Engineer - Control & Instrumentation

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

Benefits offered by this job

Great leadership

Teammates

Development

Growth opportunities

Free health insurance

Above-average leave

Access to Contact Shares

Good to be Home payment toward home +

Job summary

Contact Energy in Christchurch seeks an Engineer, Controls and Instrumentation to join a tight multidisciplinary team managing hydro assets. You’ll support day-to-day operations, lead improvements in technology and process, and provide trusted engineering advice across projects and outages.

You’ll grow into a Subject Matter Expert under senior engineers, with a strong emphasis on reliability, safety and performance in our generation fleet.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree is expected.
• Experience in Control & Instrumentation (C&I) and functional safety.
• Exposure to asset lifecycle processes.
• PM or contract management experience is a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operations of hydro assets.
• Lead improvements in technology and processes.
• Provide trusted engineering advice and solve complex problems.
• Grow into a Subject Matter Expert under guidance from senior engineers.
• Contribute to outages and system changes.

Skills

Control & Instrumentation

Functional safety

Asset lifecycle

Project management

Contract management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

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.

Job Description

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.

Qualifications

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.

Additional Information

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.

• 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

Applications close 9am 27th of October, 2026.

Here at Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko), we know our strength lies in developing