Senior/ Principal Consultant - Power Grid Assets

A career in DNV is not just a job. It is an opportunity to develop your expertise, work with highly knowledgeable professionals, and contribute to projects that support safe, reliable, and sustainable energy systems.

As a Senior / Principal Consultant in our Power Grid Assets team in Australia, you will report to the Team Leader – Power Grid Assets Australia and play a key role in delivering and growing DNV’s technical advisory services across transmission, distribution, generation, renewable energy and large-scale grid infrastructure.

This is a broad and varied role. You may be involved in, owner’s engineer assignments, technical due diligence, asset condition and performance reviews, grid connection support, feasibility studies, technical specification development, proposal preparation or the review of major high-voltage assets. We are open to candidates with broad power grid advisory capability, or candidates with deeper experience in HV substations, including primary systems, secondary systems, SCADA, control, protection and communications. You do not need to have experience in every area, but you should bring strong engineering judgement, curiosity, and the ability to work confidently with clients and multidisciplinary teams.

Key Focus Areas

Power grid technical advisory: Provide independent advice across HVDC, HVAC transmission, FACTS, substations, reactive power plant, transformers, switchgear, primary systems, secondary systems, SCADA, protection, control, communications and associated grid infrastructure.

Power system and grid integration: Support studies related to transmission and distribution networks, renewable energy integration, grid connection, system strength, power quality, protection and network performance.

SCADA, control and communications: Support advisory, review and owner’s engineering scopes involving substation automation, SCADA, protection and control, communications, remote monitoring, operational technology interfaces and control room / network operations requirements.

Owner’s engineering and project support: Support clients through specification development, design review, procurement, tender evaluation, contractor review, construction-phase advice, commissioning support and operational readiness, including for substation primary, secondary, SCADA, control and communications scopes.

Asset lifecycle and performance: Conduct asset condition, performance, risk and lifecycle assessments, and provide practical recommendations for maintenance, replacement, refurbishment and investment decisions.

Technical due diligence and investment support: Undertake red-flag reviews, detailed technical assessments and risk-based recommendations for investors, lenders, developers and asset owners.

Digitalisation and asset management enablement: Support clients in improving asset data, analytical approaches, decision frameworks and digital asset management capability where relevant to project outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with utility, developer, investor and asset owner stakeholders, understanding their challenges and shaping practical solutions.
• Deliver high-quality technical advisory assignments across Australia and APAC, working independently or as part of multidisciplinary teams.
• Prepare clear, structured and client-ready deliverables, including technical reports, feasibility studies, design review reports, due diligence reports, asset review reports, business cases and implementation roadmaps.
• Review technical documentation, drawings, specifications, reports, models, SCADA/control system information, communications architecture and contractor submissions.
• Frame technical problems, facilitate discussions, present findings and support client decision-making.
• Contribute to proposals and business development activities, including scope, methodology, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, programme, effort estimates and win themes.
• Support project delivery through planning, budget and schedule management, risk management, coordination of contributors and quality control of deliverables.
• Collaborate with DNV specialists across Australia, APAC and globally to bring the right expertise to client assignments.
• Mentor junior engineers and consultants, share knowledge and contribute to the development of tools, templates, methods and best practice within the team.
• Stay informed of industry trends, emerging technologies, regulatory developments and market needs relevant to power grid assets and the energy transition.

DNV offers a challenging and rewarding role within a purpose-driven organisation at the centre of the energy transition. You will have the opportunity to:

• Work on technically interesting and nationally significant power infrastructure projects.
• Contribute to Australia’s future transmission and grid infrastructure.
• Collaborate with experienced specialists across Australia, APAC and DNV’s global network.
• Receive guidance from colleagues through coaching, mentoring and participation in international networks.
• Advance your professional skills and technical expertise through individual competence development plans and tailored training.
• Work across a varied mix of technical advisory, owner’s engineering, asset review, due diligence, asset management and power systems assignments.
• Help grow DNV’s Power Grid Assets team in Australia.

As a successful candidate, you are likely to bring a mix of strong technical capability, practical engineering judgement, commercial awareness and a willingness to work across varied assignments. You may come from a utility, consultancy, developer, OEM, contractor, asset owner, system operator or engineering advisory background.

We would be interested in either a broadly experienced power grid consultant, or a specialist with strong HV substation experience across primary systems, secondary systems, SCADA[RM1] [TF2] , control, protection and communications.

Essential Requirements

• Approximately 10+ years’ experience in power systems, high-voltage engineering, transmission and distribution, grid connection, substations, asset management, technical advisory or related infrastructure roles.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, preferably electrical engineering, power systems or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare clear, structured and client-ready technical deliverables.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to communicate technical issues to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Interest and proven ability in leading projects, interacting with customers and supporting business development.
• Ability to organise and prioritise project work, support project teams and maintain quality under time and budget constraints. 
• Structured way of working, with attention to detail, initiative, flexibility and a practical delivery mindset.
• Customer focus, with the ability to make new contacts and maintain professional relationships internally and externally.
• Openness to travel within Australia and APAC as required.

Desirable Experience

Experience in one or more of the following areas would be highly regarded:

• Strong candidates may bring either broad power grid advisory experience, or specialist HV substation experience across primary systems, secondary systems, protection, control, SCADA and communications.
• Knowledge and understanding of high-voltage power infrastructure, such as transmission networks, substations, transformers, switchgear, primary and secondary systems, protection and control systems, SCADA, communications, reactive power plant, renewable energy connections or large electrical assets.
• HVDC systems, HVAC transmission systems, FACTS devices, synchronous condensers, STATCOMs, SVCs or other grid support technologies.
• Power system studies, including load flow, short circuit, dynamic studies, harmonic studies, EMT studies, protection coordination or grid connection assessments.
• Power system analysis software such as PSCAD, PSS®E, PowerFactory, ETAP or similar. 
• Owner’s engineer roles for transmission, renewable energy, storage, HVDC, substation or grid connection projects.
• Technical due diligence for investors, lenders, developers or asset owners.
• Design review, specification development, tender evaluation, contractor review or commissioning support.
• Asset condition assessment, asset performance review, lifecycle planning, maintenance strategy or risk-based asset management.
• HV substation primary systems, secondary systems, protection and control, SCADA, telecommunications, communications networks, automation, remote monitoring or operational technology interfaces.
• SCADA and control system specification, architecture review, functional design review, FAT/SAT support, commissioning support, cyber-aware OT interfaces or integration with network operations environments.
• Australian grid connection processes, AEMO requirements, NER requirements, NSP processes or Generator Performance Standards.
• Project management, proposal development, commercial framing, effort estimation and client presentations.
• Professional registration such as RPEQ, CPEng, RPEV or equivalent.

Closing Statement

If you are a power systems or high-voltage engineering professional who enjoys variety, technical problem solving and client-facing advisory work, we would like to hear from you. This is an opportunity to join a growing Australian team, contribute to significant power grid and energy transition projects, and work with local, regional and global experts across DNV.

Security and compliance with statutory requirements in the countries in which we operate are essential for DNV. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates as part of the offer process, in accordance with applicable country-specific laws and practices.

• Wellbeing: DNV understands the importance of physical and mental wellbeing and aligned with our value of caring for our people, we have a ‘Be Well’ program in place. 
• Bonus opportunity: We believe it is important to reward our employees with an annual discretionary profit scheme or sales incentive scheme – depending on your role.
•  Insurances: DNV covers permanent employees for life and total permanent disability insurance as well as salary continuance insurance to safeguard you within our DNV Superannuation scheme.
•  Parental and long service leave:  DNV has a generous parental leave and long service leave policy. 
• Hybrid work: We offer a hybrid work model to foster our culture while providing you with working flexibility.
• Professional membership: We will support you with membership fees for your relevant governing body applicable to your position. 
• Social activities: To foster our culture, we enjoy regular social get together.

*Benefits may vary based on position, tenure/contract/grade level*

DNV offers a challenging and rewarding role within a purpose-driven organisation at the centre of the energy transition. You will have the opportunity to:

• Work on technically interesting and nationally significant power infrastructure projects.
• Contribute to Australia’s future transmission and grid infrastructure.
• Collaborate with experienced specialists across Australia, APAC and DNV’s global network.
• Receive guidance from colleagues through coaching, mentoring and participation in international networks.
• Advance your professional skills and technical expertise through individual competence development plans and tailored training.
• Work across a varied mix of technical advisory, owner’s engineering, asset review, due diligence, asset management and power systems assignments.
• Help grow DNV’s Power Grid Assets team in Australia.
   

DNV is an Equal Opportunity Employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to gender, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, cultural background, social group, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age or political opinion. Diversity is fundamental to our culture and we invite you to be part of this diversity