Project Design Manager

Transgrid; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20 weeks paid parental leave

Novated lease options

Workplace flexibility

Corporate discounts

Job summary

Transgrid is seeking a Project Design Manager to lead design activities for high-voltage substations, cable systems and transmission lines. You will develop and apply best-practice design policies, provide specialist advice, and produce drawings, specifications and standards for internal teams and external contractors.

You will report to the Project Delivery Manager and guide a team of Project Engineers, coordinating with Transgrid’s design specialists to deliver complete, affordable projects on

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering and professional accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary design activities from concept to commissioning for high voltage substations, cable systems and transmission lines.
• Coordinate design management plans, interface management processes and governance.
• Oversee design reviews, tender evaluations and technical decision making with stakeholders.
• Mentor and lead a team of Project Engineers and design specialists.
• Interface with customers, contractors, consultants and suppliers to enable safe, timely project delivery.
• Identify and escalate engineering risks and drive mitigation with stakeholders.
• Support construction phase activities and handover to asset management.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Design leadership

High voltage design

Multi-disciplinary coordination

Tender evaluation & design review

Risk & issue management

Communication

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering

Professional engineering accreditation

Tools

MS Office

Project delivery systems

Job description

About Us

At Transgrid, we play a crucial role in delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable energy to millions of Australians. Operating over 13,000 km of high-voltage transmission lines and 128 substations across NSW and the ACT, we connect electricity generators to the distribution network powering homes, businesses, and communities. Australia relies on the grid. The grid relies on us. And we rely on each other. As the energy sector evolves, we're growing our workforce to drive innovation and transformation across state-significant infrastructure programs.

About the Role

As Project Design Manager, you will be responsible for all design activities for high-voltage substations, cable systems and transmission line projects at Transgrid. You'll develop and apply international best-practice design policies and practices for our high-voltage network, providing specialist expertise, technical advice, reports, drawings, specifications and design standards for use within Transgrid and by external contractors for construction and asset management.

Reporting to the Project Delivery Manager, you will manage, coach, mentor and lead a team of Project Engineers, coordinating closely with Transgrid's design specialists. This role demands high-level business acumen, insight and agility to respond to competitive pressures and hand over complete, accurate, appropriate and affordable projects for delivery.

A Day in the Life

• Leading the planning, coordination and delivery of multidisciplinary project design activities from concept through detailed design, procurement, construction phase support and close-out.
• Developing and maintaining design management plans, interface management processes and governance frameworks.
• Coordinating and reviewing multidisciplinary engineering designs across transmission line, substation, protection, telecommunications, civil and building works.
• Managing subject matter expert support in high voltage substation design and equipment engineering, including tender evaluations and design reviews.
• Facilitating engineering decisions on equipment selection in collaboration with relevant engineering disciplines.
• Leading resolution of technical queries, RFIs, NCRs and engineering issues during procurement, construction and commissioning.
• Managing feasibility studies, tender reviews and long-lead equipment strategies to support project delivery.
• Acting as the primary engineering interface between the project team, customers, contractors, consultants and equipment suppliers.
• Identifying, managing and escalating engineering risks, and facilitating mitigation strategies with stakeholders.
• Leading Construction Phase Support activities to ensure safe and efficient project delivery.

About You

You are a technically expert and commercially astute engineering leader with a track record of managing multidisciplinary design teams on complex, high-voltage infrastructure projects. You bring strong stakeholder management skills, the ability to influence design partners and third parties, and the judgement to balance technical rigour with delivery pace. You lead with clarity, mentor with care, and bring people together to solve complex engineering challenges.

You Will Bring

• Degree qualification in Electrical Engineering.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and managing complex infrastructure project delivery.
• Demonstrated experience managing internal and external stakeholders, including customers, consultants, contractors, suppliers and regulators.
• Experience in design management and delivery of high voltage transmission infrastructure, including substations, transmission lines and customer connection projects.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary design through all project phases — concept, detailed design, procurement, construction phase support and commissioning.
• Practical experience in engineering design, construction and delivery of major infrastructure projects.
• Experience managing engineering interfaces across multiple organisations and technical disciplines.
• Experience managing design consultants, OEMs and Design & Construct contractors.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and relevant Transgrid business systems.
• A high standard of professionalism, communication skills and personal integrity.

Leading at Transgrid

At Transgrid, our Leadership Principles — Courage, Care, Clarity, and Connection — form the foundation of how we lead. Courage means embracing challenges and doing what's right. Care focuses on leading with heart, valuing people as the core of our organisation. Clarity ensures teams understand success and their impact, while Connection links individuals to our purpose and strategy and fosters strong relationships among team members, customers, and partners. You will also uphold our Values: Safety, Achievement, Integrity, and Service — delivering safe, sustainable, and customer-focused outcomes that make a real difference.

Recognition & Reward

We believe in providing our people personal, professional, and social benefits so that they can deliver their best work each and every day. Employees have access to a range of corporate discounts across retail, utilities, travel, health and wellbeing, as well as novated leasing options, workplace flexibility, 20 weeks paid parental leave, and more.

Regardless of where you are in your professional journey, Transgrid powers your career by providing access to regular and ongoing training, workplace mentoring, and tertiary education. At Transgrid, you are encouraged to build a career that is right for you.