Principal Power Systems Engineer

Job Description

Our Resources, Industrial, Advisory and Program Management (RIPA) team have a new opportunity for a Principal Power Systems Engineer to join our team. As part of a dynamic team, you will primarily focus on developing and delivering grid connection projects and support the broader resources and industrial business.

Our highly experience team of specialists are actively involved across both development and construction phase of the projects (grid connected and off-grid) in the renewable energy sector, oil & gas and mining industries.

As part of the team, you will be working on a variety of challenging grid connection projects with emerging technologies, including utility-scale wind, solar, battery, and pumped hydro across the entire NEM in Australia and offers a great opportunity to be a part of the fast-moving energy transformation. You will be given the opportunity to further develop your career, supporting growth priorities for our Energy business, through industry participation (committee positions, conference presentations etc.) and provide input and promote our thought leadership initiatives.

This is an exciting time for AECOM’s Energy business as the energy market, and Renewable Energy in particular, continues to grow. Grid connection is becoming a critical area where proponents (utility providers and private investors and developers) are seeking specialized grid connection and network planning services across various life cycles from siting to feasibility stage through to commissioning and on-going compliance monitoring during the operations phase.

The Role

Lead power-system analysis and technical advisory for islanded mining networks and stand-alone power systems (SAPS), helping clients connect new generation and loads, maintain system security, and integrate renewables and storage without compromising operational reliability.

The role spans two distinct regional systems: the North West Power System (NWPS), centered on Mount Isa, Queensland, and the North West Interconnected System (NWIS) in Western Australia’s Pilbara. The NWPS operates under a Dispatch Protocol with a Generation Coordinator; the NWIS operates under the Pilbara Networks Rules, with Pilbara ISOCo as independent system operator. Experience and familiarity with either networks is required however experience across both whilst preferred is not a prerequisite.

Key responsibilities:

Lead steady-state and dynamic studies for islanded and weak power systems, including load flow, fault levels, protection coordination, voltage and reactive power, frequency response, transient stability, and contingency assessment. Ability to develop methodologies and scenarios to assess power systems in a variety of applications and frameworks both client drive (for SAPS in particular) and to NSP and regional operator requirements for islanded networks (NWIS / NWPS).

• Ability to assess the integration of diesel and gas generation, solar PV, wind, battery energy storage, grid-forming and grid-following inverters, and large mining or industrial loads.
• Develop and review operating envelopes, generation and storage dispatch assumptions, reserve requirements, load-shedding schemes, and system restoration strategies.
• Prepare technical assessments for new connections, network augmentations, plant modifications and decarbonisation projects, translating study findings into practical design and operating requirements.
• Develop, validate and maintain power-system models; review model quality, assumptions and limitations; and provide clear, auditable study reports and recommendations.
• Engage with asset owners, network service providers, generators, operators and regional system coordination bodies to resolve technical issues and progress approvals.
• Lead technical workstreams, manage quality and delivery, mentor engineers, and contribute to proposals and client relationships.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with major in power systems and ideally have proven experience over 5 years (Senior) or 8 years (Principal) or more working for a design/engineering consultancy or an OEM or Utility dealing with grid compliance and system modelling, network planning and customer connections.

Experience working on grid scale renewables (wind/solar/battery/hybrid) projects connecting into NEM & WEM within the Australian network is highly regarded.

Your commercial acumen, coupled with your coaching and mentoring of junior staff will be critical, alongside some or all the following:

• Understanding of transmission/ distribution planning and connection process for VRE and dispatchable generating plants including energy storage and embedded generators
• Knowledge of major generation technologies and applicable control systems
• Experience leading connection process from concept planning through construction, testing & commissioning on grid scale VRE projects including registration
• Understanding of technical requirements (NER schedules S5.2 and S5.3) and guidelines for connecting new generators and loads (including new guidelines for DMAT) including compliance requirements for registration and commissioning
• Hands-on experience using PSS/e, PSCAD and Digsilent PowerFactory for system studies
• Proficient in Python Scripting, and working knowledge of ETAP
• Understanding of concept design of grid scale VRE & BESS projects
• Understanding of control and protection principles of high voltage substation equipment, transmission lines, generators, transformers, reactive equipment, etc.
• Experience in preparing technical design documentation/due diligence reports

Additional Information

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

AECOM acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we, our clients and our communities live and work around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. We are committed to connecting to Country in our work through meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples and businesses.  Find out more about our Australian Reconciliation Action Plan here: https://aecom.com/au/our-vision-for-reconciliation/.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well-being program. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.