Real Time Trader Dispatcher

Job Description

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The Opportunity  

Based in our Clyde Operations Centre, this role sits within a 24/7 operation, working 12‑hour rotating shifts. You’ll be responsible for real‑time operation of Contact’s generation assets and will be working closely with hoa kaipakihi (stakeholders) on some shifts and operating independently on others. Decisions are made live, often with competing inputs and changing conditions, and carry impact. 

In practice, you’ll: 

• Make time‑critical decisions that balance commercial outcomes, plant capability, system security, and environmental limits 

• Actively operate Contact’s generation plant in real time, balancing safety, efficiency, and system requirements. 

• Monitor live generation, hydrology, weather, and market signals, adjusting course as conditions evolve 

• Act as a central operational point of contact during events, managing frequent and competing input from generation sites, Transpower, and internal stakeholders 

• Use whakataunga (judgement) to recognise when escalation is required and follow defined operating pathways 

• Apply care, consistency, and precision in an environment where repetition and accuracy matter 

• Some shifts are steady and methodical. Others are intense and unpredictable. What matters is your ability to stay focused, clear‑headed, and disciplined regardless of pace. 

Qualifications

Ko wai koe | About You    

You’re comfortable being the person others turn to. At night, that can mean being the sole‑charge decision maker. During the day, it means navigating constant questions, competing priorities, and high‑stakes conversations with internal and external stakeholders (often all at once!). 

If you’ve worked in energy, control rooms, trading, or other complex, real‑time operational environments, this will feel familiar. If you’re new to the electricity sector, you’ll bring transferable discipline, curiosity, and calm — and the rest can be learned. 

How you work: 

• Confident operating on your own, including during overnight sole‑charge shifts 

• Able to make sound decisions when information is incomplete or changing 

• Aware of how individual calls can have flow‑on effects across a large, interconnected system 

• Patient and focused in detailed, repeatable work where accuracy is critical 

How you engage: 

• Clear and calm when multiple stakeholders need answers at once 

• Emotionally steady in high‑pressure situations 

• Curious and thoughtful, you ask questions and seek clarity 

• Comfortable following defined processes, escalation pathways, and controls 

Experience that helps (but isn’t essential): 

• Energy, electricity markets, control‑room, trading, or continuous operations environments 

• Exposure to generation assets, environmental constraints, or complex technical systems 

• Technical or engineering background, or equivalent operational experience 

You don’t need to be an expert in everything on day one. What matters is that you recognise what you know, what you don’t yet know, and how to close those gaps. 

Additional Information

Additional Information  
 
This role is based in Clyde and requires regular on‑site presence. Due to the operational nature of this role, flexibility in where the work is performed is limited. Electricity generation never sleeps; our Hydro assets operate 24/7 so this role requires shift work on a rotational roster basis, working 12-hour shifts (usually 7am-7pm) as part of a 24/7, 365 days a year roster.  

Contact is not a place you’ll stagnate. We are growing and offer superb learning and development opportunities along with a bunch of other perks like free health insurance cover, boosted KiwiSaver, access to Contact Shares, a ‘Good to be Home’ annual payment toward your home set up & wellbeing, a trail-blazing parental leave policy, twice yearly payments towards our products if you’re a Contact customer, and more! 

Applications close on Monday 22nd June, but just like peak demand, great talent surges early — so if this role sparks your interest, power up your application now! 

We love a good story at Contact, it’s what keeps our energy flowing! If you’ve got one that connects with this role, send it our way. 
  

Here at Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko), we know our strength lies in developing a sense of belonging - one that helps us attract and retain people with a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our customers and communities to help build a better Aotearoa New Zealand.

We have a rich community of talented people that we support to thrive at Contact.

Our inclusive hiring process is designed to embrace the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in our decision-making and helping reduce bias along the way.

The wellbeing of our kaimahi is super important to us.

We use employee insights to offer a range of initiatives and resources to support physical, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing – including flexible working arrangements, employee network groups and a market-leading parental leave policy.

At Te Mata Hiko, we want everyone to thrive. We welcome applicants far and wide - of every age, stage, background, and pride. Join us and be part of a team that values your passion and attitude just as much as your experience and skills.

Please note, only candidates with the right to live and work in New Zealand will be considered for this role.

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and those in underrepresented groups tend to only apply if they tick every box. We're not about box ticking, so if you think you have what it takes but don't meet everything stated above, please still get in touch. We'd love to kōrero.

Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) does not accept any CVs received from recruitment agencies where a formal engagement has not been confirmed and agreed to with our Talent team. In the event that unsolicited CVs are submitted by recruitment agencies, Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and consider them for current/future vacancies without any financial obligation to the recruitment agency in question. This will also apply to any CVs sent directly to line managers.