GarethandLauren

Hi

My family and I are planning on moving to New Zealand. I am wondering what are the best job agencies for Electrical Engineering in the High Voltage Power Sector. I am Currently a Senior Authorised Person with a DNO and would like to be in a similar role or contracting.

Thanks, Gareth.

Woodlea

Hi and welcome to the forum,
Have you looked at these:
One of NZ's largest electricity distribution companies » Orion
MainPower NZ Ltd: Electricity Distribution Network » MainPower
I work for the former (albeit for the contracting arm that was hived off in the 90s!) and live in the latter's domain.
Any questions - just shoot.
Good luck

escapedtonz

Hey,
I was an SAP and Senior Transmission Control Engineer for one of the UK DNO's for 25 years before coming here.
Just my opinion - don't bother with recruitment consultants or agents. I signed up with Hays and they were bloody useless. Search for the vacancies yourself and apply yourself. I found that to be way more effective.
I researched for details of all the network companies, generation companies and gentailers (generation/retailers), looked through all their websites and registered for jobs and then sent a cover letter with CV regardless if they had job vacancies or not to all the ones who I wished to work for.
Just be aware, in terms of a UK DNO with like 5 Million customers, most of the ones here are tiny in comparison. They may cover the same physical area or sometimes a bigger area but with respect to customer connections they only have tens of thousands. The biggest of course is Vector who have 1.2 Million customers and serve Auckland city and outskirts.
To stay with a similar customer base than I was used to in the UK I looked above Network Company level and delved in to National Grid who obviously serve the whole country so 4.5 Million customers. They are both the Grid Owner and System Operator and a government owned company (State Owned Enterprise) called Transpower and I was lucky enough to be offered a role with the System Operator and have been with them near 4 years now as a Power System Co-Ordinator.
Most of the engineers here seem to be contractors and not in house engineers/technicians so you may have to look in to the contracting side more for the likes of ABB, Transfield Services, Siemens, Alstom etc etc.

Some good links for you :-

Electricity Networks Association Home

https://www.ea.govt.nz/

https://www.ea.govt.nz/about-us/medi...lectricity-nz/

Download the latest PDF document which is a good read. Pity there's not an up to date one as I fount this PDF very useful.

GarethandLauren

Much appreciated guys.

I am going to register with EWRB to obtain a licence etc. And hopefully that will make my CV more appealing and start sending it out to prospective employers.

No doubt I will have more questions along the way.

Thanks again

Snap Shot

http://britishexpats.com/forum/job-o...light=Crumpy10

The above link may be useful to you.

Or this one:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/new-z...light=Crumpy10

GarethandLauren

Guys,

In your experience what are the working hours like in the distribution/transmission sector in new Zealand generally? Also what is the market like at the moment, are companies actively looking for SAP's, project engineers/managers?

Thanks Gareth

Woodlea

We work 7.30 - 16.00 (although I do 6.30 - 15.00 to beat the traffic). I only work 40 hours a week. We have an ad on our web site for a project manager currently.