Principal Project Manager - Qld Rez & Transmission

Share your voice with enthusiasm and express diverse perspectives! Significant career opportunity as Principal Project Manager where you will lead and coordinate significant connection reforms in Qld, spanning broader integration of emerging technologies, network enhancements and regulatory shifts. Able to be based in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Sydney (CBD or Norwest). Hybrid and flexible working, excellent company culture with great benefits.

AEMO at the Heart of Energy

We are the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), committed to designing and operating a sustainable energy system that delivers safe, reliable, and affordable electricity and gas. Our mission includes facilitating the transition to a net-zero energy system by 2050, working collaboratively with industry partners to achieve 100% renewable generation capability by 2025. We have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to co-design the future of our energy systems, and our core values revolve around Character, Commitment, and Connection. Join us as we contribute to this significant mission in the energy sector.

About the role Sitting within the System Design division the Onboarding and Connections (O&C) department is responsible for the end to end connection process across the National Electricity Market (NEM). Operationally, it works closely with transmission and distribution network service providers in supporting project developers and equipment manufacturers through the application, registration, and commissioning phases of the project lifecycle to enable release to full operation.

Reporting into the Manager Connections Reform this new position will manage and coordinate AEMO’s activities in relation to major connection reform processes, with an initial focus on developing Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) in Queensland, together with broader reforms covering integration of emerging technologies or connections, integration of major network augmentations, streamlining of connection processes, and implementation of regulatory changes.

The position requires extensive stakeholder management and negotiation of agreed approaches across a variety of conflicting interests. Key stakeholders include Queensland Government, Powerlink (REZ delivery body), generation developers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and industry associations such as the Clean Energy Council (CEC). Consultation and collaboration processes, and their design, will be key to the success of this role. It also requires the coordination of activities and outcomes with other parts of AEMO and industry partners to maximise the ability for this work to feed into other AEMO and industry processes, e.g. Connections Reform Initiative (CRI), Access Standards Review, NSW REZ, Engineering Framework.

This is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with government, stakeholders, and industry, responding to evolving needs. As connection volumes surge amid transition, there is increasing necessity to streamline processes and you will play a pivotal role in managing this transformation across the industry.

What you will be doing

1. Develop and implement a delivery plan for AEMO’s activities on the different workstreams required to integrate the new Queensland REZs, connections, or technologies.  In some workstreams, this will involve representing AEMO on industry working groups and coordinating with other workstreams to ensure an aligned outcome where these workstreams overlap.
2. Allocate and manage resources to lead and deliver substantive changes to support the integration of Queensland REZs. The support should be timely, consultative and respond to the sense of urgency expressed by industry or Government.
3. Develop stakeholder management plans for the delivery of these initiatives, and lead stakeholder negotiations across a diverse set of stakeholders with conflicting interests.
4. Lead any implementation of changes to internal AEMO and broader industry processes arising from these processes.
5. Build a service-oriented culture, based on client partnerships and close collaboration within AEMO and across industry.
6. Lead a step-change improvement in AEMO’s technical collaboration with clients and the energy industry, and analysis/reporting methods and tools, to ensure proactive identification of common industry challenges, constructive and outcome-focused problem solving, as well as robust, transparent decision making.
7. Prepare clear, concise, and high quality written and verbal communication to inform internal or external stakeholders on a range of issues for both technical and non-technical audiences
8. Proactively build AEMO’s reputation as a trusted partner to generation developers, original equipment manufacturers, Government, Network Service Providers, Market Participants, Customers, and other stakeholders.

What you will bring to the role

• Engineering, project management, or stakeholder management qualifications.
• Regulatory/policy qualifications to support the above would be considered very useful.
• Demonstrated experience in managing strategic reform projects that require extensive stakeholder engagement and negotiation, as well as NER change management and implementation.
• Demonstrated experience in building and managing project teams - shaping a proactive and ownership-based team culture, fostering a service oriented, outcome-focused, and pragmatic approach to problem solving.
• Demonstrated experience in shaping and delivering projects across a variety of stakeholders with conflicting interests, negotiating agreed outcomes, and delivering these on time and to budget.
• Experience in facilitating working groups and negotiating the resolution of complex issues across stakeholders with competing objectives and a variety of commercial and reputational drivers.
• Experience in managing a diverse set of matrixed resources with differing skill sets and objectives to achieve time and budget requirements.
• Understanding of the NER, the NEM, and the Rule change framework.
• Understanding of the challenges experienced by generation developers and their commercial drivers or constraints.

In return some of our benefits to you

• Flexible working: work from home, part time, job share, hybrid options, and additional leave options
• Professional development via projects, industry networks, job rotation, study assistance and more.
• Give back with up to 4 days of volunteering leave per year.
• Reward your hard work with annual performance bonuses (subject to eligibility).
• Embrace a healthier you with our wellness program, discounted health insurance, gym perks and our comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

About Our Process 

AEMO values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, welcoming applications from all backgrounds without regard to age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, parental status, race, or religion. We are dedicated to accommodating applicants' needs during the application or interview process, simply let the us know by emailing us at ******@aemo.com.au