Hydro Generation Technician - Operations

Contact; Bay of Plenty; On-site; NZD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free health insurance

Boosted KiwiSaver

Contact Shares

Home setup & wellbeing payments

Parental leave policy

Product discounts for employees

Job summary

Contact is seeking a Generation Technician for its Bay of Plenty hydro team. The role covers electrical plant, control and protection systems, and automated operations to keep hydro schemes running safely and reliably.

You will maintain, diagnose and operate plant, plan tasks, and work with regional teams and contractors to deliver safe, well-coordinated work. Regular on-site travel and on-call duties apply.

Qualifications

• Strong electrical foundation with hands-on experience in industrial plant and systems.
• Experience with control systems is important for operation and maintenance.
• Able to read and update technical documentation and schematics.
• Willingness to travel between sites and work in a 24-hour on‑call environment.

Responsibilities

• Carry out routine maintenance, inspections and condition monitoring to ensure safe operation of hydro assets.
• Investigate faults, diagnose issues, and coordinate repairs.
• Support operations with control systems and automation as needed.
• Operate and maintain plant in line with safety rules and competency requirements.
• Plan outages, modifications and asset improvements with the team.
• Maintain accurate plant history records and documentation.

Skills

Electrical basics

Industrial plant experience

Control systems experience

NZ driver license

Education

Trade Certificate or equivalent

Tools

Electrical testing equipment

Job description

Company Description

Te Tākinatanga | Our Story

At Contact, we believe home is the most important place in the world. That belief shapes everything we do, from leading the energy transition to how we power Aotearoa and care for our people and communities. We’re a power, broadband, and mobile company, but we’re also investing boldly in renewable energy and smarter, more connected ways of working (mahi). Our ambition is simple: to leave Aotearoa better than we found it. Guided by our values & behaviours, we’re a team who care deeply about the work we do, how we support one another, and the impact we have. Simply put, we touch lives to make life better.

We’re looking for a Generation Technician to join our Bay of Plenty hydro team

Job Description

Kōrero mō te tūranga | About the role

This is a broad, practical role working across Contact’s Kaimai and Matahina hydro generation schemes. You’ll work across electrical plant, control and protection systems, automated operations and the wider equipment that keeps our hydro schemes running. Alongside maintaining and diagnosing plant, you’ll build the operational knowledge and competencies needed to safely operate within a hydro generation environment.

In this role, you will:

• Carry out routine maintenance, inspections and condition monitoring to support the safe and reliable operation of our generation assets.
• Investigate faults, diagnose plant and equipment issues, and complete or coordinate the work needed to rectify them.
• Work with electrical plant, control and protection systems, and provide manual support to automated operations when required.
• Operate plant and equipment in line with operational guidelines, safety rules and relevant competency requirements.
• Plan and complete scheme, asset and outage work, including approved modifications and enhancements.
• Monitor plant condition and respond to alarms, faults, defects and emergency maintenance requirements.
• Maintain accurate operational, maintenance and plant history records, including updates following changes to plant or systems.
• Work closely with your regional team, contractors, technical specialists and other Contact teams to deliver safe, well-coordinated work.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of operational requirements, environmental consents and the safety rules that apply across the schemes.
• Support other sites and remain onsite during adverse weather or other emergencies when required.

This is a 24-hour operational environment, and you’ll take part in an on-call roster, currently approximately one week in every six. You’ll need to be comfortable responding outside standard working hours when rostered and when an operational situation requires additional support.

Qualifications

Kowaikoe| About You

You’ll bring a strong electrical foundation and hands‑on experience working with industrial plant, equipment and systems. Experience with control systems is particularly important for this role. While hydro generation experience would be valuable, we’re also interested in people from power generation or heavy industrial process environments who can transfer their technical capability into this setting.

You’ll also bring:

• A relevant Trade Certificate or equivalent qualification.
• An electrical trade background, supported by practical control systems experience.
• Experience maintaining and operating plant or equipment in a power generation or heavy industrial environment.
• The ability to investigate faults methodically, diagnose technical problems and identify practical solutions.
• An understanding of systematic maintenance practices and condition monitoring.
• The ability to read, maintain and update technical and operational documentation accurately.
• A strong commitment to health and safety, including the confidence to speak up when something does not look right.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to work constructively with colleagues, contractors and technical specialists.
• The self‑discipline to work safely and effectively both independently and as part of a regional team.
• A full New Zealand driver licence and the flexibility to travel regularly between sites.

Additional Information

Additional Information This role is based at Ruahihi, with regular travel across Contact’s Kaimai and Matahina hydro generation schemes and requires regular on‑site presence. Due to the operational nature of this role, flexibility in where and when the work is performed is limited.

Contact is not a place you’ll stagnate. We’re growing, evolving, and investing in our people. We also offer a bunch of other perks like free health insurance cover, boosted KiwiSaver, access to Contact Shares, a ‘Good to be Home’ annual payment toward your home set up & wellbeing, a trail‑blazing parental leave policy, twice yearly payments towards our products if you’re a Contact customer, and more!

Applications close on Friday 13th November.

He mea nui ngā paki kōrero ki a mātou i Contact, nā reira, mēnā kei a koe tētehi e hāngai pea ana ki tā mātou e kimi nei i tēnei tūranga kei raro iho nei--kei te hiahia mātou kia whakapā mai ai koe!

We love a good story at Contact, it’s what keeps our energy flowing!

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.