Senior Operations Engineer at Nextracker · Manly

Senior Operations Engineer
Location: Manly, New South Wales - AUS
Job Description:
Job Description – Senior  Operations Engineer
Location: Manly, Australia
Work Type: Hybrid
Department: Project Engineering
Nextpower is seeking a skilled and motivated Operations Engineer to join our Project Engineering team and serve as a key technical liaison for utility-scale solar projects across construction, commissioning, and operation.
Reporting to the Engineering Director, this role bridges project design, construction, commissioning, operations, and customer support to ensure technical issues are resolved quickly and lessons from the field are captured effectively. The position will work closely with Project Engineering, Product Design, Operations & Maintenance, Sales, Quality, and external stakeholders to support delivery, improve fleet performance, and strengthen engineering standards.
The ideal candidate will combine sound engineering judgement, strong cross-functional coordination, and a practical approach to problem solving. This role suits someone who thrives on solving complex technical issues across multiple disciplines, managing competing priorities, and helping develop the systems, processes, and standards needed to support reliable project delivery and long-term asset performance.
Experience across design, construction, commissioning, and operations will be highly regarded, particularly where the candidate has worked hands-on with mechanical, electrical, or structural issues and can translate field learnings into clear corrective actions and engineering improvements.
Role Purpose
Provide engineering support for utility-scale solar projects during construction, commissioning, and operation
Support resolution of technical issues through root-cause analysis, corrective action development, and stakeholder coordination
Assist construction and commissioning teams with technical guidance to ensure alignment with Nextpower standards and project requirements
Strengthen the feedback loop between field delivery, operating assets, and internal engineering, quality, and product teams
Support the development of technical standards, troubleshooting procedures, and engineering practices that improve project delivery and fleet reliability
Key Responsibilities
Operational and technical support
Provide engineering support for projects experiencing performance, reliability, mechanical, electrical, structural, or equipment-related issues
Lead or support root-cause investigations and define practical corrective action plans to restore or improve system performance
Work with Operations & Maintenance, Product Engineering, and other internal teams to investigate field issues and support timely resolution
Review field conditions, technical reports, and supporting documentation to identify likely causes of technical issues and recommend next steps
Help prioritise technical issues based on delivery impact, customer needs, and risk to long-term asset performance
Construction and commissioning support
Assist active construction projects with technical guidance and troubleshooting during installation, pre-commissioning, and commissioning
Review site design packages and verify that field implementation aligns with Nextpower standards, specifications, and approved engineering intent
Assign and coordinate CAD work with design resources to address customer requests, field modifications, and project-specific updates
Support technical clarification and issue resolution where design intent, field conditions, and construction realities require practical engineering judgement
Ensure commissioning and field issues are clearly documented and translated into actionable outcomes
Cross-functional coordination
Work closely with Project Engineering, Product Design, Operations & Maintenance, Sales, and Quality teams to maintain clear communication and enable fast issue resolution
Engage directly with EPCs, contractors, owners, and other external stakeholders to support troubleshooting, technical clarification, and corrective action implementation
Coordinate internal engineering and operational inputs to ensure technical findings are aligned, practical, and clearly communicated
Prepare clear, structured, and actionable engineering reports, summaries, and recommendations for internal and external stakeholders
Support escalation management by organising information, clarifying technical risks, and driving timely follow-through on agreed actions
Continuous improvement and feedback loop
Capture lessons learned from construction, commissioning, and operational sites and communicate key insights to design, quality, and product development teams
Participate in the development and update of technical standards, standard operating procedures, and field troubleshooting processes
Contribute to reliability improvement programs across the operating fleet by identifying recurring issues and supporting long-term corrective actions
Help convert field experience into practical improvements in design guidance, documentation quality, commissioning practices, and field support processes
Support the broader business in developing more efficient and consistent methods for managing technical issues across a growing fleet
Data and performance analysis
Review system performance data from SCADA, monitoring platforms, Power BI, and related sources to identify trends, anomalies, and recurring technical issues
Support data-driven decision-making for maintenance prioritisation, corrective action validation, and operational performance improvement
Correlate field observations, engineering findings, and performance data to improve issue diagnosis and support stronger technical conclusions
Maintain a disciplined approach to documenting issues, actions, outcomes, and recurring themes across projects and operating assets
Experience and qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, or Industrial Engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline
A minimum of 5 years of experience in solar, renewable energy, or industrial engineering, with demonstrated interdisciplinary engineering experience
Practical exposure across design, construction, commissioning, and operations, including mechanical or hands-on technical work
Strong understanding of utility-scale solar design, tracker systems, and power plant operations
Experience reviewing design documentation, field reports, and as-built drawings
Strong communication, organisation, and technical documentation skills
Ability to work across multiple disciplines and manage competing priorities in a structured and solutions-focused manner
Preferred
Hands-on experience with construction support, field issue troubleshooting, or Operations & Maintenance coordination
Familiarity with solar performance analysis tools, SCADA platforms, monitoring systems, or Power BI
Experience working with EPCs, contractors, and suppliers in a technical support or issue-resolution capacity
Knowledge of reliability engineering principles and root-cause analysis methodologies
Experience contributing to technical standards, procedures, or process improvement initiatives
Exposure to customer-facing technical support within utility-scale solar or related infrastructure projects
Personal attributes
Strong problem-solving mindset with a practical and structured approach to issue resolution
Comfortable working across technical disciplines and moving between field issues, engineering analysis, and stakeholder communication
Able to manage a broad portfolio of issues and priorities without losing attention to detail
Technically credible and confident engaging with both internal and external stakeholders
Collaborative and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership and follow-through
Clear communicator who can translate technical findings into concise, actionable messages
Motivated by continuous improvement, operational reliability, and better long-term customer outcomes
Why this role matters
This role will help Nextpower strengthen the connection between project delivery, operational performance, and product improvement by ensuring technical issues from the field are resolved effectively and translated into meaningful engineering learning.
The successful candidate will play an important part in improving project outcomes from construction to operation, supporting customers and internal teams through complex technical challenges, and helping build the standards, systems, and feedback mechanisms needed to support the next generation of clean energy infrastructure.
At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.
We are Nextpower