Electrical Supervisor - SKA-Low Telescope

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; City Of Greater Geraldton; On-site; AUD 118,000 - 128,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

FIFO travel

Job summary

CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, invites applications for an Electrical Supervisor to lead safety, governance and operations for the SKA-Low telescope in remote Western Australia. You will be the senior electrical on site, coordinating maintenance, fault response and contractor activities.

You will develop Safe Work Instructions, ARAs and permits, mentor a multidisciplinary team and ensure compliance as SKA-Low shifts from construction to long‑term operations.

Qualifications

• Electrical trade qualification and WA Electrical Worker’s Licence.
• Experience supervising electrical operations in industrial, utilities or critical infrastructure.
• Knowledge of permit‑to‑work, isolation and High Voltage practices.
• Ability to lead a multidisciplinary team with strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of the Electrical Safety Management Plan and Electrical Nominee duties.
• Oversee authorisations, permits, isolations and incident investigations.
• Coordinate planned/corrective maintenance and fault response for reliability.
• Develop SWIs, ARAs and permits for safe, consistent operations.

Skills

Electrical safety governance

Team leadership

Electrical maintenance

High Voltage switching

Risk management

Field operations

Regulatory compliance

Asset management

Education

Electrician trade qualification

WA Electrical Worker’s Licence

Electrical Nominee eligibility

Tools

SCADA

BMS

EMS

Job description

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Electrical Supervisor - SKA-Low Telescope

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation .

Role highlights

• Lead electrical safety, compliance and operations for the world-leading SKA-Low telescope
• Supervise and develop a multidisciplinary technical team in a critical remote infrastructure environment
• Play a pivotal role in transitioning SKA-Low from construction to safe, reliable long-term operations

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

The SKA Observatory (SKAO) is a next-generation radio astronomy facility that will transform our understanding of the Universe and fundamental physics. In Australia, SKAO is partnering with CSIRO to construct and operate the SKA-Low telescope on Wajarri Yamaji Country in remote Western Australia, supported by teams in Geraldton and Perth.

As the SKA-Low Electrical Supervisor, you will provide operational leadership, electrical governance and statutory oversight for the safe, reliable and compliant operation and maintenance of electrical infrastructure supporting the telescope. Reporting to the SKA-Low Technical Facilities Manager, you will be the senior electrical representative routinely on site and the primary escalation point for electrical faults, incidents and infrastructure issues during rostered periods. A key early priority will be developing the Safe Work Instructions (SWIs), Activity Risk Assessments (ARAs), permits and related operational documentation needed to translate design, construction and commissioning knowledge into safe, practical and repeatable ways of working. You will also lead a multidisciplinary team, oversee specialist contractors and help embed these practices as SKA-Low transitions from construction to long-term operations.

Your high-level duties will include:

• Lead implementation and continual improvement of the SKA-Low Electrical Safety Management Plan and fulfil the statutory responsibilities of Electrical Nominee.
• Oversee electrical authorisations, competency verification, permits, isolations, switching activities and investigations into electrical incidents or non-conformances.
• Coordinate planned and corrective maintenance, inspections and fault response to support the reliability and availability of electrical and facilities assets.
• As an early priority, lead the development of the SWIs, ARAs, permits and other operational work instructions and controls required for safe, consistent maintenance and fault response; then drive their continual improvement as operations mature.

Location and office arrangements: Geraldton, Western Australia, with FIFO travel to Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory

Salary: AU $118,102 to AU$ 127,808 per annum (pro-rata for part-time ), plus 15.4% superannuation , plus additional allowances and overtime

Tenure & work schedule: Indefinite; full -time , part-time or job-share . The role operates on a 4 days on/3 days off roster, Monday to Thursday. Relocation assistance will be provided if required

Reference: 104275

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• A relevant electrician trade qualification, unrestricted WA Electrical Worker’s Licence, eligibility for appointment as an Electrical Nominee, and experience supervising electrical operations and maintenance in an industrial, utilities, research, mining, defence or other critical infrastructure environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of electrical legislation, standards and safety management systems, including permit-to-work, isolation and High Voltage access and switching practices, with experience developing and reviewing ARAs, SWIs, permits and operational work methods.
• Proven ability to lead electrical operations, maintenance and fault response, manage risk, investigate incidents or equipment failures, and use maintenance or asset management systems to plan, execute and record work.
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary technical teams and contractors, supported by strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with operational teams, regulators and other stakeholders.
• Qualifications or experience in health, safety and environment management, incident investigation, risk management or safety leadership.
• Previous appointment as an Electrical Nominee, Electrical Safety Officer or equivalent statutory electrical role.
• Experience with power generation, renewable energy, battery energy storage, microgrids, HV/LV distribution or critical facility infrastructure, and with SCADA, BMS, EMS or industrial control systems.
• Experience supporting maintenance planning, asset management, reliability or lifecycle improvement, and supervising teams in remote, FIFO or geographically dispersed environments.

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents.

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements. Given the nature of the role, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a pre-employment medical examination prior to commencement.

Life at CSIRO and Flexible Work Arrangements

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Child safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy .