Asset Manager – Octopus Australia

Octopus Group; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Private health insurance (Medibank)

Five days extra annual leave

Hybrid working arrangement

LinkedIn Learning subscription

Monthly mobile phone allowance

Wellness program

Job summary

Octopus Australia, based in Melbourne, seeks an Asset Manager to lead technical and commercial asset management across wind, solar and storage assets. You will work with internal teams, service providers and stakeholders to optimise performance, governance and reporting while supporting procurement, budgets and system enhancements.

The role reports to the Assets Lead in Sydney, requires site visits in Melbourne and occasional interstate travel, and offers a competitive salary and bonus.

Qualifications

• Experience in renewable energy projects, preferably wind assets in Australia.
• Experience implementing operational systems, digital tools and process improvements.
• Tertiary qualification in project management, engineering or related discipline.
• Contract and project management skills demonstrating organisation and governance.
• Understanding of Health, Safety and Environmental practices and regulations.
• Knowledge of Compliance requirements for NEM operating assets.
• Commercial mindset with ability to balance technical and investment considerations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Promote a culture of health, safety, and environment compliance across assets.
• Develop and implement community engagement strategies with stakeholders.
• Manage day-to-day technical performance of wind assets; coordinate with O&M providers and consultants.
• Identify and implement asset performance improvements; resolve operational issues with urgency.
• Oversee contract management; set up performance metrics and manage third-party contracts.
• Run tender processes for third-party contracts and procurement.
• Support annual Opex budgeting and financial reporting with the finance team.
• Develop bespoke technical opportunities to maximise site performance and revenue.
• Prepare monthly asset and quarterly board reports with insights for leadership.

Skills

Contract management

Project management

Commercial mindset

Written and verbal communication

Health, Safety and Environmental

Compliance

Risk assessment

Self-starter

Education

Tertiary qualification in project management or engineering

Job description

We’re excited to offer an opportunity to become part of the Octopus Australia team in our Melbourne office.

The successful applicant will join Octopus Australia on our mission to harness capital and expertise to accelerate the renewable energy transition.

The successful candidate will have a strong technical understanding of the operation of Wind assets, with broader exposure to solar and storage viewed favourably, and be responsible for driving operational performance of Wind assets. Whilst ensuring that best practices for contract, governance, and financial management with support from the finance function.

The role requires a highly organised individual who is comfortable managing multiple priorities and stakeholders simultaneously, balancing technical, commercial and compliance requirements across several assets. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with internal teams, service providers and project stakeholders to identify performance improvement opportunities, resolve operational issues and support the delivery of asset management objectives.

This role will report to the Assets Lead based in Sydney and will be based in Melbourne, with site visits and occasional interstate travel required.

Octopus Australia

Established in 2018, Octopus Australia is a renewable energy fund manager and developer. Our dynamic multi-disciplinary team of over 70 highly skilled people have the expertise required to manage a renewable energy fund and operate a renewable energy and storage portfolio.

We have an existing multi‑GW portfolio of operating and development assets, including utility‑scale solar, wind and battery storage facilities across the country. We are continuing to grow to create a long‑term business that can deliver a firmed energy product to meet the evolving needs of Australia’s energy future.

About the Role

The role is focused on technical and commercial asset management of our renewable assets including solar, wind and storage. The role will at times become ‘hands on’ in solving issues, and at other times require technical and contract oversight of service providers. Applicants must be confident and comfortable in this role and effective at delegating and managing the underlying technical activities carried out by third parties.

Key job functions include:

• Compliance: Promote a culture of compliance focused on health, safety, and environment. Oversee all compliance activities at operational assets.
• Community Engagement: Work with the community and stakeholder engagement manager to develop and implement the community engagement strategy and initiatives.
• Technical: Manage day-to-day technical performance activities across wind assets. Work closely with Asset Managers, O&M providers and technical consultants to monitor asset performance and support the resolution of operational issues. Identify asset performance improvement opportunities and support implementation initiatives to maximise availability, reliability and generation outcomes.
• Problem solving: Strong problem-solving capabilities to work through operational asset performance issues and bring multiple stakeholders together to resolve with a sense of urgency.
• Relationships: Proactively build strong relationships with external stakeholders, regulatory bodies (i.e. AEMO), Asset Managers and key project stakeholders. Work collaboratively with internal teams to ensure effective communication and alignment across operational activities.
• Contract Management: Ensure timely delivery of services under Asset Management, O&M and 3rd party contracts. Work within the Assets team to set-up performance metrics for all contracts.Procurement: Prepare and run tender processes for all 3rd party contracts, as required.
• Opex Budgets: Support the finance function and 3rd party asset managers to prepare and manage yearly Opex budgets including reporting and insights.
• Develop: Create and implement bespoke technical asset performance opportunities to maximise site performance and revenue. Including tracking and reporting with deep insights.
• Reporting: Prepare monthly asset and quarterly board reports for the leadership team in conjunction with external asset managers and finance function. Provide clear and concise technical analysis and performance insights to support decision making.
• Systems improvement and AI: Support the implementation and continuous improvement of asset management systems, reporting tools and operational processes. Contribute to the adoption of digital tools, automation and AI-enabled solutions that improve efficiency, reporting and decision-making capabilities as the portfolio grows.
• Data: Work with all stakeholders to implement a data driven approach to decision making to ensure asset delivers best in class performance. Analyse performance trends and provide insights that support operational improvements across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Prior experience working on renewable energy projects with a strong preference for candidates with experience operating Australian wind assets connected to the NEM.
• Experience supporting implementing operational systems, digital tools and process improvements within a growing organisation.
• Candidates should have a tertiary qualification in project management, engineering, or a related discipline.
• Contract and project management skills which demonstrate that you are highly organised, diligent, and confident with complex contract environments.
• Understanding ofHealth, Safety and Environmentalpractices, legislations, and requirements.
• Knowledge ofCompliance requirements across a NEM operating asset.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, stakeholders and deadlines simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and adapt to changing priorities.
• Contract and project management skills which demonstrate that you are highly organised, diligent and confident working within complex contractual environments.
• Candidates must demonstratea commercial mindset, and in particular be able to consider technical challenges in a broader commercial and investment context.
• Exceptionalwritten and verbal communication skills. The ability to communicate effectively and ensure your communication strategy covers the different stakeholders.
• Anunderstanding of core legal concepts,particularly those relating to contracts for the operation and management of renewable energy projects.
• An ability to understand risks, reach a balanced appraisal of probability and severity and develop feasible mitigation strategies.
• A self-starter with high energy levels, tenacity, initiative, and a willingness to commit whatever it takes to deliver the required results.
• Eligibility to work in Australia – visa sponsorship is not offered.

What we offer

• A competitive salary package including annual bonus
• A generous contribution to your private health insurance, when you join the Octopus Australia-sponsored Medibank policy.
• An extra five days’ annual leave entitlement
• Hybrid workingarrangement.
• Ongoing learning and career development opportunities including a LinkedIn learning subscription.
• Monthly mobile phone allowance.
• Access to our employee wellness program, including an annual wellness allowance and Headspace subscription.
• Access to novated leasing
• The opportunity to apply your skills to the renewable energy transition.

Our Values

At Octopus Australia we don’t just focus on what we do but also how we do it. Everyone shares our values of beingstraightforward, helpful, bold and empathetic.Our culture is critical to our success and is built around four principles that underpin how we pursue our goals:

• Be Bold – make decisions quickly and be OK changing your mind if it turns out there’s a better way of doing things.
• Be Helpful – behave like it’s always day one and remember that without our customers, there is no business.
• Be Straightforward – have opinions and express them in a way that’s respectful and easy to understand.
• Be Empathetic – care about others and take the time to understand different perspectives. It’s about listening, supporting, and creating an environment where everyone feels valued – so we can send our people home happy.