One technical authority. Two entire delivery streams.

Project Ares is a 1GW hyperscale renewable data and energy hub in the Northern Territory, scaling to a potential 5GW , positioned as Australia's answer to the AI infrastructure gap sweeping the Asia Pacific. Solar, BESS, gas generation, 132kV transmission and a first-of-kind direct liquid cooled data hall all have to work as one integrated system, and there is no pre-existing integrated design authority sitting across it yet. Pre-FEED is complete and FEED is underway, backed by a delivery team with 200 years of combined mega project experience across BHP, Woodside, Chevron, Fortescue and Rio Tinto.

We're not looking for someone to review drawings after the fact. We're looking for the person who sets the standard everyone else designs to.

That said, you won't be doing this alone. You'll work directly alongside the Delivery Manager, the PowerCo and DataCo Delivery Leads and the rest of the project leadership team, all of whom have already taken the wider project through FEL 2.

Who we want

We want engineers who think in systems, not disciplines: someone who can hold the interface between solar, BESS, gas generation, transmission and data centre cooling in their head at once, and who would rather build the design review process from scratch than inherit someone else's gaps. If your instinct is to ask “who owns this risk?” rather than wait for someone to raise it, keep reading.

Our project runs on four principles: Accountable, Resilient, Enduring, Swift, not as a slogan, but as the operating standard for this role: named ownership of every interface risk, judgement calls made under real technology and schedule pressure,



and standards built to outlast FEED and serve the asset through to operations.

What you'll own

- Owner's technical authority. Act as the owner's technical authority across PowerCo and DataCo engineering, providing assurance over EPCM and EPC contractor designs
- Engineering & technical risk register. Establish and chair the project's engineering and technical risk register, covering systems integration and interface risk across solar, BESS, gas, transmission and data hall design
- Independent Engineer relationship. Own the relationship with independent engineering reviewers and the lenders' Independent Engineer, tracking findings to closure
- Design standards & technology risk. Set and enforce design standards for the E3 thermal architecture, grid-to-chip power delivery and PUE/WUE targets across both SPVs, evaluating technology risk through FEED and EPC contractor selection
- Engineering governance from scratch. Establish engineering document control, drawing registers and design review gate processes ahead of full FEED mobilisation, working with the Project Services Lead

What you bring

- Degree in engineering [electrical, mechanical or civil]; Chartered/RPEQ status or equivalent highly regarded
- 15 years in owner's engineering or engineering management roles on large-scale power generation, renewables or data centre infrastructure,



with direct experience taking a project from FEED through detailed design and into construction
- Systems engineering mindset, able to manage complex interfaces across solar, BESS, gas generation, transmission, data centre cooling and IT load without a pre-existing integrated design authority in place
- Working knowledge of closed-loop dry-cooler/DLC thermal architecture, grid-to-chip power delivery philosophy and PUE/WUE design targets
- Robust technology risk judgement, able to distinguish proven, bankable technology choices from developmental risk that could drive cost escalation
- Comfortable operating as a self-starter, establishing engineering governance, document control and design review processes from scratch ahead of full FEED mobilisation
- Based in or willing to relocate to Perth

Why this one's different

- A blank canvas with real technical authority. You define the engineering governance, standards and risk register from FEED, not inherit someone else's gaps two years in
- Direct line of sight to the Project Director throughout the build phase, no layers between you and the decisions that matter
- Technical authority across two entire delivery streams, PowerCo and DataCo, on one of the largest privately funded developments in Australia
- A delivery team around you with 200 years of combined mega project experience, so the judgement calls you make have real backing

This is a confidential search. Client identity will be shared directly with shortlisted candidates. Apply Now or for a confidential discussion please contact Michelle Bateman, 0400 416 405 Harry & Maxwell Executive Search.

📌 Head of Engineering (Perth)
🏢 Harry Maxwell
📍 Perth