Senior Grid Engineer - Octopus Australia

We’re excited to offer an opportunity to become part of the Octopus Australia team in our Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane office.

The successful applicant will join Octopus Australia on our mission to harness capital and expertise to accelerate the renewable energy transition.

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.

Octopus Australia

Established in 2018, Octopus Australia is a renewable energy fund manager and developer. Our dynamic multi-disciplinary team of over 65 highly skilled people have the expertise required to manage a renewable energy fund and operate a renewable energy and storage portfolio.

With an existing multi-GW portfolio of operating and development assets, including utility-scale solar, wind and battery storage facilities 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.

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:
  • 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.
• 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.

The role is based in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, 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.

Ideally, you will have some or all of the following qualifications, skills and experiences:

• 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.
• 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, legislation, and requirements.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• To facilitate the travel to site, a valid driver’s licence is necessary.

What we offer

• 💰 A competitive salary package including annual bonus.
•  🩺 A generous contribution to your private health insurance, when you join the Octopus Australia-sponsored Medibank policy.
• ✈️ Extra five days Annual Leave entitlement.
• 🏡 Hybrid working arrangement.
• 💼 Ongoing learning and career development opportunities including a LinkedIn learning subscription.
• 📱Monthly mobile phone allowance.
• 🧘‍♀️Access to our employee wellness program, including an annual wellness allowance and Headspace subscription.
• 🚗 Access to novated leasing.
• ☀️ The opportunity to apply your skills to the renewable energy transition.

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

Our Values 

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

We empower people to:

• Be Bold – make decisions quickly and be OK changing your mind if it turns out there’s a better way of doing things.
• Be Helpful – behave like it’s always day one and remember that without our customers there is no business.
• Be Straightforward – have opinions and express them in a way that’s respectful and easy to understand.
• Be Empathetic – care about others and take the time to understand different perspectives. It’s about listening, supporting, and creating an environment where everyone feels valued – so we can send our people home happy.