Area Operator Trainee

Ausgrid; Newcastle-Maitland; On-site; AUD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary sacrificing electric vehicles

Novated leasing

Discounted corporate health insurance

Fitness Passport

Study assistance

Mentors and training

Gender-neutral parental leave

Aged care support

Job summary

Ausgrid’s Control Room Development Program offers hands-on training across LV and HV control, field operations, and network incident response to build authorised control room operators.

You’ll rotate through areas, complete training, and gain experience with the Advanced Distribution Management System, safety procedures, and team leadership as you work toward Class 6C/6B authority.

Qualifications

• Experience with electrical safety rules and statutory training.
• Ability to read and interpret complex design documentation, including schematics and wiring diagrams.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities.
• Willingness to undertake self-directed and formal learning for authority progression.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate field crews to ensure resources are available for scheduled tasks.
• Identify network faults and incidents and manage rectification.
• Operate and monitor the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) and related software.
• Participate in safety audits, inspections and compliance documentation.

Skills

Electrical safety

Design documentation

Team leadership

Computer literacy

Education

Cert III Electrotechnology

Advanced Diploma Electrical Engineering

Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Computers & mobile devices

Job description

Join Ausgrid’s Control Development Program and grow your career!

$144,030 base salary + super + shift + penalty rates.

X2 Area Operator Trainee positions | Wallsend Location

About Ausgrid – we’re wired for good

We’re the largest distributor of electricity on Australia’s east coast, which means over twomillion homes and businesses rely on our good work. We’re here at the heart of the energy transition, and we’re driven by a powerful purpose to make electricity accessible for all.

It’s an exciting new chapter for our company with each day bringing a renewed energy to how we deliver, store and use electricity. As we continue to grow, we’re in search of exceptional talent to help us achieve our goals.

Everyone’s job is important here. Our customers come from all walks of life, and so do we. We’re committed to fostering a diverse, respectful, and inclusive workplace, and encourage applications from all backgrounds.

See yourself working here

An exciting opportunity is now available to join our Control Room Development Program, where you will rotate across different areas, undertake training and on-the-job learning to become authorised as a LV and/or HV Control Room Operator, taking on network operating and emergency response activities to provide a safe, reliable, sustainable and affordable network for our customers.

Throughout the program, you will complete the following:

Work with and develop a familiarisation with the tasks and functions carried out by:

Control Room Operators

Field Operators

Network Outage Coordinators

Network Security Engineering Officers

Undertake relevant training and on-the-job (some field based) learning to become authorised as a Class 6C operator and /or 6B operator and carry out the accountabilities of a Control Room Operator, including:

Coordinate field employees to ensure adequate resources are available to perform scheduled tasks

Identify network faults and abnormalities

Respond to and manage network incidents

Coordinate network rectification

Coordinate routine switching work

Operate and monitor Ausgrid’s Advanced Distribution Management System to ensure hazards and outages are addressed, information kept up to date and completed correctly

Identify Voltage Regulation System abnormalities and regulate voltage as required

Identify protection system abnormalities and arrange rectification as required

Undertake relevant audits and inspections and check and/or complete compliance-based documentation.

Utilise Ausgrid’s Advanced Distribution Management System and associated. software and maintain relevant systems and databases including appropriately managing assets and network data and information.

Liaise with key internal and external contacts such as contractors and other work groups.

Effectively utilise computers and/or mobile devices for the completion of safety and other required documentation.

Note: This is a 24/7 rotating shift work role.

What you bring to the role

Our hiring decisions are not only based on your experience and skills, but your passion, attitude, and alignment to our core values. The ideal candidate for this role would possess a combination of formal education in electrotechnology or electrical engineering, relevant exposure to the utilities industry, effective communication and leadership abilities, and a commitment to continuous learning and development.

To be successful, you will have the following:

Education Requirements

Cert III in Electrotechnology (or equivalent) or an Advanced Diploma in Electrical Engineering or a Degree Qualification in Electrical Engineering

Experience

In an electrical role within electricity distribution or another closely-related industry

Proven experience and knowledge of interconnected transmission and distribution supply networks

Significant experience in reading and interpreting complex design documentation, including schematic and wiring diagrams

Technical Skills

Ability to investigate and solve complex technical and practical problems

Knowledge of electrical safety rules and relevant statutory training

Sound understanding of relevant statutes, regulations, and procedures such as safe working practices, network standards, and codes of practice

Intermediate skills in using computers and mobile devices, including experience with various software packages, tools, hardware, or general applications

Communication Skills

Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, including with customers or other external parties

Demonstrated ability to work effectively within a team and exhibit leadership skills

Learning and Cognitive Skills

Ability to undertake self-directed, informal, and structured learning and assessment to gain a Class 6C/6B operating authority as per the Control Room Trainee program

Demonstrated highly effective organisational, planning, and multitasking skills

Proven capability to learn and understand new skills and concepts effectively

Relevant Class of Operating Authority (for example a Restricted Authority)

High Risk Work Licenses (HRWL) – such as Elevated Work Platform

Basic Climbing Procedures Training

Confined Space Training

Life at Ausgrid

At Ausgrid, we go beyond just a competitive salary to offer an exciting range of benefits. From salary sacrificing electric vehicles and novated leasing, to discounted corporate health insurance and access to Fitness Passport, our benefits support your work here, and your life out there.

Celebrate success every day with our employee recognition program to bring out each other’s best. Looking to grow professionally? We’ve got you covered with study assistance, secondments, training and mentors, whose advice you’ll keep wherever you go.

We’re proud to offer gender-neutral parental leave to balance work when growing your family. And if you’re caring for elderly parents, our aged care support services offer expert guidance to help you access care for your loved ones. At Ausgrid, it's all about supporting you in every aspect of life.

Application close date: Sunday 4th October 2026 (please note, this date is subject to early closure)

Applicants must have full Australian work rights to apply. By applying, you may be considered for a Talent Pool to support future opportunities over the next 12 months.