Head Of Power Operations

Reporting to the General Manager - Power & Electrical Transmission, the Head of Power Operations - On Grid will be responsible for the end-to-end performance and operation of electricity assets connected to the National Electricity Market (NEM) and Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM).
This includes managing a diverse and geographically dispersed portfolio of high-value assets across multiple states, supported by a national team of approximately 26 engineers, technicians, and operational staff.
You will be tasked with embedding and delivering a newly designed operating model, lifting safety and performance outcomes, and ensuring strategic alignment with broader commercial and decarbonisation goals.
The role also serves as a senior escalation point for asset outages and emergency responses, requiring both technical confidence and steady leadership.
This is a high-impact, high-visibility position where your leadership will directly influence the stability and reliability of Australia's energy supply, while also shaping long-term strategic priorities such as asset optimisation, workforce capability, and energy transition readiness.
Key Responsibilities
Provide national leadership for the day-to-day operation of on-grid electricity infrastructure, including transmission, renewable generation, and grid-stabilising assets
Embed a new operating model with clearly defined 20 / 60 / 90-day deliverables focused on safety, performance, and cultural alignment
Deliver against commercial and operational KPIs, including budget ownership and full P&L accountability across the portfolio
Oversee strategic asset planning, maintenance programs, outage management, and emergency response coordination
Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory, environmental, and technical standards, including RIT-T and the National Electricity Rules (NER)
Manage key external relationships with market operators (e.g. AEMO), regulators, and third-party contractors to ensure smooth operations and shared accountability
Lead and develop a high-performing, safety-first culture across a distributed national workforce
You are a proven operational leader with experience at the executive level, ideally gained within power systems, electricity transmission, or large-scale renewables.
You are comfortable navigating both strategic and tactical challenges and bring a deep understanding of asset-intensive environments, operational risk, and regulated frameworks.
Your leadership style balances commercial focus with technical credibility and a strong commitment to safety.
You can unify teams across multiple locations, embed change, and deliver measurable performance improvement within complex, regulated environments.
To be successful, you will bring :
Significant executive leadership experience in electricity transmission, grid operations, or renewables
A strong track record in leading technical and operational teams across geographically dispersed locations
Expertise in power systems, grid management (NEM / WEM), and energy infrastructure operations
Full P&L ownership experience, including budgeting, cost control, and financial accountability
Proven ability to lead transformation, embed new ways of working, and influence at all levels of the organisation
Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, particularly with regulators, technical service providers, and executive peers
This is a rare and highly attractive executive opportunity to take ownership of a nationally significant portfolio and lead the operational transformation of one of Australia's largest energy infrastructure businesses.
You will be empowered to set the tone, build capability, and ensure the business is ready to meet the demands of the energy transition and national decarbonisation goals.
You'll be working alongside a committed executive team with the investment, support, and ambition to deliver world-class infrastructure outcomes.
The scale of the opportunity is matched by the stability and clarity of the long-term vision.
About Brunel :
Brunel is a recruitment and flexible workforce solution provider which connects talented people with opportunities throughout Australasia and around the world.
We specialise in highly skilled roles across a variety of technical, professional, trades and craft disciplines, pairing candidates with industry-leading projects and organisations on a contract, permanent or secondment basis.
Do you have questions?
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the details of this role, please contact Timothy Chapman on or email
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