Engineering Manager (m/w/d)

We are looking for a new member of our technical team to work primarily on project development, construction and operation of Australian renewable energy projects, including solar, wind, BESS, hydrogen and other technologies.

Responsible for leading and managing the project engineering team and their work, including site prospecting, preliminary designs, plant performance estimates, electrical and SCADA design and review, keeping up to date with suppliers and equipment developments, writing and managing technical specifications, liaising with internal and external stakeholders about technical and design items, managing EPC contractors and sub-contracts, managing consultants, monitoring construction and commissioning progress, and assisting with general technical and engineering work for Vena Energy in Australia.

This role is based at our Brisbane office.

Key Responsibilities

Team leadership

• Lead and manage the project engineering and technical aspects for VEA’s Australian projects.
• Lead and oversee the project engineering team to achieve exceptional performance and meet organisational goals.
• Cultivate a positive team culture, foster open communication, and provide mentorship to team members to enhance their professional development. Strategize and delegate tasks efficiently and ensure that projects are executed on time and within budget. Assess team strengths and weaknesses and implement necessary training programs to boost productivity and optimise team performance.

Project Development, Construction and Operation

• Lead the technical design and review for Australian projects in the development and construction phases.
• Manage general technical and engineering work, including for regulatory and planning, grid connection (in conjunction with the grid connection team), technical design and energy/degradation assessment, electrical, communications and SCADA designs and reviews, project optimisation, tender specifications and reviews, design reviews and other aspect of renewable energy project development, construction and operation.
• Provide technical-related timeframe and cost inputs to queries, reports, and submissions for internal and external stakeholders, including knowledge and deliverables around designs, layouts, energy generation / degradation and specifications.
• Write, review, update and manage technical and contract specifications (including for RFQs, site investigations, EPC, O&M, equipment supply and grid connection).
• Ensure that all relevant technical items are covered in contracts and technical specifications and that risk is appropriately allocated between the contract parties.
• Ensure that VEA’s technical specifications and contracts include best practices and relevant standards.
• Lead the design review and engineering process.
• Supervise and manage consultants (including owner’s engineers and lender’s engineers) and contractors as required.
• Manage and perform site audits during construction, commissioning and O&M.
• Lead and assist with the identification and development of new renewable energy sites.
• Provide technical assessment of development assets being considered for acquisition.
• Keep a consideration of environmental and social impacts and the company’s commercial drivers.
• Communicate with and prepare reports for company management and external stakeholders as required.

Industry and Market Knowledge

• Maintain relationships with key suppliers.
• Keep abreast of supplier, equipment, technology and product developments.
• Keep abreast of project, industry and market developments in Australia and overseas and consider how they could affect the technical aspects of Vena Energy Australia’s projects and business.
• Through knowledge of market trends and competitor activities, consider if and how the technical aspects of VEA’s projects should adjust or develop in order to stay competitive and cutting edge.

Permitting and Compliance

• Provide technical inputs for development applications and modifications, including preliminary designs, layouts, and specifications.
• Keep abreast of construction and legislative technical requirements and changes, as well as any state‐based or local technical requirements.
• Review project compliance against development application and approval conditions.
• Review plant performance against contractual requirements and benchmarks.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Build and maintain relationships with key external stakeholders including contractors, consultants, suppliers, landowners, network service providers and AEMO as required.

Business Development

• Develop a network of contacts and information sources to ensure timely access to information on technology, suppliers, renewable energy project market activities and potential business development opportunities.
• Work with VEA’s business development team to assess new project opportunities and partnerships.

Risk Management

• Identify, highlight, consider, analyse and minimise technical risks when evaluating sites for developments and acquisitions, and when evaluating equipment for use in VEA’s
• Contribute to risk management plans and processes.
• Ensure technical inputs for development applications and modifications include consideration of future technology developments in order to provide flexibility in project
• Ensure that all relevant technical items are covered in contracts and technical specifications such that risk is appropriately allocated between the contract parties and any technical risk borne by VEA is understood.
• Identify, review and monitor risks identified during the Safety in Design process.
• Consider and highlight risks and trade-offs (in areas such as cost, environmental impact and health and safety) during project construction versus ongoing costs during project O&M.
• Identify and manage risks during project construction.

Negotiation

• Negotiate technical scopes of work and contract terms with consultants, contractors and suppliers as required.

Document Control and Management

• Ensure technical documents are developed, named, saved and filed appropriately.
• Manage clear document control and change control of technical documents.

Education

Essential for this role

• Bachelor of Science or Engineering, preferably with a major in Electrical Engineering

Good to have

• Masters in Engineering, Professional Certification (for e.g. PMP, Licensed Engineer, etc.)

Experience

• At least 5‐10 years’ experience in project engineering and/or electrical engineering
• Experience with project management
• Experience with team leadership

Skills

• Electrical design
• Project engineering
• Construction site experience
• Solar, wind, BESS power plant design and estimation
• Electrical SLDs, protection, communications, SCADA, and metering
• Proficiency with AutoCAD
• Proficiency with energy yield software for solar and wind
• Proficiency with GIS software
• Time and project management
• Leadership and mentorship abilities to foster a positive team culture
• Problem solving
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Conflict management
• Analytics
• Presentation skills