Development Manager - Octopus Australia at Octopus

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

22 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

24 Mar, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Project Management, Landowner Liaison, Development Approvals, Grid Connection, EPC Procurement, PPA Negotiation, Stakeholder Management, Contract Negotiation, Risk Assessment, Budget Management, Commercial Mindset, Investment Principles, Technical Advisory, Regulatory Navigation, Team Management, Due Diligence

Industry

Financial Services

Description

Company Description We’re excited to offer an opportunity to become part of the Octopus Australia team in our Melbourne or Sydney office. The successful applicant will join Octopus Australia on our mission to harness capital and expertise to accelerate the renewable energy transition. You will be leading the development of renewable projects, including solar, wind and battery storage projects opportunities that will need your stewardship through the development life cycle to financial close. The role is based in Melbourne or Sydney – with site visits required periodically to: our development sites, stakeholders and communities. Our current portfolio consists of a mixture of greenfield through to late-stage assets, and with your help, we’ll be growing the pipeline to feed more projects into the construction phase. Just as important as what you achieve in this role, is how you perform the role. We’ll need you to be an engaged team member, who can cross pollenate your development expertise into an investment world. Be ready for a dynamic work environment, with a start-up mindset. You’ll be encouraged and supported to be bold in your thinking and leadership, whilst being a helpful colleague to those around you. Octopus Australia Established in 2018, Octopus Australia is a renewable energy fund manager and developer. Our dynamic multi-disciplinary team of over 65 highly skilled people have the expertise required to manage a renewable energy fun and operate a renewable energy and storage portfolio. With an existing multi-GW portfolio of operating and development assets, including utility scale solar, wind and battery storage facilities across the country. We are continuing to grow to create a long-term business that can deliver a firmed energy product to meet the evolving needs of Australia’s energy future. Job Description Responsibilities Potentially anything that falls under the banner of Project Development from landowner liaison, development approvals, grid connection, EPC procurement, PPAs etc. Treat the projects as if they are your own Assist the wider Investment Team through asset growth opportunities as required, including bringing your contributions and knowledge into project evaluations, acquisition bids, transaction and negotiation processes, due diligence work and supporting Investment Directors through internal approval processes. Develop sound relationships with relevant stakeholders including: landholders, community, regulators and policy makers. Manage project teams of multidisciplinary internal and external experts, including technical, planning, legal, grid, environmental and engineering advisors. Selecting advisors, consultants, OEMs and construction contractors (including EPC contractors), running procurement process and contract negotiations through to financial close. Negotiation of high value contracts including project construction (EPC) and transmission connection agreements. Manage the grid connection process, working closely with NSPs and grid consultants, to navigate the complexity of the technical, regulatory and commercial connection landscape. Manage the delivery of development works within allocated budgets in a timely, efficient and effective manner. Development of project execution plans including timelines, costs, risk assessments, communication of project financials and progress reports in a consistent manner across the assigned projects. Development of required inputs for management papers, board papers and commercial negotiations as required. Prepare and manage budgets for Capex and Opex, project schedules, and technical inputs into financial models, supporting overall project business case development. Support our fundraising efforts, including meeting with prospective investors, promoting the Octopus profile, and supporting our fund managers with development expertise as required. Support ongoing profile raising activities – networking with industry participants and at times engaging with energy policymakers to influence energy policy. Qualifications Ideally, you will have some or all of the following qualifications, skills and experiences: Outline of skills/experience required Eligibility to work in Australia – visa sponsorship is not offered. A relevant tertiary qualification Previous experience in a similar position working in the renewable energy sector is preferred. Development experience within complex infrastructure projects including oil & gas, transmission, road, rail, pipelines will be well regarded. Ability to engage at General Manager/Executive level with superior written and verbal communication. Core skills required: Strong Project Management skills with a background with technical / engineering qualifications and experience. Demonstrated experience managing complex workloads in a fast paced and dynamic environment. Applicants are expected to demonstrate awareness of how an investment business and a renewable energy business would operate. Knowledge of Health, Safety and Environmental practices, legislation and requirements. Liaising with relevant regulatory statutory bodies will be done in close cooperation with the Octopus Investments HSE Director. Contract and project management skills. The candidate must be highly organised, confident in negotiating large and complex contracts and able to handle relationships with external contracts effectively, sometimes in challenging circumstances. Candidates must demonstrate a commercial mindset, and in particular be able to consider technical challenges in a broader commercial and investment context. The role will not require detailed financial modelling skills, but applicants are expected to have at least a basic understanding of key investment principles – rates of return, risk, IRR and NPV financial concepts and ideally some familiarity with financial models used for renewable energy investments. Additional Information What we offer 💰 A competitive salary package including annual bonus. 🩺 A generous contribution to your private health insurance, when you join the Octopus Australia-sponsored policy. ✈️ Extra five days Annual Leave entitlement. 🏡 Hybrid working arrangement. 💼 Ongoing learning and career development opportunities including a LinkedIn learning subscription. 📱Monthly mobile phone allowance. 🧘‍♀️Access to our employee wellness program, including an annual wellness allowance and Headspace subscription. 🚗 Access to novated leasing. ☀️ The opportunity to apply your skills to the renewable energy transition. Octopus Australia has built an exciting and inclusive high-performance culture where employees feel empowered. We understand the value of diversity, and we are dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace environment. We welcome people of all backgrounds to apply. Our Values At Octopus Australia we don’t just focus on what we do but also how we do it. Everyone shares our values of being straightforward, helpful, bold and empathetic. Our culture is critical to our success and is built around four principles that underpin how we pursue our goals: We empower people to: Be Bold – make decisions quickly and be OK changing your mind if it turns out there’s a better way of doing things. Be Helpful – behave like it always day one and who remember without our customers there is no business. Be Straightforward – have opinions and express them in a way that’s respectful and easy to understand. Be Empathetic – care about others and take the time to understand different perspectives. It’s about listening, supporting, and creating an environment where everyone feels valued – so we can send our people home happy.

Responsibilities

The role involves leading the development lifecycle for renewable energy projects (solar, wind, battery storage) through to financial close, managing all aspects from landowner liaison to contract negotiation and grid connection. Responsibilities also include assisting the Investment Team with asset growth opportunities, project evaluations, and supporting fundraising efforts.