Head of Grid Strategy role in Melbourne, VIC

We are partnering with a market‑leading smart grid and energy flexibility provider to find a Head of Grid as part of their Australian leadership team.

This is a rare senior individual‑contributor role operating at the intersection of power systems engineering, electricity market reform, and commercial service development. It is ideally suited to an engineer who has progressed beyond pure technical delivery and now thrives on translating regulatory change and grid challenges into scalable, revenue‑generating solutions.

The Organisation

Our client is a global leader in smart grid technology and demand response services, enabling large commercial and industrial electricity users to actively participate in energy markets while supporting renewable integration and grid stability.

With operations across Australia, Europe, and North America, the organisation is internationally recognised for innovation, growth, and its contribution to a more sustainable and resilient electricity system.

The Opportunity

As Director of Grid Strategy & Solutions, you will bridge technical grid realities such as system strength, inertia, congestion, and market mechanisms, with commercial outcomes for both the business and its customers.

You will identify where regulatory change, power system constraints, and emerging technologies create opportunities, and then orchestrate the people, tools, and strategy required to convert those opportunities into live grid services.

This is not a traditional people‑management role. Instead, you will operate as a strategic technical leader, collaborating across engineering, regulatory, operations, sales, and global R&D teams.

Key Responsibilities

Service Development & Commercialisation

• Monitor developments across the NEM (AEMO, AER, rule changes, and technical standards) to identify new grid service opportunities.
• Assess both technical feasibility and commercial viability of emerging service models (e.g. FCAS, SIPS, virtual power plants).
• Build robust business cases mapping technical concepts to deployable, revenue‑generating services.
• Collaborate with global innovation teams to adapt proprietary hardware, software, and AI‑driven market bidding platforms for Australian conditions.

Strategic Technical Engagement

• Act as the senior technical authority for large industrial customers, supporting solution design and complex sales discussions.
• Represent the organisation in regulatory forums, consultations, and industry working groups, ensuring demand‑side perspectives are well represented.

Internal Collaboration & Strategy

• Work closely with the Global Senior Leadership Team to ensure Australian service innovation aligns with broader company strategy.
• Partner with field operations and engineering teams to ensure new services are practical, reliable, and scalable in real‑world deployments.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Requirements

• Degree qualified in Electrical or Power Systems Engineering (or equivalent).
• Strong working knowledge of the National Electricity Rules (NER) and power system dynamics.
• Demonstrated experience transitioning from technical engineering into strategy, product, or commercial leadership roles.
• Comfortable leading initiatives and influencing outcomes across multiple functions without formal line management.
• Strong communicator—able to clearly articulate complex grid physics and market mechanisms to commercial and executive stakeholders.

Ideal Attributes

• Commercially pragmatic with strong technical credibility.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and shaping new services from concept to market.
• Trusted by engineers and respected by commercial teams.

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary aligned to experience, skills, and impact.
• Eligibility for a Company Management Incentive Share Plan.
• Flexible and hybrid working options.
• Self‑directed annual training budget and paid training days.
• Sales incentive scheme.
• Inclusive, values‑driven culture with a strong focus on professional development and employee well‑being.

If you are ready to step into a senior market‑shaping role with genuine influence over how Australia’s electricity system evolves, we’d welcome a confidential discussion - please reach out to