Senior Project Manager

Mercury NZ; Hamilton; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5 days leave (MyDays)

Home-office setup allowance

Electricity and telco discounts

Flexible working policy

Wellbeing programme

Parental leave and career development

Job summary

Mercury NZ is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead complex energy infrastructure projects across our Generation asset portfolio with a strong emphasis on electrical workstreams. The role spans multi-year asset replacement and enhancement programmes, requiring strategic leadership and mentorship across project teams.

You’ll manage activities across electrical, high‑voltage, protection and control, generation plant, grid interface and operational environments, ensuring safe, compliant and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of project management experience in energy/infrastructure contexts.
• Experience delivering complex projects with significant safety, budget, and schedule considerations.
• Strong ability to influence stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior project leadership from planning through delivery, commissioning and handover.
• Champion safety culture and project governance.
• Build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders to drive outcomes.
• Influence commercial, procurement and investment decisions shaping delivery.
• Mentor developing project professionals and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Senior PM

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional leadership

Risk management

Electrical systems

HV experience

Education

Engineering degree

PM qualification

Tools

MS Project

Primavera P6

Job description

Mercury is a bold future-focused organisation, providing energy and telecommunications to more Kiwis than anyone else, leading the way with renewable energy and working toward a sustainable future. At the heart is our purpose. Taking care of tomorrow: connecting people and place today. This pushes us to do all we can to create a better future for our people, our communities, and Aotearoa New Zealand.

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead complex energy infrastructure projects across Mercury’s Generation asset portfolio, with a strong focus on electrical workstreams.

The portfolio includes major station transformer replacements, protection and control system upgrades, switchyard and balance‑of‑plant infrastructure renewals, grid connection works, and other multi‑year asset replacement and enhancement programmes.

While our Project Manager opportunity covers a broader range of project types and experience levels, this is a dedicated Senior Project Manager role for someone comfortable leading complex electrical projects that carry significant operational, technical, commercial and stakeholder interfaces. You'll be expected to provide strategic project leadership, mentor less experienced project managers, and influence delivery outcomes across multiple business groups

You’ll work across electrical, high‑voltage, protection and control, generation plant, grid interface, outage, and operational environments. Your focus will be on bringing together the technical, commercial, operational and project disciplines needed to deliver safe, practical, compliant and commercially sound outcomes.

Tāu e mahi ai | What you’ll be doing

You’ll provide senior project leadership from early planning through delivery, commissioning, energisation and operational handover. Key areas of focus include:

• Lead the delivery of complex and business‑critical energy infrastructure projects across Mercury's generation portfolio through full project lifecycle.
• Champion a strong safety culture and promote safety citizenship across project teams, contractors, and stakeholders.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Influence key commercial, procurement, governance, and investment decisions that shape project delivery.
• Mentor and support developing project professionals while contributing to continuous improvement across the project delivery function.

You’ll already have demonstrated capability operating at Senior Project Manager level and be comfortable making sound decisions in projects where technical, commercial, operational and stakeholder considerations need to come together.

Typically, you’ll bring:

• 5+ years’ relevant project management experience, including delivery of complex projects with material scope, budget, commercial, safety and operational considerations
• The ability to lead cross‑functional teams and influence stakeholders to achieve shared outcomes.
• Strong project management capability across planning, delivery, risk, change, commercial and stakeholder management.
• Sound technical, commercial, and operational judgement, with the ability to balance safety, quality, cost, and schedule requirements.

A relevant qualification in engineering, project management, a technical trade, or equivalent practical experience.

An electrical background is strongly preferred, particularly experience with high‑voltage systems, generation plant, protection and control, substations, switchgear, transformers, power systems, utilities or other asset‑intensive infrastructure.

• Additional 5 days leave per annum (MyDays)
• $400 one off tax‑free payment towards setting up your home office
• Offers on electricity and telco - if you're a Mercury customer, you can enjoy some great discounts on your electricity and telco bill
• A diverse workplace where your unique abilities and talents will be recognised and encouraged
• Annual salary reviews with excellent parental leave policy, with the option to purchase additional leave
• The opportunities, career paths and facilities associated with working for one of New Zealand's largest multi‑utility providers
• Flexible working policy - The autonomy and trust to work flexibly from our purpose‑built premises and from home, recognising the value of this flexibility in the modern world
• Discounted health insurance and free life and income insurance
• Excellent well‑being programme including up to $100 annual check ups and confidential assistance programme
• Gender affirmation leave and supportive bereavement leave to be taken when you lose anyone close to you, including your pet

Mercury is a learning organisation that is committed to providing you with opportunities to grow and develop that will benefit you now and in the future. Part of your role includes building your skillset and mindset through a variety of ways. We believe this creates an energised, innovative and agile work environment where you will feel valued.

Every voice has its place - and together, we thrive.

At Mercury, we believe that having a team of individuals with different backgrounds, experience and capability working together makes us stronger and better as an organisation. We know that some candidates may only apply for a role if they meet all of the criteria. If you want to join our team, we encourage you to apply for any role that matches your skills, capabilities and interests, even if you aren't sure if you meet all of the criteria.

A full position description is available on our Career Page. Applications close Wednesday, 2nd September at 5:00pm. Applications can be reviewed as they are received, with interviews beginning before the advertised closing date. We encourage you to apply early, as the advertisement may close once we have received a sufficient number of suitable applications.