Lead Civil Engineer – Octopus Australia

Company Description

We’re excited to offer an opportunity to become part of the Octopus Australia team in our Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane office.

We are seeking a Lead Civil Engineer to strengthen our civil engineering capabilities across the lifecycle of utility-scale solar, wind and battery energy storage projects. This is a rare opportunity to shape civil engineering standards and approaches within a leading renewables developer, and implement best practice across a portfolio of major Australian renewable energy projects, taking the lead on civil-related technical/commercial decisions which materially influence bankability, constructability, cost, programme and long-term asset performance. In addition, the role offers multiple future development pathways towards broader project/people management roles and exposure to adjacent technical/commercial disciplines, depending on the interests of the successful candidate. Whilst the role is primarily civil focused, there will also be opportunities to take on responsibilities outside this core area of focus on certain projects and broaden one’s professional horizons in the process.

Octopus Australia

Octopus Australia is a renewable energy fund manager, project developer, asset owner and long-term operator. We are accelerating Australia’s transition to a cleaner, more resilient future, by combining wind, solar and battery storage into integrated portfolios that can deliver lasting value. Octopus Australia currently has a team of 70+ people in Australia, over 2.0 billion AUD in funds under management, and a portfolio including development and construction projects as well operational assets. This 4GW+ portfolio covers assets such as Darlington Point Solar Farm, Dulacca Wind Farm, Fulham Solar Farm and BESS, Blind Creek Solar Farm and BESS, Blackstone BESS, Colleambally BESS, Hanworth BESS, Dunmore Solar Farm and BESS, and Ardandra Solar Farm and BESS. Investors in Octopus Australia’s funds include Dutch pension fund APG Asset Management NV and the Australian government’s Clean Energy Finance Corp., among others. In addition, Octopus Australia is planning to spend at least 15 billion AUD developing assets in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland in the next 5 years.

Job Description

• Define, structure and manage scope, budget, schedule, HSE, risks and quality of civil engineering workstream on portfolio projects through pre-acquisition due diligence processes, design, procurement, financial close, NTP, construction, commissioning and operations phases.
• Demonstrate technical leadership and provide mentoring/support to colleagues, with a focus on continuous improvement of civil engineering standards, lessons learnt, and development of templates and governance processes covering roads, access tracks, hardstands, foundations interfaces, drainage, hydrology, earthworks, laydown areas and geotechnical works.
• Own civil interfaces with electrical, grid, SCADA, environmental, planning, land, commercial, construction and asset management teams, and educate key internal stakeholders with regards to civil workstream objectives, risks and opportunities.
• Contribute to project contracting strategies, scope definition, tender documentation, technical evaluation, contract negotiation and post-award engineering management.
• Prepare/review technical specifications, employer's requirements/principal's project requirements, design reports, design certificates and construction documentation.
• Review, challenge and evaluate EPC / Owner’s Engineer’s / contractor’s design submissions, RFIs, concessions, variations and non-conformances with a focus on proactive practical issue resolution, technoeconomic optimization and risk management.
• Manage resolution of civil-related punch list issues on operating assets post-COD.
• Coordinate and manage design reviews, site inspections and technical workshops as required.

Qualifications

Ideally, you will have some or all of the following qualifications, skills and experience:

• Demonstrated civil engineering experience (7-10 yrs) on Australian utility-scale renewable energy projects, ideally across wind, solar PV, and / or battery energy storage systems – wind experience/experience on projects in complex terrain in particular highly regarded.
• Experience working for an EPC contractor, engineering consultant, utility, independent power producer or renewable energy project developer.
• Proven involvement in both pre- and post-financial close/construction project phases.
• Practical site-based construction exposure, including contractor management, ITP/ITR processes, design change management and punch list issue resolution.
• Strong understanding of civil design, site investigations, geotechnical risk, drainage, access, earthworks, constructability and construction/operations phase engineering support.
• Experience preparing, reviewing or managing technical documentation for tendering, contract negotiation, contractor design review and construction delivery.
• Familiarity with Australian approvals, engineering standards, construction practices and grid-connected infrastructure delivery environments.
• Tertiary qualification in Civil Engineering or a related discipline. Chartered status, RPEQ / NER / state registration or progress towards registration is not a pre-requisite for the role however will be highly regarded.
• Eligibility to work in Australia.

Success in this role will be demonstrated through:

• A practical mindset, sound judgement and a commitment to ensuring safe, bankable and constructible renewable energy projects.
• Strong civil workstream management skills, and willingness/desire to take ownership of budget, scope, programme, risks and quality.
• Ability to work well in teams with diverse professional/personal backgrounds – focusing as much on what needs to be done as well as how to work together best as a team.
• Commercial awareness, technical depth and comfort operating at the interface between engineering, development, procurement, finance and construction.
• Proactiveness, self-motivation, and conscious prioritization of workload in alignment with Engineering Manager.
• Clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders and ability to translate engineering issues into actionable recommendations.
• An appreciation of the value of quality, genuine relationships with colleagues – we spend most of our week with our colleagues so we might as well enjoy it!

Additional Information

What we offer

• 💰 A competitive salary package including annual bonus
•  🩺 A generous contribution to your private health insurance, when you join the Octopus Australia-sponsored Medibank policy.
• ✈️ An extra five days’ annual leave entitlement
• 🏡 Hybrid working arrangement.
• 💼 Ongoing learning and career development opportunities including a LinkedIn learning subscription.
• 📱Monthly mobile phone allowance.
• 🧘‍♀️Access to our employee wellness program, including an annual wellness allowance and Headspace subscription.
• 🚗 Access to novated leasing
• ☀️ The opportunity to apply your skills to the renewable energy transition.

Octopus Australia has built an exciting and inclusive high-performance culture where employees feel empowered. We understand the value of diversity, and we are dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace environment. We welcome people of all backgrounds to apply. 

Our Values 

At Octopus Australia we don’t just focus on what we do but also how we do it. Everyone shares our values of being straightforward, helpful, bold and empathetic. Our culture is critical to our success and is built around four principles that underpin how we pursue our goals:

We empower people to:

• Be Bold – make decisions quickly and be OK changing your mind if it turns out there’s a better way of doing things.
• Be Helpful – behave like it’s always day one and remember that without our customers, there is no business.
• Be Straightforward – have opinions and express them in a way that’s respectful and easy to understand.
• Be Empathetic – care about others and take the time to understand different perspectives. It’s about listening, supporting, and creating an environment where everyone feels valued – so we can send our people home happy.