Application Engineering Manager- Large Scale

SMA Australia has a full-time opportunity for a talented Application Engineering Manager in our Large-Scale team. The position is hybrid ie, a mix of working from home and working at our North Sydney office.

About the role:

The Application Engineering Managers (AEM) primary role is to lead the Application Engineering team and be the primary technical point of contact for SMA's Australian & New Zealand (ANZ) customers and SMA's internal cross-discipline personnel.

The AEM will be expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the local market(s), including relevant legislation & standards, the Australian National Electricity Rules and NZ Transpower rules.

Furthermore, they will be expected to continually develop or improve SMA market-specific solutions including hardware & documentation. The AEM should have a broad understanding of renewable projects including PV, BESS and hybrid plant design and their associated use cases. Prior in-depth technical knowledge of SMA's products is an advantage, however, general knowledge of inverter, battery & control systems would be sufficient in order to quickly develop the requisite detailed SMA product knowledge in order to provide pre & post-sales technical support on the application of SMA solutions in the ANZ markets.

Key responsibilities include leading & mentoring the Application Engineering team to develop to work relatively independently in supporting SMA's customers and internal stakeholders. The AEM will need to work closely with the internal sales, project management, grid modelling & service team leads to ensure that all relevant internal disciplines are adequately supported by the Application Engineering team. The AEM should develop strong working relationships with SMA HQ (Germany) based technical experts & product managers to ensure that SMA products are developed or customised to suit the local market and remain compliant with local requirements. The AEM will require the ability to lead complex project technical negotiations with SMA's customers to ensure that SMA's risk is mitigated whilst customer needs are satisfied & understood.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leads and manages a team of Application Engineers, ensuring effective collaboration, development and project execution.
• Coordinates with cross-functional teams including Sales, Grid Modelling, Product Management, Engineering Services, Customer Project Management and others.
• Provides technical support for utility products during pre-sales/post-sales, installation via face-to-face meetings, remote-meetings, telephone and email.
• Serves as a lead technical specialist for SMA Australia and a liaison between the local team and the technical leads at SMA HQ.
• Creates and delivers internal & external technical training when necessary.
• Develops and implements strategies for effective local external sales materials.
• Plans, develops, and implements strategies for consistent competitor analysis.
• Gathers and prioritises product and customer requirements and provides suitable interpretation to management and HQ technical experts to contribute to product development.
• Works closely with project sales team to discuss current and upcoming projects or product requirements.
• Other duties as may be required or assigned.
• Ensuring that the Application Engineers have the requisite skills & knowledge to negotiate & agree project technical scopes with customers prior to supply agreement execution with all technical risks effectively addressed & mitigated.
• Agreed project technical scopes are completely accurate to ensure that SMA is not exposed to risk during project execution & delivery.
• Develop & maintain internal technical processes to ensure that the Application Engineering team are providing continuity & repeatability in their work.
• Ensure that the Application Engineering team is providing effective & prompt technical support to multiple customers simultaneously to help ensure that SMA sales revenue targets are met & exceeded.
• Maintain and update internal system processes & documents to ensure clear communication & definition of SMA solutions to customers and internal stakeholders.

What's in it for you

We offer a competitive salary and great company benefits and perks, such as an annual bonus and an additional 5 days paid leave at Xmas. As a supportive organisation, we understand the importance of offering a flexible working environment to support your own creativity, wellbeing and balance. KPIs apply with variable bonus reward and recognition program.

Experience & Skills:

• At least 8 years' experience working in an Engineering based role
• Technical sales experience
• Knowledge of Australian utility PV & storage industries including the standards, rules & legislation which govern the Large-Scale energy sector or the ability to transfer from other territories.
• Strong communicator with the ability to present & negotiate technical solutions.
• Ability to manage and develop a small team of engineers to work reasonably independently.
• Familiarity with the utility PV & storage industries.
• Exposure to EPC, consultant and utility customers.
• Experience working with an overseas based manufacturer.
• Ability to manage key stakeholders from utilities, consultant, developer and EPC backgrounds.
• Time management skills to manage a team and coordinate their response to deadlines on multiple simultaneous projects
• Ability to manage communication between HQ technical experts and customers.
• Strong team work ethic with an emphasis on building internal and external relationships.

Qualifications:

• Degree/Masters studies in Electrical Engineering

About Us

SMA Solar Technology are a global renewable energy pioneer, facilitating access to clean energy through state-of-the-art technology. SMA has 40 years of expertise and passion in renewables to drive the worlds energy transition. We are a diverse and global organisation.

SMA Group employs over 3500 people globally, with more than 500 focused on research and development to ensure we remain at the forefront of technology. SMA Australia is a subsidiary of SMA Solar Technology, a dynamic and entrepreneurial team of over 80 people from a wide range of cultural, education, and employment backgrounds. We value team spirit, performance and trust. Would you like to play a part in shaping the energy supply of the future?

This position is open to all Australian citizens or Permanent Residents. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Thank you.