1. Job purpose
As PowerOptimal's installed base of Elon® Smart solar PV water heaters grows, we need a customer support lead who can give technical, hands-on support to installers and customers, and take routine support off our senior sales and business development people so they can focus on selling.
The role blends two things: tier-2/3 technical support and fault-finding, and pre-sales support that qualifies and routes new enquiries quickly to improve speed-to-lead. It's a hybrid role based in the Cape Town area, combining remote support work with time at the Pinelands lab and occasional site visits. It reports to the COO, and can grow into account management as we scale.
2. A day in the life of the Customer Support Lead
Installer and customer support
- Provide tier-2/3 technical support to installers and customers via phone, WhatsApp and email;
- Guide registered electricians through live installation troubleshooting, including fault-finding on-site or remotely;
- Triage and escalate hardware or firmware issues to the Hardware Engineering team with clear, structured diagnostic information;
- Own the warranty and RMA process: log, track and progress returns and claims through to resolution;
- Maintain a working knowledge of the Elon Smart thermostat hardware, firmware and installation process;
- Maintain a working knowledge of the Elon 100 hardware, firmware and installation process;
- Maintain a working knowledge of the Elon Smart app and the Elon Smart online portal;
- Keep interaction records and outcomes current in the CRM.
Pre-sales and lead handling
- Qualify inbound sales enquiries, understand what the customer needs, and route or respond quickly to improve speed-to-lead;
- Take first-line and routine support off senior sales and business development, freeing them to focus on closing;
- Direct customers and installers to the right product, information or next step at first contact.
Knowledge and process
- Maintain and improve installation guides, FAQs and troubleshooting documentation;
- Track recurring issues and feed patterns back to Hardware Engineering and Operations;
- Support onboarding of new installers with training on the installation and troubleshooting process.
Cross-functional collaboration
- Periodically spend time in the Pinelands lab to stay current with hardware changes and observe engineering testing first-hand;
- Carry out occasional site visits where remote diagnosis isn't enough;
- Work with Operations on field issues that trace back to supply chain or distribution root causes;
- Provide structured feedback to Hardware and Back-end Engineering on real-world device performance and failure modes.
3. Does this sound like you?
Technical skills
- Experience in tier-2/3 technical helpdesk support, ideally in electrical, ISP, telecoms or hardware/IoT environments;
- Strong electrical literacy: comfortable reading installation manuals and guiding a registered electrician through fault-finding on a live installation;
- Ability to qualify and route sales enquiries, understanding customer needs and improving speed-to-lead;
- Clear, calm communication, especially under pressure or on a live troubleshooting call, including with frustrated or irate customers;
- Comfortable with technology and able to learn new hardware and firmware concepts quickly;
- Familiarity with CRM and support tooling (we use HubSpot) is an advantage;
- Prior experience in solar, renewable energy or home automation support is an advantage.
Qualifications
- Technical qualification or trade background (e.g. electrical, electronics) preferred, or equivalent demonstrated experience;
- Matric or equivalent required; further technical training is an advantage.
Personal qualities
- Driven and a self-starter;
- Calm and methodical under pressure, with strong problem-solving skills;
- Excellent collaboration and communication, written and verbal, able to guide technical and non-technical people alike through a problem;
- Organised and self-directed, able to work independently;
- Strong written and spoken English; additional South African languages are an advantage.
4. Working hours
Support demand peaks roughly in the morning (around 6 to 10am) and again in the late afternoon and evening (around 4 to 7pm), though the exact timing varies day to day. The schedule is built around those windows rather than a fixed 9 to 5, with lighter cover through the middle of the day.
- Focused cover across the morning and afternoon/evening peaks, with a lighter midday period;
- Roughly full-time hours overall, with flexibility to shift with demand;
- A standby arrangement outside core hours, including weekends and public holidays. You'll take a share of this to begin with, with the option to take on more as you get comfortable.
We'll agree exact times on appointment. This suits someone who prefers a rhythm that fits real demand over a rigid clock.
5. Who is PowerOptimal?
PowerOptimal is an African leader in renewable energy technology solutions with an ambition to transform how hot water is generated and used. We are a small but fast-growing, high-performance team with high standards and big ambitions. We strive for excellence in everything we do. Our aim is to be transformative and collaborative in our work.
We focus on speed, scale, smart resourcefulness and unbounded optimism. We never start with 'no.' We're solution-oriented and focus on the outcome and the impact of any project or priority. We're a curious bunch, creative and a little quirky. We debate things passionately in team meetings and stand-ups. We agree and disagree on how the world should work, but we all agree on making a big difference through our work at PowerOptimal. Which is why we love it here and never take it for granted.
How to apply
If you are interested, please respond to this job post via the Indeed platform.
Pay: R336 000,00 - R480 000,00 per year
Application Question(s):
- Do you have the right to work in South Africa without sponsorship?
- Are you willing to attend team meetings and/or work from our offices for at least 4 days per month?
- Are you willing to visit customer sites across the greater Cape Town area?
- Do you have hands-on experience with 230V AC electrical installations — through formal training, a trade qualification, or field work?
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Cape Town, Western Cape
