Network Resilience and Security Engineer

Closing Date: 30/10/2026

Job Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Dunedin, Cromwell or Christchurch

Job Category: Engineering

#### Job Description

A network can meet its capacity requirements on paper and still let customers down. A recurring fault, a difficult switching arrangement or a lengthy restoration can reveal a problem that needs a different approach.

Aurora Energy is looking for someone who follows that evidence, challenges assumptions and turns their findings into lasting improvements.

The Opportunity

Supporting communities across Otago, Aurora Energy is strengthening the reliability and resilience of its electricity network. That network runs from Dunedin to the Queenstown and Southern Lakes area, one of the fastest-growing parts of New Zealand, where rapid load growth, long rural feeders and alpine conditions make resilience and security of supply a genuinely difficult problem.

Reporting to the Network Planning Manager, you will own the connection between how the network is planned and how it actually operates. This is a senior-level technical role with genuine influence over planning standards, network configuration and investment.

You will

Investigate network performance, failure patterns and operational constraints

Develop resilience frameworks and measures that guide priorities and demonstrate improvement

Shape switching, contingency and recovery strategies, including automation and flexible resources

Evaluate reliability improvements against safety, risk, cost and customer outcomes

Work across planning, operations and design to implement changes and verify their impact

Build clear, defensible evidence for investment decisions and regulatory reporting

Your work will go beyond identifying what should change. You will help make those changes happen.

What you bring

You will have substantial experience in operational planning, reliability or network security, with the judgement to assess how interconnected systems behave under normal and abnormal conditions.

Electricity network experience is highly regarded. Relevant backgrounds may also include water, other energy systems, mining, rail, naval electrical systems or aviation and traffic control.

Whatever your industry, you will need to demonstrate practical understanding of system configuration, failure modes, contingency planning and recovery. You will be confident interpreting evidence, balancing competing risks and influencing people across technical and operational teams.

Relevant engineering or technical learning matters, alongside the experience to apply it. Advanced modelling-software expertise is not essential; specialist support is available within the team.

The team around you

You will join a team of curious professionals who enjoy solving difficult problems and take responsibility for the wider network, not just their own task.

You will thrive here if you can work through ambiguity, plan your own work and stay motivated by improvements whose value unfolds over time.

Our Network Planning Manager gives people genuine ownership and expects them to defend their reasoning and work collaboratively to develop and test ideas. You will be expected to think deeply, follow the consequences through the wider system, weigh risk and effort trade-offs, and build the evidence behind your decisions and methods. You will have support when you need it, and your thinking will be tested constructively.

About Us

Aurora Energy is one of the largest electricity networks in Aotearoa New Zealand. We own and manage the network that delivers electricity to some of the fastest growing areas and over the most diverse terrain in Te Waipounamu South Island. We deliver a safe, reliable and sustainable electricity supply to a population of more than 200,000 residents in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Central Otago/Wānaka and Tāhuna Queenstown. Our purpose is enabling the energy future of our communities.

What's in it for you?

Competitive total remuneration package

Flexible, supportive, people-first culture

Genuine work-life balance with flexible hours

Relocation support for the successful applicant

Are you up for the challenge? Join our team.

If you enjoy finding the real cause of a problem and want the responsibility to improve the whole system, we would love to hear from you.

Click the ‘Apply’ button to submit your application. Or for a confidential discussion around this position please contact Steph Richardson at Paragon Recruitment on 021 202 2809.

We see diversity as a strength and welcome applications from anyone who has what it takes, regardless of gender, ethnicity or background. Please note that we may begin shortlisting as we receive applications. We encourage early applications as we may withdraw the advertising at any time.

To be considered for this position you must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.