Innovation Programme Manager, APAC

Lightsource bp; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Health insurance

Pension and other local benefits

Job summary

Lightsource bp is seeking an Innovation Programme Manager to lead the delivery of industrial-scale trials and cross-functional project coordination across global portfolios. You will drive high-quality outputs, manage reporting cadences, and support technical leads across multiple projects in a dynamic, international environment.

Regular site visits and out-of-hours work to support field trials are expected, with 10–20% travel.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in project management of complex physical delivery
• Strong planning, monitoring and reporting capabilities
• Familiarity with financial, regulatory, and contractual compliance
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to collaborate across departments and with external partners
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Adept at facilitating stakeholder meetings and producing reports

Responsibilities

• Act as the secondary point of contact after the Senior Innovation Engineer for programme-level internal and external stakeholders
• Support the delivery and coordination of internal and external meeting cadence and engagement strategy
• Oversee and ensure quality and scope fulfilment of technical workstream outputs
• Ensure HSE practices are prioritised in all activities
• Track and report on progress, budget, risk, and resource allocation in collaboration with the Senior Innovation Engineer
• Develop, coordinate, and present reporting materials for internal and external stakeholders
• Facilitate data collection, document and report development, and stakeholder workshops
• Assist in partnering strategy development and early-stage business development activities
• Provide backstopping to technical leads in areas including system modelling, module design, structure and foundation, and automated deployment
• Maintain collaboration with Innovation, Strategy, Procurement, Construction, BD, and Engineering teams across global business units
• Ensure financial, regulatory, and contractual compliance with the support of relevant internal stakeholders
• Interact and constructively engage with the full range of third-party organisations necessary to deliver field trials including EPC’s, Engineering groups, suppliers, consultants, funding bodies, HSE and similar
• Present program findings to relevant stakeholders including industry and funding partners where relevant.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

MS Project/Smartsheet

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Time management

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Job description

For over a decade we've been actively working to diversify the way our world is powered with sustainable and responsible renewable power. We work to safely deliver affordable, reliable, large-scale onshore renewable and energy storage solutions to help the world decarbonise.

Our growing business is constantly innovating and investing to help drive the energy transition. Our people and projects are focused on supporting long-term sustainable growth and energy security.

Lightsource bp operates with five core values: Safety, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability, and Drive.

We seek to attract and hire individuals who share our commitment to creating a safe workplace, uphold the highest standards of integrity, and demonstrate respect for colleagues, communities, and the environment. Our recruitment process promotes sustainability by valuing long-term growth and responsible practices, while seeking candidates with the drive to innovate and lead in the global energy transition.

Together, these values shape how we engage, assess, and welcome talent to join us in delivering transformational solar power solutions worldwide.

Lightsource bp was fully acquired by bp in 2024.

Purpose of the role

Lightsource bp Innovation Team delivers technical innovation projects and supports the introduction of new technologies and methodologies to the company across the globe. In addition, the team provides technology support and analytics for our existing global portfolio.

As an Innovation Programme Manager you will act as the secondary point of accountability for the full delivery of industrial scale trials and project-level coordination, driving forward high-quality deliverables, managing reporting cadences, and supporting the technical leads across multiple projects. Your role will be key to ensuring delivery excellence in a complex, cross-functional, and future-facing project. As part of a dynamic and diverse team within an international organisation, strong communication is a constant requirement, including interaction with different time zones. Additionally, the role has regular requirement for out-of-hours working with regards to site visits.

This position plays a critical part in shaping the future technology roadmap and supporting the company’s commitment to sustainability and clean energy transition.

Duties and responsibilities

The goal of the Innovation group is to ensure that Lightsource bp remains at the forefront of renewable energy technologies relevant to the company’s strategic goals. The innovation engineering team focuses on enabling the industrialisation and field trials of disruptive tech.

• Act as the secondary point of contact after the Senior Innovation Engineer for programme-level internal and external stakeholders
• Support the delivery and coordination of internal and external meeting cadence and engagement strategy
• Oversee and ensure quality and scope fulfilment of technical workstream outputs
• Ensure HSE practices are prioritised in all activities
• Track and report on progress, budget, risk, and resource allocation in collaboration with the Senior Innovation Engineer
• Develop, coordinate, and present reporting materials for internal and external stakeholders
• Facilitate data collection, document and report development, and stakeholder workshops
• Assist in partnering strategy development and early-stage business development activities
• Provide backstopping to technical leads in areas including system modelling, module design, structure and foundation, and automated deployment
• Maintain collaboration with Innovation, Strategy, Procurement, Construction, BD, and Engineering teams across global business units
• Ensure financial, regulatory, and contractual compliance with the support of relevant internal stakeholders
• Interact and constructively engage with the full range of third-party organisations necessary to deliver field trials including EPC’s, Engineering groups, suppliers, consultants, funding bodies, HSE and similar
• Present program findings to relevant stakeholders including industry and funding partners where relevant.

Wider role

• Support Commercial Engineering, Delivery PMs and Communications team during Construction period, Work Completion, PAC and FAC
• Support Asset Management and O&M on ad hoc queries on performance and monitoring
• Coordinate and organise with Third Parties e.g. Contractors, Technical Advisors and Governmental Bodies for review

Knowledge / Experience

• Proven experience (5+ years) in project management of complex physical delivery (ie not Software), cross-functional initiatives
• Strong capabilities in project planning, monitoring, and reporting
• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent)
• Familiarity with financial, regulatory, and contractual compliance
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Adept in facilitating stakeholder meetings and producing high-quality reports and presentations

Advantages

• Domain knowledge in renewable energy, especially utility-scale solar PV
• Experience working in construction, manufacturing, or infrastructure development environments
• Familiarity with government grant programs (e.g. reporting and compliance requirements)
• Familiarity with techno-commercial evaluations or early-stage innovation projects
• Knowledge of EPC/O&M contract Technical Appendices
• Understanding of FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) processes
• Project & Programme Management certification such as PRINCE2, PMP, and/or MSP

Work Skills

• Fluent English spoken and written.
• Proactive and being able to prioritize workload, Autonomous, adaptable and multi-skilled
• Forward thinking, a problem solver and solution provider.
• Able to promote a positive working culture within the team.
• Full Driving license

Why you'll want to work for us

Be you: We pride ourselves on being an inclusive community, where every individual is valued and treated with respect.

Be responsible: Our culture is driven by our core values – from operating safely to ensuring our projects are responsible.

Be recognized: Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a variety of benefits including annual bonus, retention bank, health insurance, pension and other local benefits.

Be inspired: Beyond your day-to-day working life at Lightsource bp, there's a variety of initiatives that will contribute to your own personal development. These include our charitable causes, supporting our solar honey project, or volunteering on our VIBES committee to name a few.

Our core values: Lightsource bp truly cares about creating a sustainable future through safe, responsible and meaningful low carbon energy projects. Our core values of Safety, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability and Drive are the guiding principles for everything we do.

For further information on our career opportunities and life at Lightsource bp, please visit https://www.lightsourcebp.com/careers/

Why you'll want to stay with us

At Lightsource bp, you'll work within agile, cross-functional teams where diverse perspectives come together. Our culture embraces open knowledge sharing and collaboration, empowering you to learn from others and accelerate progress collectively.

Your career growth is our priority and a shared journey. We are committed to developing talent from within and prepare you for career advancement so you can shape a fulfilling and lasting journey here.

In today's fast-changing world, a learning mindset is essential and therefore we proactively support upskilling to help you push your skill boundaries and stay ahead in your field, so you can not only keep pace with change but confidently shape a brighter future.

Additional Role-Specific Information

• Travel & Flexibility: Regular site visits and out-of-hours working may be required. The role involves 10-20% travel to support field trials, global stakeholder engagement, and third-party coordination.
• Working Environment: This role operates in a dynamic, international setting with frequent interaction across multiple time zones. Strong asynchronous communication and time-zone flexibility are essential.
• HSE Requirements: All activities must prioritise health, safety, and environmental compliance. Familiarity with HSE protocols in construction and industrial environments is important.