Job Description

Senior Project Manager – HV Infrastructure

Location: Melbourne, Australia
Employment Type: Full-time
Working Arrangement: Primarily site/office based

About the Role

A rapidly growing data centre and critical infrastructure business is looking for a Senior Project Manager – HV Infrastructure to lead the delivery of major high-voltage infrastructure supporting large-scale developments across Australia.

The role provides end-to-end project leadership across HV infrastructure, from early development and procurement through engineering, construction, testing, commissioning and energisation.

Projects may include transmission and distribution connections, HV substations, transformers, switchgear, HV cables and lines, contestable works, BESS and associated electrical infrastructure.

The successful candidate will act as the primary delivery interface with HV EPC contractors and will work closely with senior engineering, grid connection, delivery, operations, network utilities and other project stakeholders.

The role is accountable for delivering HV infrastructure safely, on programme, within approved budgets and in accordance with technical, commercial and operational requirements.

Key Responsibilities

HV Infrastructure Project Delivery

• Lead delivery of major HV infrastructure projects from early development and ECI through EPC execution, commissioning and energisation.
• Develop and maintain integrated project programmes covering engineering, procurement, long-lead equipment, construction, testing, network interfaces and energisation.
• Manage project scope, programme, cost, risk, quality and change control.
• Coordinate delivery of substations, contestable works, HV cables/lines, transformers, switchgear, BESS and associated infrastructure.
• Ensure HV delivery milestones remain aligned with wider critical infrastructure development programmes.

EPC & Contractor Management

• Lead procurement, engagement and management of HV EPC contractors and specialist delivery partners.
• Support development of ECI/EPC scopes, tender documentation, commercial evaluations and contract award recommendations.
• Establish clear contractor deliverables, interface requirements, programme expectations and acceptance criteria.
• Monitor EPC performance against programme, cost, quality and contractual obligations.
• Manage contractor reporting, variations, claims, risks and corrective actions alongside commercial and legal teams.
• Maintain clear accountability for delivery of the upstream HV package.

Engineering & Project Interfaces

• Work closely with senior HV engineering resources to ensure technical requirements are incorporated into EPC design and delivery.
• Coordinate with grid connection specialists to ensure network requirements, connection studies and utility requirements are reflected in project execution.
• Manage interfaces between HV infrastructure and wider electrical/campus development.
• Coordinate project dependencies with network operators, contestable works providers, OEMs and external stakeholders.
• Ensure design changes, construction issues and programme decisions are communicated and resolved effectively.

Commissioning & Energisation

• Own the integrated delivery programme for testing, commissioning and energisation of HV infrastructure.
• Coordinate EPC contractors, network operators, OEMs, engineering teams and project stakeholders through energisation readiness.
• Establish commissioning milestones, hold points, prerequisites and completion requirements.
• Ensure documentation, test records, defects and technical approvals are completed prior to handover.
• Manage transition of completed HV assets into operations, including documentation, training, spares and operational readiness.

Governance, Safety & Risk

• Promote a strong safety culture across all HV project activities.
• Ensure contractors comply with applicable legislation, electrical standards, network requirements and project safety systems.
• Maintain project risk, issue, change and decision registers.
• Provide clear reporting on programme, cost, risk and delivery status to senior leadership.
• Capture lessons learned and contribute to standardisation and continuous improvement across future HV projects.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong project leadership and major infrastructure delivery capability.
• Strong knowledge of HV electrical infrastructure and substation delivery.
• Demonstrated experience managing major EPC contracts and contractors.
• Strong programme, commercial, risk and change-management capability.
• Ability to manage complex interfaces between engineering, construction, utilities and wider infrastructure delivery.
• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation and communication skills.
• Strong understanding of HV testing, commissioning and energisation.
• Ability to communicate complex delivery issues clearly to senior leadership.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 10+ years' experience delivering major electrical, transmission, renewable energy, utility or infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience delivering HV substations and associated electrical infrastructure.
• Experience managing EPC contractors and major construction packages.
• Experience taking projects through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and energisation.
• Strong understanding of project controls, programme, cost, risk and contract management.

Desirable Experience

• Experience delivering 132kV, 220kV, 275kV, 330kV or higher-voltage infrastructure.
• Experience working with Australian transmission and distribution network operators.
• Experience with contestable HV infrastructure.
• Experience delivering hyperscale data centres or other large industrial/high-load facilities.
• Experience with BESS and renewable energy infrastructure.
• Experience with ECI-to-EPC delivery models.
• PMP, AIPM or equivalent project-management accreditation.

Working Environment

The role will involve working across project development, engineering, construction and delivery environments throughout Australia, including offices, construction sites, utility facilities and external stakeholder locations.

Domestic and occasional international travel may be required for project meetings, technical reviews, workshops, site activities, commissioning and energisation.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work flexibly around major construction, testing and energisation activities.
• Comfortable operating in complex, high-pressure project environments with multiple stakeholders and changing priorities.
• Willingness to attend site and project activities outside standard working hours when required.