Lead SCADA Engineer/SCADA Manager

Elecnor; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Elecnor in Australia is seeking a Lead SCADA Engineer/SCADA Manager to provide strategic leadership across SCADA, IT, and cybersecurity for large renewable energy and grid-connection projects. You will design, integrate, commission, and ensure compliance with GPS, AEMO requirements, and TNSP/DNSP interfaces, while guiding a high-performing engineering team.

You will manage subcontractors, coordinate tendering and execution, and ensure safe, reliable plant operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering or related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in SCADA, automation, and control systems design for utility-scale projects.
• Proven leadership of multidisciplinary engineering teams and subcontractors.
• Experience with leading SCADA platforms (e.g., Siemens WinCC, Wonderware, Ignition, Ovation) and PLC/RTU environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the SCADA engineering team across multiple renewable energy projects.
• Define architecture, design standards, and integration with IT and cybersecurity.
• Oversee FAT/SAT, testing, and commissioning with internal teams and clients.
• Coordinate with EPC, grid connection, and market dispatch systems (AEMO) for compliance.

Skills

SCADA engineering

Team leadership

Project management

Electrical engineering

AEMO/NEM knowledge

Cybersecurity frameworks

Siemens WinCC

Ovation

Ignition

Education

Bachelor’s or Master in Electrical Eng

Tools

WinCC

Wonderware

Ignition

Ovation

Job description

The Lead SCADA Engineer or SCADA Manager is responsible for the overall strategic leadership, design, integration, delivery, commissioning, and operational compliance of SCADA, IT, and Cybersecurity systems across Elecnor’s portfolio of large-scale renewable energy and grid-connection projects. The role ensures that SCADA and automation infrastructure complies with EPC project specifications, Generator Performance Standards (GPS), AEMO requirements, TNSP/DNSP interface guidelines, and cybersecurity standards.

Leveraging deep technical expertise in industrial control systems, power systems, and network communication, the SCADA Manager leads and builds a high-performing SCADA engineering team, manages specialist subcontractors, and coordinates cross-functionally across tendering, engineering, construction, commissioning, and O&M. The position plays a critical role in mitigating technical project risks, managing supplier deliverables, and ensuring seamless integration between power plant controllers (PPC), OEMs, and market dispatch systems.

Why You'll Love being part of the Elecnor Team

Elecnor is a trusted industry leader known for delivering innovative, sustainable solutions. We offer stable careers and opportunities to grow, and our culture is built on respect and support - empowering our teams, strengthening communities, and shaping the future of energy together.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a dedicated SCADA engineering team to handle multiple simultaneous renewable energy projects across the portfolio.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and line management to SCADA engineers, setting performance expectations, allocating deliverables, and managing resource assignments.
• Foster a safety-focused, collaborative, and continuous improvement culture within the team.
• Share technical knowledge and standardise operational and design methodologies across the broader Engineering department.
• Regularly report portfolio-wide SCADA, IT, and cybersecurity progress, risks, and milestones to executive management and key project stakeholders.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of SCADA, IT, and Cybersecurity basis of design, control logics, block diagrams, and conceptual architectures for project tendering and execution.
• Ensure SCADA and Communications design aligns seamlessly with other engineering disciplines, power systems modelling, EPC requirements, and grid connection parameters.
• Identify interfacing requirements and integration points between plant SCADA systems, OEM equipment (inverters, trackers, substations, weather stations, PQMs), market dispatch systems (AEMO EMMS, Energy Forecasting), and network service providers (TNSPs/DNSPs).
• Review, assess, and approve engineering calculations, signal lists, HMI screen arrangements, control algorithms, and technical documentation produced internally or by 3rd parties.
• Define areas of expertise requiring 3rd-party engagement; prepare SCADA, Communications, and Cybersecurity Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
• Interface with suppliers and subcontractors during tendering to select optimal systems compliant with project budget, functionality, and standards.
• Support Contract Management in drafting, negotiating, and placing contracts and purchase orders for SCADA, CCTV, Market Dispatch, and IT sub-systems.
• Manage subcontractor delivery programs, monitor deliverable schedules, track progress milestones, and approve subcontractor payment claims.
• Establish and maintain robust quality assurance controls for hardware and software procurement.
• Lead SCADA and IT systems commissioning strategy in close collaboration with the Commissioning Manager, Site Team, and O&M department.
• Oversee Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and End-to-End (E2E) signal testing with AEMO and TNSPs.
• Support the Grid Connection team during R1 registration, hold point testing, and R2 generator compliance validation testing (FCAS, voltage/frequency control).
• Create and oversee Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) and Inspection and Test Checklists (ITCs) for quality management during testing.
• Act as technical escalation point for critical troubleshooting of SCADA and IT system issues to minimise energy generation loss and downtime.
• Ensure all SCADA and IT designs incorporate "Safety in Design" principles and comply with relevant health, safety, and environmental legislation.
• Maintain comprehensive quality control standards across all lifecycle phases, conducting periodic site visits and factory inspections.
• Oversee the accurate handover of system documentation, operational user manuals, as-built drawings, and red-mark records to the O&M team.
• Propose and work on project’s systems and delivery improvements.

Qualifications and Experience

• Current Australian Driver Licence.
• Construction Safety White Card.
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering, Power Electronics, Automation & Control, IT, or related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience (8+ years) in SCADA, automation, and control systems design, commissioning, and management within utility-scale renewable energy projects (Solar, Wind, BESS).
• Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams and specialist subconsultants/contractors.
• In-depth experience with leading SCADA software platforms (e.g., Siemens WinCC, Wonderware, Ignition, Ovation) and PLC/RTU environments.
• Proven knowledge of network design, industrial communications architecture, and cybersecurity frameworks relevant to critical infrastructure.
• Experience with power system integration, AEMO registration/compliance processes, and TNSP interface requirements in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
• Experience with cybersecurity systems and its management, preferably with the Australian Energy Sector Cyber Security Framework (AESCSF)
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification will be highly regarded.

Skills and Abilities

• Flexibility and adaptability in an international working environment
• Team building capabilities.
• Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Ability to implement new ideas and implement systems.

The Company

Elecnor is a leading Spanish business group in the infrastructure, renewable energy, services and new technology sectors. With over 65 years of continuous growth and a presence in 55 countries.

Elecnor operates in various sectors, including electricity, gas, industrial plants, railways, telecommunications, water, control systems, construction, the environment, installations maintenance and aerospace engineering.

Elecnor’s strong international vocation has led the company to embark on a continuous expansion process that has opened doors to new markets all over the world, mostly in Europe, North America, Central America, South America, Africa, Australia and the Middle East. Elecnor is listed on the Continuous Market and has a team of highly qualified professionals and a workforce of 21,000 employees.

Our Inclusive Recruitment Process

At Elecnor, we are committed to building an environment where equal employment opportunities are central to everything we do.

Our inclusive and respectful culture welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and communities to join our recruitment process, ensuring that every opportunity is open to all.

Veterans and active defence reserve members, people of all ages, abilities, sexual orientation, gender identities, and cultures including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is accessible for everyone. If you require any adjustments during the application process, please let us know so we can accommodate your needs.

Together, we can create a future driven by innovation, creativity, and collaboration.