Network Connections Manager

Our Australian Neoen Connection Team is looking for a Network Connections Manager who will be working alongside Neoen’s Development, Construction, and Asset Management teams driving the grid network connections processes, to obtain connection approvals across Neoen’s Australian portfolio of utility scale Wind, Solar and Storage projects and assets.

You will be a dedicated team player and ensure coordination of the network connection process within Neoen and with external entities (AEMO, TNSPs, Regulator, engineering consultants, EPC) with high standards and attention to detail, motivated to deliver on project milestones and support the development and operations team.

**You will have the following responsibilities**:

- Working with Development Managers to ensure the development portfolio progresses to meet project milestones (Connection Approval, etc)
- Working with Construction Project Managers during the completion of interconnection works by the EPC contractor, by mean of coordination of Interconnection permitting and Registration duties for Neoen, and drive the coordination of the EPCs and other stakeholders (AEMO, TNSP, etc) to this end
- Working with Asset Managers to ensure Neoen’s Generators maintain ongoing compliance with their GPS, and with existing and new requirements under the National Electricity Rules. Also, assist to ensure scheduled transmission network maintenance plans are aligned with Generator maintenance requirements for each Asset, and that flexibility in near term scheduling to suit weather conditions, is a focus of planning efforts
- Support Neoen Procurement team to ensure that EPC contract negotiations are consistent and integrate all required network studies, GIS, GPS requirement and other applicable NSP and Rules requirements
- Manage engineering consultants or the EPC performing grid interconnection studies as required by AEMO or NSPs in accordance with the NER
- Provide technical advice on networks and connection to support new project identification, viability screening, assessment of indicative network capacity & constraints and target installed project MW scale
- Maintain awareness of network congestion issues that have the potential to affect the ability of Neoen’s existing assets to deliver energy to the grid
- Provide technical support to network connection commercial agreement, re-negotiations and review opportunities, in conjunction with business managers
- Provide critical input to the prioritisation of Neoen’s development portfolio from the perspective of network availability, capacity, constraints and system performance
- Pursue opportunities to optimise losses and peaking/location factors, attributable to the production from existing assets
- Where necessary, work with/maintain relationships with AEMO, Network Service Providers, network asset owners and 3rd party advisors, to determine grid capacity, connection options, and indicative costs for target projects and existing assets
- Contribute to developing network connection policies as need identifies or as required

You will need the following skills and experience to succeed in this role:

- A Tertiary Degree in an Electrical Engineering field, or other relevant degree in a similar discipline
- Experience with Network Connection Applications on either the Developer/Owner’s side or else Regulator side (i.e. AEMO, TNSP, etc)
- Experience in, and a deep understanding of the commercial contracts and commercial negotiations involved in Transmission & Distribution Infrastructure projects
- Experience with AEMO registration process will be highly regarded
- Experience in a development environment will be highly regarded
- Experience with interconnection process with NSPs for utility scale power production plants will be highly regarded
- Experience with power system modelling programs will be highly regarded (e.g. PSS/e, PSCAD, PowerFactory, etc)
- You are reliable, organised, team focused, rigorous and analytical, with a capacity to work under pressure
- You can self-regulate to maintain a healthy approach to work of this nature, whilst delivering on the needs of the business
- Your English is fluent (written and spoken)