Senior Grid Engineer - Octopus Australia

Company Description

The successful applicant will be able to join the Octopus Australia team on their mission to accelerate Australia's transition to a future powered by renewable energy.

We are seeking a Senior Grid Engineer to lead grid-related activities across our wind, battery and solar hybrid projects - supporting the full project lifecycle from development to operation, with a focus on grid connection and ongoing compliance within the NEM.

This is an opportunity to join the Octopus Australia team in our Melbourne or Sydney office.

About Octopus Group

Octopus Group is one of the largest owners of renewable energy projects in Europe and Australia. It owns some 260 assets, on behalf of wholesale and institutional investors. Domestically, Octopus Australia is responsible for managing over $1 billion of assets for local and international investors.

Octopus Investments Australia

Established in 2018, Octopus Australia is a dynamic multi-disciplinary team of over 55 highly skilled people which spans the expertise required to realise and operate a renewable energy and storage portfolio.

With an existing multi-GW portfolio of operating and development assets, including solar, wind and storage across the country. We are continuing to grow to create a long-term business that can deliver a firmed energy product to meet the evolving needs of Australia’s energy future.

Job Description

We are looking for a Senior Grid Engineer to join the Grid team who will be responsible for leading grid related activities and providing technical support to the broader business through the project lifecycle, including:

• Technologies: Wind, standalone utility scale batteries and solar hybrid.
• M&A:  Provide strategic network-related insight on new investment opportunities and manage related due diligence activities.
• Development:
• Connection Process: Lead the connection process, including managing the NSP, AEMO and technical consultants
• Construction: Manage R1, Registration, Hold Point testing and R2 compliance
• Operation: Support the team in ongoing compliance and performance reviews of operational assets.
• Support the team during the early-development phase of projects  in preliminary design and network connection strategy
• Engage in commercial and technical grid aspects of EPC, eBoP, and O&M tenders, including the selection of key inverter and PPC equipment and negotiation of contracts

The role is based in Melbourne or Sydney, with site visits to our projects required periodically throughout various stages. Our current portfolio consists of a mix of greenfield through to late-stage assets.

Just as important as what you achieve in this role, is how you perform the role. We’ll need you to be an engaged team member who can provide technical leadership to investment and development workstreams. You should be a self-starter with high energy levels, tenacity, initiative, and a willingness to deliver the required results.

Qualifications

• Experience. We are looking for a candidate with a minimum of 4 years industry experience with at least 2 years of experience in a similar role. This experience must be related to working on grid-scale renewable energy projects in Australia, with emphasis placed on grid connection experience within the NEM
• Eligibility to work in Australia – visa sponsorship is not offered
• Qualifications. Candidates must have a tertiary qualification in electrical engineering or a related discipline
• Contract and project management skills. The candidate must be highly organised, confident in managing contracts and able to handle relationships with external stakeholders effectively, sometimes in challenging circumstances
• Candidates must demonstrate a commercial mindset and be able to consider technical challenges in a broader commercial and investment context
• An understanding of core legal concepts, particularly those relating to contracts for the construction and management of renewable energy projects
• Expertise in Health, Safety and Environmental practices, legislations, and requirements.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• To facilitate the travel to site, a valid driver’s licence is necessary

Additional Information

What We Offer

• 💰 A competitive salary package including bonus and medical insurance benefits
• ✈️ Extra Annual Leave entitlement
• 🏡 Flexible working 
• Ongoing learning and career development opportunities

Octopus has built an exciting and inclusive high-performance culture where employees feel empowered. We also understand the value of diversity, and we are dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace environment. We would welcome people of all backgrounds to apply. 

Octopus Culture:

At Octopus we don’t just focus on what we do but also how we do it. Everyone to shares our values of being straightforward, helpful, and bold. Our culture is critical to our success and is built around three principles that underpin how we pursue our goals:

• Be Bold – We like people who make decisions quickly and are OK changing their mind if it turns out there’s a better way of doing things.
• Be Helpful – We like People who behave like it always day one and who remember without our customers there is no business.
• Be Straightforward – We like people who have opinions and express them in a way that’s respectful and easy to understand.