THE OPPORTUNITY

Large loads are changing the grid, and this is your chance to be right at the front of it. For the past decade, much of Australia’s grid connection story has centred around wind, solar and batteries. Now another wave is gathering pace, with data centres, AI infrastructure and major industrial loads creating entirely new demands on the electricity network.

Your new employer is already right in the thick of it.

YOUR NEW EMPLOYER

Your new employer is an established Australian infrastructure and electrical business with DEEP capability across high-voltage, transmission, distribution, renewables and major electrical infrastructure and right now, the project pipeline is red hot. There is major energy and digital infrastructure work already underway, some seriously large projects coming behind it and a clear push into the infrastructure needed to power the next generation of data centres and AI.

For a business that deals in some serious voltage, it is also remarkably grounded. The culture is practical, down to earth and refreshingly light on bureaucracy. Senior leaders stay close to the action, decisions are made quickly and there are very few layers between a good idea and actually doing something with it. The scale might be getting bigger, but the business has deliberately held onto the culture that got it there.

YOUR RECENT ROLE

This is not simply about managing a connection application through a process. You will be helping answer the much bigger question: Can we connect it, where should we connect it and what is it actually going to take?

Working across large-load, data centre, BESS, renewable generation, industrial and network infrastructure projects, you will lead connection strategy from early feasibility and network capacity assessment through to connection enquiries, applications, technical negotiations and project development decisions.

You will work closely with DNSPs, TNSPs, AEMO, developers, major energy users, modelling specialists and internal engineering and delivery teams, helping determine connection points,



network capacity, constraints and augmentation requirements, then turning the technical detail into practical commercial advice. You will also oversee power system modelling inputs and outputs, technical due diligence and connection option studies, while helping build a growing grid connection and network advisory capability around you.

For someone coming from a network business, this is the chance to take everything you know about how the grid works and how major connections are assessed, and use it from the other side of the table, helping shape projects before the infrastructure is designed and built.

ABOUT YOU

We are particularly interested in people who have worked in network planning, connections planning, power systems or major customer connections within a DNSP or TNSP, ideally with strong exposure to sub-transmission environments. You may currently be a Principal or Senior Connections Planning Engineer, Network Planning Engineer, Principal Power Systems Engineer, Power Systems Lead, Major Connections Engineer, Customer Connections Engineer, Transmission Planning Engineer or Grid Connections Lead.

You will bring

- A degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
- Strong experience across grid connections, network planning, power systems or major customer connections
- A solid understanding of NER Chapter 5 and Australian connection processes
- Experience engaging with DNSPs, TNSPs, AEMO, developers or major energy users
- Exposure to large loads, data centres, BESS, renewable generation, network capacity and augmentation
- The technical depth to understand and challenge power system studies and modelling
- Strong commercial judgement and the ability to explain complex network issues in a way clients can actually make decisions from

Just as importantly, you need to be comfortable playing in the grey. Not every problem will arrive with perfect information or a neat engineering answer, so you will need the judgement to understand the risk, make a call and recommend a way forward. Reach out to Nadene Barretto on [0432 124418](tel:0432 124418), [email protected] or simply apply

📌 Grid Connections Manager (Newcastle)
🏢 Eight Recruitment
📍 Newcastle