Engineer - Control & Instrumentation

Contact Energy; Canterbury; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free health insurance cover

Generous leave

Contact Shares

Parental leave policy

Home setup & wellbeing payment

Job summary

Contact Energy invites applications for an Engineer, Controls and Instrumentation to support our hydro generation assets across the South Island. You’ll work in a tight engineering team, tackling day-to-day operations, outages and system changes, while guiding technology and process improvements.

You’ll bring an engineering degree with experience in Control & Instrumentation, functional safety or asset lifecycle processes, plus strong communication and stakeholder collaboration.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering with experience in Control & Instrumentation.
• Experience in functional safety or asset lifecycle processes.
• Bonus: project management or contract management experience.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operations of hydro assets and outages.
• Lead improvements in technology and process for reliability and efficiency.
• Provide trusted engineering advice and handle complex problem solving.
• Grow into a Subject Matter Expert with guidance from senior engineers.

Skills

Engineering fundamentals

Communication

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Project management

Contract management

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Whakatakoto te tūāpapa | Laying the foundation

At Contact Energy, our purpose is simple, to build a better Aotearoa by powering good. Across the motu our people care deeply about doing what is right for our customers, our communities and our whenua. Our hydro stations are a big part of that story, delivering reliable, renewable energy that keeps homes warm, businesses running and whānau supported. Each station carries its own unique character, shaped by the rivers it works with and the teams who care for it every day.

Te āhua o te tūranga | The nature of the role

As our Engineer, Controls and Instrumentation, you will step into a role where every day brings a fresh challenge and a chance to make a real contribution to our generation business. You will be part of a tight, multi‑disciplinary engineering whānau who look after the full lifecycle of our hydro assets. From supporting day‑to‑day operations to leading improvements in technology and process, you will help us continue to deliver reliable, safe and efficient generation across the South Island.

You will dive into complex problem solving, provide trusted engineering advice and bring a steady hand to projects, outages and system changes. Over time you will grow into a Subject Matter Expert, with the guidance of senior engineers and technical authorities who want to see you thrive. This is a role where your judgement matters, your voice is valued and your ideas genuinely shape the way we work.

Ko wai koe | About you

You may already be working in the power sector or a similar heavy industry, or you may be looking for the next step that lets you blend technical depth with hands‑on influence. What matters most is your engineering foundation, your curiosity and your drive to deliver great outcomes. You will ideally bring a degree in engineering, with experience in Control & Instrumentation, functional safety or asset lifecycle processes. If you have project management or contract management experience, that is a great bonus.

We also know that great engineers are more than their technical skills. We are looking for someone who listens well, communicates clearly and enjoys building strong relationships across teams. Someone who can stay calm under pressure, prioritise what matters and adapt as new ideas and technology emerge. If you bring initiative, analytical thinking, a willingness to grow and a bit of that problem‑solver spark, we would love to hear from you, even if you do not tick every box.

For this role ror preference is for either Christchurch or Clyde based candidates.

There are a bunch of perks to being a permanent Contact kaimahi. Along with great leadership, teammates, development, and growth and progression opportunities, free health insurance cover, better-than-your-average leave, access to Contact Shares, a ‘Good to be Home’ annual payment toward your home set up & wellbeing, a trail-blazing parental leave policy, bi-annual payments towards Contact Energy products, and more!

• great leadership
• teammates
• development
• growth and progression opportunities
• free health insurance cover
• better-than-your-average leave
• access to Contact Shares
• a ‘Good to be Home’ annual payment toward your home set up & wellbeing
• a trail-blazing parental leave policy
• bi-annual payments towards Contact Energy products
• more!

Applications close 9am 27th of October, 2026.

Here at Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko), we know our strength lies in developing a sense of belonging - one that helps us attract and retain people with a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our customers and communities to help build a better Aotearoa New Zealand.

We have a rich community of talented people that we support to thrive at Contact.

Our inclusive hiring process is designed to embrace the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in our decision-making and helping reduce bias along the way.

The wellbeing of our kaimahi is super important to us.

We use employee insights to offer a range of initiatives and resources to support physical, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing – including flexible working arrangements, employee network groups and a market-leading parental leave policy.

At Te Mata Hiko, we want everyone to thrive. We welcome applicants far and wide - of every age, stage, background, and pride. Join us and be part of a team that values your passion and attitude just as much as your experience and skills.

Please note, only candidates with the right to live and work in New Zealand will be considered for this role.

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and those in underrepresented groups tend to only apply if they tick every box.We're not about box ticking, so if you think you have what it takes but don't meet everything stated above, please still get in touch. We'd love to kōrero.

Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) does not accept any CVs received from recruitment agencies where a formal engagement has not been confirmed and agreed to with our Talent team. In the event that unsolicited CVs are submitted by recruitment agencies, Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and consider them for current/future vacancies without any financial obligation to the recruitment agency in question. This will also apply to any CVs sent directly to line managers.