We are currently recruiting a Senior Program/Project Manager to join our Major Projects team.
We are unique
Essential Energy is an organisation that values your voice, empowers your autonomy, recognises the strength in diversity, and prioritises your well-being while offering attractive remuneration and benefits. Take pride in having a meaningful impact on regional, rural and remote communities while being a pivotal player in the energy industry's future.
About the role
We are currently recruiting a Senior Program/Project Manager, to join our Major Projects team. This role can be based from Essential Energy's Operational Footprint in the Mid North Coast or North Coast NSW.
This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for the program management of Essential Energy's upcoming Microgrid Program, a complex, enterprise‑wide initiative.
This role will provide strategic program leadership across multiple business functions and will be accountable for driving delivery, governance, reporting, and outcomes across the full lifecycle of the program. The role requires a strong ability to influence, engage and communicate with senior leaders and to drive accountability across the organisation.
The Senior Program/Project Manager is accountable for the professional and strategic leadership of program and project management activities, including end‑to‑end delivery of complex capital programs within agreed time, cost, quality and schedule parameters, in alignment with Essential Energy's Strategic Business Objectives and Strategic Asset Management Plans.
You will lead the development and implementation of specialist program initiatives and project and contract management services, ensuring safe, efficient and high‑quality delivery through internal teams and complex, specialist contractors.
Key responsibilities
* Provide strategic leadership and direction for the Microgrid Program, ensuring effective governance, reporting, issue management, and benefits realisation across the program lifecycle
* Drive enterprise‑wide accountability by coordinating and influencing multiple business functions to achieve program objectives
* Lead and manage professional program and project delivery teams, both internal and external, including performance management, mentoring, coaching and capability development
* Establish and maintain robust reporting, issue tracking and close‑out processes, ensuring clear visibility of risks, dependencies and performance at senior leadership and executive levels
* Lead the development and effective implementation of complex projects and programs while continuously improving safety, environmental and risk management performance
* Manage all aspects of assigned projects and programs using agreed end‑to‑end delivery methodologies, systems, processes and governance frameworks
Foster a culture of continuous improvement and best‑practice program management, supporting organisational maturity and long‑term capability uplift
About You
As a Senior Program/Project Manager, you are a highly experienced leader with a proven track record of delivering large, complex, multi‑year programs with significant capital value. You bring extensive experience in program and project management within complex organisational environments and are comfortable operating at a strategic level while maintaining strong delivery discipline.
You possess exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior leaders, influence outcomes, and present clear, concise and credible program reporting. Your ability to proactively identify, manage and resolve issues, risks and dependencies will be critical to success in this role.
You are commercially astute, experienced in contract and risk management, and confident driving performance and accountability across internal teams and external partners to achieve high‑quality business outcomes.
Required Qualifications / Experience
* Bachelor of Engineering or Project Management
* Diploma in Project Management Practice or demonstrated equivalent capability through experience and relevant certifications (e.g. PMI PMP, PRINCE2)
* Extensive experience leading and delivering large, complex programs or portfolios, ideally with significant capital investment
* Experience delivering major capital programs within utilities, energy, civil or other heavy asset‑based industries, involving physical infrastructure, construction activities and operational interfaces.
* Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate multi‑disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries
* Strong experience in executive‑level reporting, issue management, governance and decision support
* Proven experience in the development of business cases, strategic papers and recommendations with enterprise‑wide impact
Extensive contract administration, negotiation and performance management experience, including managing under‑performance and compliance issues
Desirable
* Prior experience in the energy industry or leading similar microgrid projects would be highly regarded
* Contract Management and/or Construction Health and Safety qualifications
* Auditing experience
* Driver's Licence
WorkCover Induction for Construction Work (White Card)
Why Essential Energy
Salary commencing from $203,500 (inclusive of superannuation) commensurate with skills and experience plus benefits.
Essential Energy offers a broad range of employee benefits, providing you access to product discounts, including Qantas Club, Optus and Health Insurance, Health Programs including fitness passport and other benefits such as 26 weeks parental leave. For more information on our benefits, please visit the employee benefits page .
We are proud to be recognised as a WORK180 Endorsed Employer for All Women .
An energy network doesn't just keep the lights on… it's a living network that needs to adapt to new and emerging energy generation technologies while still meeting the energy needs of customers.
It requires innovation, commitment, and collaboration to bring people together to solve the energy delivery challenges of the modern world.
Your potential will be realised, and you'll feel a real sense of purpose and satisfaction knowing you have a pivot role to play in delivering the energy of the future to the people who need it today.
For further information please contact Nick McMullen, Major Projects Director on
Applications close on 3 March 2026 at 11:55pm.
Passionate people. Global thinking. Regional heart.
Building a better energy future.
Essential Energy is committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourages applicants to apply regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
As an organisation, our aim is to champion inclusivity in the workplace and celebrate the difference in all our employees.
At Essential Energy, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively support and encourage people with disability to apply to Essential Energy (including alternate formats of application forms or alternate ways for accessibility). To discuss adjustment requirements, please contact or call us on