Design Manager

Brunel; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Brunel is seeking an experienced design professional to coordinate the concept design of solar and BESS assets. You will report to the Head Technical Officer and work within a collaborative team on a diverse, ground-breaking project portfolio in Australia.

You will oversee external consultants, align equipment with engineering and procurement, and push standardised designs to reduce cost and risk while meeting tight schedules and safety requirements.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years design experience in similar roles.
• Familiarity with design practice in Australia.
• Understanding of design process for solar and BESS assets.
• Ability to work to tight schedules and coordinate decisions.
• Clear, written and interpersonal communication covered in daily work.
• Broad awareness of renewable energy market and contracting models.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate design concepts for solar and BESS assets with the development team.
• Align equipment selection with power system engineering and procurement.
• Manage external consultants and optimise for CAPEX/OPEX and safety.
• Review design approaches and ensure risks are adequately contracted.
• Lead design interfaces with TNSP to increase early certainty and reduce risk.
• Drive cost reduction by standardising designs where possible.
• Engage with procurement on contracting methods and design requirements.
• Monitor consultant outputs and maintain relationships with suppliers.
• Support fast-track concept design to minimise execution-stage costs.

Skills

Design leadership

Cross-functional coordination

Technical review

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Electrical design

Tools

Word

Outlook

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Our client has developed, financed and brought into operation over 1GW of solar and storage projects in the NEM. They have a similarly sized near-term portfolio approaching financial close, plus a large pipeline of long-term prospects. As they grow, they are expanding their market influence through data-driven decision making, strong relationships with market participants and deeper capability in trading operational projects.

The role

You will be very hands-on in coordinating the design of Solar and BESS assets and supporting the wider development team. Reporting to the Head Technical Officer, you will work in a close-knit, collaborative team on a diverse range of ground-breaking projects.

Key accountabilities

• Work with Origination to understand site constraints and develop concept designs that maximise site potential while meeting environmental conditions
• Align key equipment selection with power system engineering and procurement teams
• Manage external consultants developing concept designs, optimising for reliability, CAPEX, OPEX and performance with a high degree of safety
• Align contracting methods with procurement and ensure key design requirements and risks are adequately contracted
• Review consultant designs and manage those relationships
• Reduce cost and accelerate concept design through standardised designs where appropriate
• Minimise unknown execution-stage costs by advising on appropriate early activities
• Manage the design interface with the TNSP to increase early certainty and reduce risk
• Review contractor design development to ensure consistency with concept design intent

About you

• Relevant tertiary qualifications, including electrical design, and 7-10+ years' design experience in similar roles
• Familiarity with design practice in Australia and awareness of employer responsibilities under Electricity Industry and other relevant legislation
• Strong understanding of the design process for solar and BESS assets, and the ability to apply it to hybrids and new assets
• Ability to technically review and challenge design approaches to find the best outcome for the project
• Ability to work to tight schedules, coordinating key decisions and inputs, and to make decisions with imperfect data
• Clear, reasoned communication that secures wider business buy-in
• Broad awareness of the renewable energy market, contractors, service providers and typical contracting models
• Strong written and interpersonal skills, with proficiency in Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint
• Able to multitask, work independently and take ownership of resolving issues