Senior Consultant - Physical Markets and Grid Connections

The role

ERM’s Energy Markets team is seeking a Senior Consultant to build a specialist capability in physical energy markets and grid connections. This covers how assets connect to, operate in and earn revenue from the National Electricity Market (NEM), including network constraints, curtailment, dispatch and bidding, loss factors and asset performance. The capability is needed across our Energy Markets, M&A and Decarbonisation practices and will support a growing number of renewable energy, battery storage, flexible demand and electrification projects.

You will provide technical and commercial advice on connection pathways, network constraints and curtailment risk, market operations and revenue management, and behind-the-meter energy solutions. Your clients will range from renewable energy developers, battery owners and investors to large energy users, data centres and industrial facilities pursuing electrification and flexible demand opportunities.

Key responsibilities

• Assess grid connection opportunities, network limitations and curtailment risk for renewable generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS), large loads and electrification projects.
• Advise on connection agreements, technical requirements, performance standards and network access risk under the National Electricity Rules.
• Advise on how dispatch, bidding, ancillary services, marginal loss factors and network constraints affect operating strategy and revenue for generation, storage and flexible load assets, including route-to-market, tolling and offtake arrangements.
• Analyse asset performance and operational risk, including availability, degradation, efficiency and warranty provisions in supply, service and offtake contracts.
• Conduct technical due diligence for M&A transactions involving renewable energy, storage, flexible demand and behind-the-meter assets.
• Assess demand response, flexible load and distributed energy resource (DER) opportunities, including behind-the-meter solar and battery storage.
• Work with ERM’s market modelling, strategy and decarbonisation specialists to quantify the commercial implications of network constraints, congestion, curtailment and system strength issues.
• Support clients through project development, investment decision-making and transaction processes.

Senior Consultant responsibilities

As a Senior Consultant at ERM, you will:

• Lead project workstreams and contribute to the delivery of complex client engagements;
• Manage project scope, timelines, budgets and quality;
• Build trusted client relationships and contribute to business development;
• Prepare high-quality technical reports, presentations and client recommendations;
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams across energy markets, decarbonisation and transaction advisory services;
• Support proposal preparation and the development of new service offerings;
• Mentor junior consultants and contribute to ERM’s technical capability development; and
• Work across the Energy Markets, M&A and Decarbonisation teams to deliver integrated client solutions.

Experience and qualifications

• A degree in electrical engineering, power systems engineering or a related discipline (for example energy, economics or commerce with strong technical aptitude).
• Approximately 3 to 4 years of relevant industry experience.
• Experience in one or more of: network connection and planning, market operations, scheduling or trading, asset operation or performance, energy market analysis, or technical advisory.
• Experience working with network service providers, AEMO or market bodies, generators, retailers or traders, large energy users, engineering or advisory consultancies, or renewable energy and storage developers.
• Familiarity with the NEM, including dispatch, constraints, loss factors and ancillary services.
• Experience with behind-the-meter solar, battery storage, electrification or microgrid projects (an advantage, not a requirement).
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Who We Are:

As the world’s leading sustainability consulting firm, ERM is uniquely positioned to contribute to the environment and society through the expertise and energy of our employees worldwide. Sustainability is what we do and is at the heart of both our service offerings and how we operate our business. For our people, our vision means attracting, inspiring, developing and rewarding our people to work with the best clients and on the biggest challenges, thus creating valuable careers. We achieve our vision in a sustainable manner by maintaining and living our ERM beliefs that include Together we Challenge, Expertise is our Superpower, and Impact Ignites us.