Senior Mechanical Engineer - Hydro

Contact Energy Ltd; Conroys Gully; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Generous leave

Employee shares

Home setup stipend

Parental leave

Job summary

Contact Energy Ltd is seeking a Senior Engineer – Mechanical to support the safe, reliable operation of our hydro generation assets. You will influence maintenance strategies, project delivery, and asset management decisions within the Hydro Engineering team.

You’ll balance big-picture thinking with practical problem solving, coordinating projects, investigating plant issues, and guiding lifecycle plans to optimise performance and safety across our assets.

Qualifications

• Experienced mechanical engineer with a focus on long‑lived assets.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills with a safety focus.
• Ability to explain technical concepts to diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support safe, reliable operation of hydro assets.
• Coordinate Opex and Capex projects and investigations.
• Guide asset management plans across asset lifecycle.
• Contribute to robust engineering decisions and project delivery.

Skills

Mechanical engineer

Analytical skills

Stakeholder comms

Asset lifecycle

Tools

Rotating equipment

Condition monitoring

Job description

Company Description

Whakatakoto te tūāpapa – Laying the foundation

At Contact Energy, we are passionate about keeping the lights on for Aotearoa in a way that is safe, sustainable, and built to last. Our people sit at the heart of this mahi, working together to care for assets that play a vital role in New Zealand’s electricity system. From engineering excellence to everyday collaboration, we are committed to doing the right thing, living our tikanga, and continuously improving how we operate.

Company Description

Whakatakoto te tūāpapa – Laying the foundation

At Contact Energy, we are passionate about keeping the lights on for Aotearoa in a way that is safe, sustainable, and built to last. Our people sit at the heart of this mahi, working together to care for assets that play a vital role in New Zealand’s electricity system. From engineering excellence to everyday collaboration, we are committed to doing the right thing, living our tikanga, and continuously improving how we operate.

Across the South Island, our hydro facilities are long‑lived assets with a proud history and an important future. These sites support reliable generation and require thoughtful stewardship, deep technical expertise, and a long‑term view. Our hydro teams work closely across disciplines to ensure these assets continue to perform safely and efficiently, today and for generations to come.

Job Description

Te āhua o te tūranga | The nature of the role

As a Senior Engineer – Mechanical, you’ll play a key role in supporting the safe, reliable, and economic operation of our hydro generation assets. This is a hands‑on, influential engineering role where your technical judgement helps shape decisions across asset management, maintenance strategies, and project delivery. You’ll be a trusted voice within the Hydro Engineering team, working closely with asset, operations, and project teams to keep plant performance at its best.

Your days will see you balancing big picture thinking with practical problem‑solving. From coordinating Opex and Capex projects, to investigating plant issues and guiding long‑term asset management plans, your work will directly impact how our assets perform over their lifecycle. You’ll bring clarity to complex issues, contribute to robust engineering decisions, and help the wider business understand what good looks like when it comes to mechanical engineering in a power generation environment.

Qualifications

Ko wai koe | About you

You’re an experienced mechanical engineer who enjoys working with complex, long‑lived assets and understands the responsibility that comes with asset safety and reliability. You bring sound engineering judgement, strong analytical skills, and a collaborative mindset, and you’re comfortable explaining technical concepts to a wide range of stakeholders. Most importantly, you care about doing things well and supporting others to succeed.

We’re ideally looking for someone who brings a relevant engineering qualification and strong experience in heavy industrial or power generation environments, along with a solid understanding of mechanical systems, rotating equipment, condition monitoring, and asset lifecycle management. Experience coordinating projects, contributing to asset management strategies, and supporting investigations is essential. Professional registration, membership of an engineering institution, and experience with financial modelling or commercial drivers are valuable additions, but not barriers to applying.

We know no one ticks every box. If you bring most of what we’ve described, along with curiosity, integrity, and a willingness to learn, we’d love to hear from you. You’ll thrive here if you enjoy working collaboratively, take ownership of your work, and are motivated to continuously grow your skills while supporting Contact’s values and tikanga.

Additional Information

Our preference is for Clutha based candidates however also open to Christchurch as a secondary location with an expectation that travel around the South Island will be on an a regular basis.

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!

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.