Job Description

Principal Engineer – High Voltage 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 Principal Engineer – High Voltage Infrastructure to provide senior technical leadership across its Australian development portfolio.

This is a senior engineering position responsible for the technical integrity, engineering governance and design assurance of upstream high-voltage infrastructure supporting large-scale critical infrastructure developments.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across HV substations, transmission and distribution connections, transformers, switchgear, HV cables, protection and control systems, contestable assets, BESS and associated electrical infrastructure.

You will act as a senior technical authority, setting engineering requirements, reviewing and challenging EPC and consultant designs, managing specialist engineering partners and ensuring delivered infrastructure meets Australian regulatory, network, safety, reliability and operational requirements.

The role will work closely with project delivery, grid connection, engineering, operations, network utilities, EPC contractors and equipment manufacturers throughout the asset lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

HV Engineering & Technical Leadership

• Provide senior technical leadership and engineering governance across HV infrastructure projects.
• Establish engineering requirements, design criteria, technical specifications and standard solutions.
• Lead technical reviews of substation architecture, transformers, switchgear, HV cables, protection and control, SCADA, metering and earthing systems.
• Ensure designs address reliability, redundancy, maintainability, safety, operability and future expansion requirements.
• Provide technical recommendations and resolve complex engineering issues throughout project development and delivery.

Design Assurance & EPC Management

• Act as the owner's technical representative for HV infrastructure delivered through EPC and design-and-build arrangements.
• Review contractor and consultant design deliverables against project requirements and applicable standards.
• Lead technical design reviews, workshops, risk reviews and engineering hold points.
• Challenge engineering proposals where required to improve technical performance, constructability, reliability and lifecycle outcomes.
• Manage specialist engineering consultants and technical advisors.
• Maintain appropriate technical configuration and design-change control throughout delivery.

Grid Connection & Power Systems

• Work alongside grid connection specialists to ensure network requirements and study outcomes are incorporated into HV infrastructure designs.
• Provide technical inputs, equipment data and system information required for power-system studies and modelling.
• Support assessment of fault levels, harmonics, reactive power, system strength, protection and other grid-facing requirements.
• Assess the impact of equipment or design changes on grid connection studies and compliance.
• Support resolution of technical matters with network operators, regulators, consultants and OEMs.

Delivery, Testing & Commissioning

• Provide technical engineering support through procurement, construction, testing and commissioning.
• Lead technical evaluation of major HV equipment and OEM submissions.
• Participate in FATs, SATs, protection testing, commissioning and technical acceptance activities.
• Provide technical assurance that installed infrastructure complies with approved designs and performance requirements.
• Work with operational teams to ensure maintainability, operating philosophy, asset information, spares and technical requirements are incorporated prior to handover.
• Support the investigation and resolution of technical issues during commissioning and early operation.

Engineering Governance

• Maintain technical standards, specifications, design records and engineering decision documentation.
• Develop standardised HV solutions and capture lessons learned across the Australian portfolio.
• Monitor relevant Australian and international standards, network requirements and emerging HV technologies.
• Provide technical mentoring to engineers and wider project teams.
• Promote robust engineering governance and disciplined technical decision-making.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Deep technical expertise in HV electrical systems and substation engineering.
• Strong understanding of transmission and distribution infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of transformers, switchgear, protection and control, HV cables and associated systems.
• Proven ability to critically review complex engineering designs and EPC/consultant deliverables.
• Understanding of power-system studies and grid-connection requirements.
• Strong engineering judgement and risk-based decision-making capability.
• Experience managing engineering consultants, contractors and OEMs.
• Strong technical communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to project and senior leadership teams.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• 10+ years' relevant experience within transmission, distribution, utilities, renewable energy, major industrial infrastructure, data centres or similar HV environments.
• Demonstrated experience in HV substation design and engineering.
• Experience reviewing and managing engineering delivered by EPC contractors and specialist consultants.
• Strong knowledge of Australian electrical standards and utility/network requirements.
• Experience spanning design, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of HV infrastructure.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with 132kV, 220kV, 275kV, 330kV or higher-voltage systems.
• Experience with Australian transmission and distribution network operators.
• Experience with contestable electrical infrastructure.
• Experience supporting hyperscale data centres, large industrial loads or other high-availability facilities.
• Experience with BESS and renewable energy infrastructure.
• Familiarity with PSCAD, PSS®E and/or PowerFactory.
• Experience with protection, harmonics, power quality and grid compliance.
• Chartered Professional Engineer status or equivalent professional recognition.

Working Environment

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

Some domestic and occasional international travel will be required for project meetings, technical reviews, workshops, site activities and commissioning.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work flexibly around project, utility and stakeholder requirements.
• Willingness to attend site, technical workshops and commissioning activities outside standard working hours when required.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment with multiple projects and changing priorities.