Principal Renewable Engineer

Job Description

As a Principal Renewable Engineer, this role provides the leadership opportunity across the design and delivery of complex utility-scale wind, solar, battery storage (BESS) and hybrid projects for a variety of clients, asset owners and developers with a focus on balance of plant projects.  The large scale and complexity of projects, and opportunity to work with a brand range of client types including private sector and developers, enables you to make a difference applying your leadership, renewable energy sector experience, engineering, project delivery, and commercial acumen in this rapidly evolving sector. 

You will be working across project stages, preparing documentation, designs and engineering inputs across the project life cycle for renewable energy projects. Depending on the project, you may get involved in prefeasibility studies, concept design, technical studies for planning approvals, development of Principal’s requirements, tender evaluation, detailed design reviews on Owners Engineer (OE) engagements, construction phase support (including quality assurance), and commissioning phase activities. Your experience in Balance of Plant contract management and delivery, supporting clients to understand complex international supply chains and reviewing Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications will be important for success in this role.

The common thread is helping to lead diverse stakeholders by communicating complex technical concepts and solutions, in a simple and easy understand way. The fast paced and innovative nature of projects will suit an innovative Renewable Engineer looking to make a difference across major and complex projects where understanding client needs, balancing engineering concepts, and problem solving are key to ensure technical and project delivery excellence.  

How you’ll make a difference:

• Leading the project and design approach for renewable energy projects requiring multidiscipline engineering inputs, with a focus on technical and project delivery excellence for a broad range of clients, site and project design requirements.
• Supporting and leading project delivery excellence through leading work packages, arranging technical verification tasks are completed, working within AECOM’s technical standards and processes.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across all disciplines associated with renewable projects (including civil, structural, electrical, project management and others), to deliver innovative and technically outstanding solutions.
• Build and maintain client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor on transmission line design work packages ensuring high-quality communication and service.
• Collaborating and raising design queries contributing to problem solving across the range of technical engineering disciplines at AECOM, including with technical, design and delivery teams based locally in Sydney, across other AECOM Australia offices, in New Zealand, and globally.
• Work with the current local team, and with teams based in other office locations, to help mentor graduate and early-stage career engineers, developing their transmission related technical, design and project abilities.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced Renewable Engineer with a track record of leading projects in the Renewable sector. You will be passionate about the energy transition, and the opportunity to make a difference in the consulting engineering sector working across projects, markets and locations. 

You will be known for your ability to work independently, leading the delivery of projects, working collaboratively in teams, with a project and client-first focus.  Experience across a variety of renewable projects (including BESS and a mix of wind, solar and hybrid project types) will be required for success in this role. Having exposure to working across different project types, site requirements, and geographies at utility scale will be an advantage. While most of our projects are on utility-scale projects, we also work on commercial and industrial scale solar and BESS projects, so this experience is also valuable.

You will know your way around a BESS site, with the ability to align site activities, with design and project requirements, understanding how client requirements will impact site lay out considerations, climatic and site considerations, as well as competing requirements throughout the project from design, construction, commission, access, ongoing maintenance and operations considerations (including temperature) and safety considerations (including fire).  One of your strengths will be knowing when to engage with other AECOM subject matter experts, to ensure engineering, design and delivery excellence, to get the right technical outcome.

The following qualifications and experience are highly desired, but if you don’t tick all the boxes, you could still be a perfect fit for this role. Please apply, all applications will be considered.

The qualities that help you thrive:

• Significant experience (8+ years) of demonstrated engineering leading renewable energy projects across a range of technologies and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), with experience during construction and commissioning stages highly regarded.
• An ability to operate holistically in a design management capacity, across all aspects of renewable energy projects, including understanding the importance of technical inputs, requirements and verification processes, across all engineering components.
• Balance of plant system experience, understanding the key technical engineering project requirements and risks, with the track record of managing design, procurement, construction and commission stages.
• Able to interpret site, technical and contract requirements in an owners’ engineer including understanding BESS performance guidelines and how to access suppliers technical, and commercial proposals over the long term (over the technical life of equipment and built infrastructure).
• Understands BESS technical requirements (medium voltage experience is an advantage), and the interface from generation assets including electrical engineering, Power Conversion Units, equipment (both AC and DC), site, climatic, operations (including access, cooling and fire safety requirements), and grid connection requirements.
• An ability to proactively problem solve, identify discrepancies, and work within agreed client timelines, scopes and budgets independently.
• Strong client engagement and communication skills, with the ability to advise, influence, build and maintain long-term relationships with technical, procurement and other client teams, as a trusted advisor.
• Strong communication skills and ability to confidently coordinate multidisciplinary inputs, as the Generation and Storage team is often required to play an integration role on Owner’s Engineering and technical advisory engagements across balance of plant contracts.
• Either registered, or working towards professional registration, on the National Engineering Register in Australia (such as RPEV or RPEQ) ideally supported by a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) designation or equivalent international accreditation.
• Ideally experience working in the engineering consulting sector, collaborating across multidisciplinary teams with a focus on project scope, budgets, and timelines; alternatively, this role may suit those with experience Design & Construction, and contractor sectors.

Additional Information

Why you’ll love working with us

• Flexible work arrangements available, aligned with the market and client facing role requirements
• Purchase up to 6 weeks additional annual leave per year 
• Volunteer and representation leave
• Flex public holidays – swap Easter or other holidays for ones that suit you better

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities, additional health or mental health needs, and/or neurodiverse conditions. If you require any adjustments during the hiring process, please let us know.

Applications are reviewed as they come in, and the role may close earlier than expected, so if this opportunity sounds like you, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

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AECOM acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we, our clients and our communities live and work around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. We are committed to connecting to Country in our work through meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples and businesses.  Find out more about our Australian Reconciliation Action Plan here: https://aecom.com/au/our-vision-for-reconciliation/.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well-being program. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

Company Description

Come and grow with us.

AECOM’s Energy practice provides a wide range of services from consulting and engineering design to energy engineering, energy procurement and construction (EPC) for power, energy efficiency, developer and renewable energy clients. Our understanding of the big picture – and the interconnection between generation, distribution, storage, and the demand side of the meter – allows us to deliver holistic strategies that improve and modernise next generation energy infrastructure. We connect knowledge and experience across our global framework to bring together a unique combination of engineers, planners, scientists, and project managers who advance cleaner, secure, and more sustainable energy solutions.

Everyone belongs at AECOM

We’re committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging - because great ideas come from diverse perspectives. AECOM is proud to be a Fortune 500 Most Admired Company, a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, #Work180 Equitable Workplace Awards 2025 Winner and an AWEI Bronze Tier LGBTQ+ Inclusive Employer.