Head Of Power Operations (On-Grid)
Vacancy Number: PR-260543
Australia, Brisbane
Fulltime: 40 hrs a week
Experience: 6-9 Years
Education Level: Professional Bachelor
Renewable Energy
Closing: August 26, 2025
Introduction
Brunel has exclusively partnered with one of Australia's largest energy infrastructure businesses to appoint a Head of Power Operations - On Grid. This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior leadership role during a major business transformation, with full accountability for national on-grid operations. You'll shape the operating model, drive performance, and ensure the safe, reliable delivery of power across a multi-billion-dollar asset base.
What are you going to do
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
Essential skills and knowledge
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
What we offer
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 0409712680 or email t.chapman@brunel.net
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Anything Else?
Shape your future
Are you ready for the next step in your career? Join Brunel’s powerful global network, where passionate, results-driven specialists come together with industry-leading clients. By connecting specialists to pioneering projects, we drive change in many industries, enabling growth and delivering great outcomes. Brunel helps you reach your full potential and empowers you to make an impact within a purpose-driven global company.
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Our Culture and Values
At Brunel, we are proud of our unique corporate culture, which is shaped and nurtured by the collective efforts of our employees. Our work environment is characterised by an authentic, communicative and inclusive approach to teamwork that fosters an atmosphere of collaboration and creativity. Our values are at the center of everything we do – for our clients, our colleagues and ourselves.
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Learn more about our global network of specialists!
Our ESG Commitment
Since 1975, our mission has always been to connect specialists to exciting career opportunities, to support the development of these careers, and to offer fair and equal employment. This has enabled us to create a truly sustainable and durable business model. Having a passion for people and caring deeply for the environment is not only part of Brunel’s DNA but is also reflected in our culture and values. As a global company, we take our social responsibility very seriously.
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Tim Chapman