Chief Pilot

About us:

We’re a team that cares about you and your community. CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy own and operate the electricity distribution networks servicing 1.9 million customers located across 65% of Victoria. These customers include a large numbers of households, as well as commercial and industrial businesses, world class arts, health and sporting precincts, popular tourism regions and the biggest infrastructure projects in Victoria.

In designing and delivering these services, our people are united by a real sense of purpose to empower customer choices in ways that are important for our communities and the environment. Using advanced analytics, knowledge built through years of practical expertise, partnerships with leading researchers, and the courage to experiment, our people are proud to be disruptive influencers amongst the electricity industry.

Increasingly, our networks are connecting new large-scale renewable energy generators and integrating technologies like solar, batteries and electric vehicles as customers change the way they generate, use, store and share power. This demand is transforming the electricity market faster than any change we’ve ever seen before. As a result, our people are at the frontline in developing and implementing innovative technologies and solutions necessary for the future of our industry not only in Victoria but globally.

About the Role:

We are currently looking for an experienced Chief Remote Pilot to join our Remote Inspection Operations team based at our CBD head office on a full time and permanent basis.

This position will be responsible for overseeing and managing all aspects of drone operations within our organisations which includes, asset inspection of our networks, capturing sensor data, safe flying operations and research and development improvements. The role plays a key role in implementing and optimizing drone operations to enhance the reliability and safety of our electrical assets.

We are looking for someone with a strong strategic leadership mindset with expertise in drone technology, aviation, and team management. In addition this candidate will have strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, with expert communication and stakeholder management skills.

There will be the requirement to travel across our distribution networks as part of this role.

What you’ll deliver:

• Develop the RPAS strategy and influence strategic, commercial and customer outcomes
• Develop, maintain and exercise regulatory responsibilities of the ReOC including Operational Manual and Operations Procedures pursuant to the Civil Aviation Act and subordinate legislation
• Develop and deliver training for staff responsible for remote pilot operations and ensure compliance with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)
• Develop and update and develop checklists and applications for approvals and permissions to facilitate safe and legal remote flight operations
• Undertake UAV operations and support remote pilots in the field through conducting flight planning activities, scheduling and allocation of UAV pilot work packages
• Be the point of contact for CASA regarding the ReOC, flight permissions, and any changes required to the Operations Manuals as required
• Engage with the remote asset inspection team to understand quality improvement opportunities
• Facilitate cross-team quality reviews to ensure consistency of quality across the UAV service group
• Jointly design and execute R&D experiments with the R&D team to further enhance UAV services
• Produce annual operational and capital forecasts to support the annual budget process for UAV service costs

To succeed in this role you’ll have:

• Qualify as a Chief remote pilot through CASA assessment
• Experience within a commercial or public RPAS operations, ideally operating EVLOS or other complex operations
• Prior experience in the use of RPAS software to manage data retrieved from RPA flights and data visualisation
• Strong team management skills, working with diverse, field based and geographically distributed teams
• Good computer literacy to enable preparation of reports, storage, and retrieval of test data, transfer of files and using software tools
• Good risk management skills including in-field hazard identification, hazard mitigation and incident management process knowledge
• Previous experience in UAV management, technology and operations
• Experience acquiring and delivering aerial imagery data
• Experience with service delivery financial management activities.

Your career with us:

We have a diversity of teams across our business, all contributing to great customer and community outcomes. Our people are our most important asset, and we continually invest in nurturing their capability.

We proudly strive to provide a safe, inclusive and sustainable environment where all our people feel respected, valued and supported to bring their whole selves to work and be the best they can be.

With an embedded Inclusion & Diversity Strategy and initiatives like our Women in Power networking group, and Sparkle, our LGBTIQ+ allies pride network, we’re committed to equal opportunities for all employees.

We are proud to be recognised as a WORK180 Endorsed Employer for all women. Click here to check out our benefits. https://work180.com/en-au/for-women/employer/powercor/benefits

Our greatest priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our people and the communities we operate within. This includes their physical safety – ensuring everyone gets home safely everyday – as well as their psychological safety, by ensuring everyone has the resources and support needed to achieve a work-life balance and be the best they can be.

What’s next?

If you possess the required skills and experience and you are looking for a fantastic career opportunity, please submit your application by 4 March 2024.

For the full Position Description, reach out to Tom from the Talent Team at *******@powercor.com.au.

We encourage applications from all communities; people of all ages, genders, nationalities, abilities and cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the LGBTQI+ community and people living with disability.

If you require adjustments as part of the recruitment process to accommodate your needs, please don’t hesitate to discuss these with us.