Development Manager

Company Description
**This is an opportunity to join the growing Octopus team, as we spread our tentacles across renewable energy investments throughout Australia and beyond. The successful applicant will be part of a dynamic and energetic team, currently developing a portfolio of renewable assets in Australia, with a broader horizon of expansion into Asia Pacific.**

**About Octopus***

From a standing start in 2010 Octopus grew its energy business rapidly to become Europe’s largest non-utility renewable energy investor, including a global portfolio of solar, wind, biomass and waste to energy assets. Octopus now manages over 1GW of projects in the UK, France, Italy and Australia on behalf of its investors and has the equivalent of nearly AUD 7 billion under management in the Energy team. We also have one of the fastest growing energy retail businesses in the UK with over 3 million customers.

In January 2018 an office was opened in Melbourne to take advantage of a rapidly growing renewable energy investment market. We have invested in the 275MW Darlington Point Solar Farm in NSW and the 180MW Dulacca Wind Farm in QLD. We have a strong national pipeline of projects across wind, solar, battery storage and hydrogen opportunities.

We have a team of 40 across Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland.

**Job Description**:
**About the role**

You will be leading the development of renewable projects, including solar, wind, battery storage projects and hydrogen opportunities that will need your stewardship through the development life cycle to financial close.

The role is based in Melbourne or Sydney - with site visits required periodically to: our development sites, stakeholders and communities. Our current portfolio consists of a mixture of greenfield through to late-stage assets, and with your help, we’ll be growing the pipeline to feed more projects into the construction phase.

Just as important as _what _you achieve in this role, is how you perform the role. We’ll need you to be an engaged team member, who can cross pollenate your development expertise into an investment world. Be ready for a dynamic work environment, with a start-up mindset. You’ll be encouraged and supported to be bold in your thinking and leadership, whilst being a helpful colleague to those around you.

Flexible working arrangements are typical at Octopus with the team working from both home and office over the working week.

**Essential Job Functions**

**Project Development**
- Potentially anything that falls under the banner of Project Development from landowner liaison, development approvals, grid connection, EPC procurement, PPAs etc. Treat the projects as if they are your own
- Assist the wider Investment Team through asset growth opportunities as required, including bringing your contributions and knowledge into project evaluations, acquisition bids, transaction and negotiation processes, due diligence work and supporting Investment Directors through internal approval processes.
- Develop sound relationships with relevant stakeholders including: landholders, community, regulators and policy makers.
- Manage project teams of multidisciplinary internal and external experts, including technical, planning, legal, grid, environmental and engineering advisors.
- Selecting advisors, consultants, OEMs and construction contractors (including EPC contractors), running procurement process and contract negotiations through to financial close.
- Negotiation of high value contracts including project construction (EPC) and transmission connection agreements.
- Manage the grid connection process, working closely with NSPs and grid consultants, to navigate the complexity of the technical, regulatory and commercial connection landscape.
- Manage the delivery of development works within allocated budgets in a timely, efficient and effective manner.
- Development of project execution plans including timelines, costs, risk assessments, communication of project financials and progress reports in a consistent manner across the assigned projects.
- Development of required inputs for management papers, board papers and commercial negotiations as required.
- Prepare and manage budgets for Capex and Opex, project schedules, and technical inputs into financial models, supporting overall project business case development.
- Support our fundraising efforts, including meeting with prospective investors, promoting the Octopus profile, and supporting our fund managers with development expertise as required.
- Support ongoing profile raising activities - networking with industry participants and at times engaging with energy policymakers to influence energy policy.

**Qualifications**:
**Job Specific Experience/Technical Skills/Abilities**

**Outline of skills/experience required**
- Eligibility to work in Australia - visa sponsorship is not offered.
- A relevant tertiary qualification
- Previous experience in a similar position working in the renewable energy se