Job Description

Principal Commissioning Engineer

Location: Melbourne, VIC
Project Coverage: Victoria & New South Wales
Sector: Critical Infrastructure / Energy / Utilities
Employment Type: Permanent

The Opportunity

We are working with a leading Australian infrastructure organisation that is looking to appoint a Principal Commissioning Engineer to provide technical leadership across major electrical infrastructure projects throughout Victoria and New South Wales.

This is a senior technical leadership position, responsible for providing commissioning expertise from project development and design through to testing, energisation, handover and operational readiness.

You will work closely with engineering, construction, project management, operations and external contractors to ensure assets are delivered safely, reliably and in accordance with technical, regulatory and operational requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and provide technical direction across commissioning, testing, energisation and handover activities.

• Develop and review commissioning strategies, plans, procedures, test documentation and commissioning schedules.

• Provide commissioning input throughout the design and construction lifecycle, identifying potential issues before site execution.

• Lead commissioning teams and coordinate contractors, vendors, consultants and internal stakeholders.

• Oversee pre-commissioning, functional testing, integrated systems testing and energisation of electrical infrastructure.

• Review test results, identify defects and manage technical issues through to resolution.

• Ensure commissioning activities comply with relevant Australian Standards, network requirements, safety legislation and project specifications.

• Support project teams with technical troubleshooting and commissioning-related risk management.

• Establish commissioning methodologies, processes and quality standards across projects.

• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to commissioning engineers and project personnel.

• Coordinate with operations teams to ensure effective handover, documentation, training and operational readiness.

• Participate in design reviews, constructability reviews, FAT/SAT activities and vendor inspections where required.

• Ensure commissioning documentation and asset records are complete and suitable for operational handover.

• Contribute to continuous improvement of commissioning processes, standards and lessons learned.

About You

You will be an experienced commissioning professional with a strong background in electrical infrastructure, utilities, energy or other critical infrastructure environments.

Ideally, you will have:

• Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.

• Significant experience in testing, commissioning and energisation of electrical infrastructure.

• Strong understanding of HV/MV electrical systems, substations, protection, switchgear and associated control systems.

• Experience leading commissioning activities on large, complex infrastructure projects.

• Strong understanding of commissioning governance, test procedures, quality assurance and operational handover.

• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams, contractors and specialist vendors.

• Strong technical report writing and documentation skills.

• Ability to interpret electrical designs, schematics, protection/control drawings and technical specifications.

• Strong knowledge of Australian electrical standards, safety requirements and industry practices.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical issues and drive them through to resolution.

Desirable Experience

Experience across one or more of the following would be highly advantageous:

• Transmission & distribution infrastructure

• Electrical substations

• HV/MV switchgear

• Protection and control systems

• SCADA / automation systems

• Grid connection and energisation

• Utility-scale energy projects

• Renewable energy / BESS

• Major infrastructure or critical facilities

• FAT, SAT and integrated systems testing

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to join a well-established Australian infrastructure business working on major, technically complex projects across Victoria and New South Wales that underpin essential services.

The role offers significant technical ownership, exposure to large-scale infrastructure projects and the opportunity to influence commissioning standards and delivery across the wider organisation.

If you're an experienced Senior or Principal Commissioning Engineer looking for a role where you can take genuine technical ownership across major infrastructure projects, we'd be keen to speak with you.