!