Senior Project Manager, HV Utilities

Zerra develops and operates hyperscale data centre campuses across Australia, Japan and India, delivering capacity at scale into markets driven by the growth of cloud and AI. Zerra's flexible campus developments support hyperscale and neocloud organisations, enabling some of the world's fastest-scaling technology businesses to grow with certainty and ambition. 

At Zerra, we empower exceptional people to challenge convention, drive innovation and make a real impact in digital infrastructure. Our culture fuses entrepreneurial agility with global expertise, enabling our teams to deliver results that matter. 

We believe that diverse perspectives, inclusive leadership and equitable opportunities are essential to building stronger teams and better outcomes. We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and empowered to thrive. 

Zerra is part of AGP, an independently owned investor and asset manager that develops and operates real assets across the energy, digital and real estate sectors. 

Western Downs Digital Park 
Western Downs Digital Park (WDDP) is a master-planned digital and energy precinct in regional Queensland, developed and operated by Zerra. Planned across multiple delivery phases, WDDP brings together AI-ready data centres, energy infrastructure and a purpose-built campus environment. 

Located close to major power infrastructure within the Western Downs Special Industry Area, WDDP represents a major investment in Queensland's digital future and an opportunity to help deliver the critical infrastructure supporting the continued growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Experience 

• 12+ years of experience delivering high-voltage electrical infrastructure, substation works, or major utility connections.
• Direct experience managing a network provider relationship through connection application, design approval, and energisation.
• Data centre, industrial, or large-scale infrastructure project experience is highly regarded.
• Demonstrated ability to manage long-lead HV equipment procurement and specialist contractor delivery.
• Experience working within Australian electrical safety and network technical standards; Queensland network experience is an advantage.
• Track record managing HV-scope risk registers and contractor progress claims.
• Comfortable operating with significant autonomy on a single, high-stakes technical workstream.

Skills 

• Deep technical understanding of HV substation design, switchgear, and network connection processes.
• Working knowledge of Queensland electrical safety legislation and network provider technical standards.
• Programme scheduling proficiency (P6 or MS Project) for HV-specific sequencing.
• Contract administration experience relevant to HV design and construction contracts.
• Strong vendor and network-provider negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Risk register management and mitigation planning specific to long-lead equipment and regulatory dependencies.
• Clear technical reporting — able to explain HV delivery risk to non-technical leadership audiences.

Desirable Qualifications and Professional Certification 

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered status (Engineers Australia) or equivalent professional electrical engineering accreditation.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification is highly regarded.
• Working familiarity with Queensland electrical safety and network connection regulatory processes.

Competencies 
Execution Mindset — Treats the energisation date as non-negotiable and works backward from it every day, not just at reporting time. 
Analytical Thinking — Reads network provider and equipment lead-time signals early enough to build contingency before they become programme risk. 
Stakeholder Orientation — Keeps the network provider relationship constructive under pressure, because that relationship determines the connection date more than anything the project controls directly. 
Adaptability — Re-sequences HV works cleanly when equipment delivery or network provider timelines shift, without losing safety discipline. 
Integrity & Ethics — Reports HV risk plainly, even when the honest answer is that the energisation date is at risk. 
Collaboration — Works the interface with BaseBuild and Commissioning proactively rather than treating HV as an isolated workstream.  The Senior Project Manager, HV Utilities owns the delivery of high-voltage power connection and campus utility infrastructure for WDDP. 

This role owns the HV connection strategy execution, the utility provider relationship day-to-day, and delivery of substation, campus infrastructure, BESS and external utility works (power, and coordination on water and fibre where they intersect HV corridors). 

Scope runs from utility infrastructure delivery through powered shell energisation, working daily with the PMO on programme sequencing, the Capital Project Controls Lead on utility-related cost and contract exposure, and directly with Powerlink, HV design consultants, and specialist HV contractors. 

Success is measured in one thing above all: the campus gets power, safely, on the date the master programme committed to — with utility provider relationships robust enough to absorb the inevitable surprises along the way. 

Responsibilities 
Safety Leadership (Injury & Incident Free) 
This role carries personal accountability for maintaining an Injury & Incident Free (IIF) environment across all activities, teams, and sites it influences. 

• Own the safe work method statements and isolation procedures for all HV works, ensuring no energisation or switching activity proceeds without signed-off controls.
• Enforce strict access control and permit-to-work discipline on substation and HV corridor works.
• Lead pre-start briefings on all high-risk HV activities, including live-adjacent works and utility provider interface points.
• Ensure HV contractors hold current electrical safety accreditation and that this is verified before mobilisation, not after.
• Escalate immediately any near-miss or deviation on HV works, and drive root-cause closure before work resumes.

High Voltage & Utility Delivery 
This is the core of the role: managing power delivery timelines and working closely with the utility provider and regulator to get HV infrastructure connected and energised. 

• Own the end-to-end delivery programme for HV connection — substation works, transmission/distribution interface, and campus internal HV distribution.
• Manage the day-to-day relationship with the electricity network provider and relevant regulator, tracking application, design approval, and connection milestones.
• Direct HV design consultants through detailed design, ensuring compliance with network provider technical standards and campus load requirements.
• Oversee procurement coordination and delivery of long-lead HV equipment (transformers, switchgear), tracking manufacturing and delivery windows against programme.
• Coordinate testing, commissioning, and energisation sequencing for HV infrastructure with the Commissioning function.
• Manage coordination points between HV works and other utility deliveries (water, fibre) where corridors or easements overlap.
• Maintain a live risk register specific to HV delivery — network provider slippage, equipment lead times, easement or access disputes.

Construction Delivery & Management 
This role manages the on-site contractor teams delivering HV and utility infrastructure works, within the broader construction delivery programme. 

• Manage HV and utility-scope contractors through mobilisation, execution, and testing, holding them to programme, quality, and safety commitments.
• Coordinate HV works sequencing with BaseBuild and campus infrastructure works to avoid clashes and rework.
• Review and approve HV-scope contractor progress claims and variations in the first instance, ahead of Capital Project Controls sign-off.
• Maintain quality records and inspection sign-offs for HV and utility infrastructure works.

Site Permitting, Approvals & Regulatory Compliance 
This role manages the regulatory and network-provider approval pathway specific to HV connection and utility works. 

• Manage the network connection application and approval process with the relevant electricity provider and energy regulator.
• Track and maintain compliance with Queensland electrical safety and network technical standards across HV design and construction.
• Coordinate any statutory notifications or inspections tied to HV energisation milestones.
• Maintain a permitting and approvals tracker specific to utility works, feeding status into the master programme.

Enterprise Risk, Issues & Analytical Insights 
This role owns the risk picture for the single workstream most likely to threaten the overall energisation date — and reports on it accordingly. 

• Maintain and regularly update the HV/utility delivery risk register, with clear ownership and mitigation for each entry.
• Provide early warning to the PMO and Construction Delivery Lead on any network provider, equipment, or design risk that threatens the energisation milestone.
• Run contingency planning for long-lead equipment and network provider slippage scenarios.

Stakeholder, Vendor & Community Engagement 
This role is the project’s primary working-level relationship holder with the electricity network provider and HV supply chain. 

• Build and maintain a working relationship with the network provider’s project and technical teams, resolving issues at the working level before they require escalation.
• Manage HV equipment vendors and specialist contractors, holding them accountable for programme and quality commitments.
• Represent Zerra DC professionally in technical liaison meetings with the network provider and relevant regulator.