Head of Operations

Orion plays a pivotal role in powering a cleaner, brighter future for our community. As we continue to evolve our network to meet changing customer requirements, new technologies and the demands of a decarbonised future, we are seeking a highly capable and forward-thinking Head of Operations.

You’ll bring a deep technical expertise in electrical distribution systems while also demonstrating strong commercial judgement, operational discipline and the ability to deliver in high-stakes, high-complexity environments.

This is a critical senior position to drive the leadership of a core operational team while strengthening the strategic and commercial partnerships that support our network engaging with industry experts and cross-business stakeholders to deliver value and reliability. Your leadership will ensure we keep our region's power safe, reliable and resilient for the local communities we serve.

About us

Passionate, curious and innovative are a few words that describe our people. We are powering the future, connecting communities and igniting innovation. Orion owns and operates the electricity distribution network that provides power to central Canterbury. As the third largest electricity distribution network in New Zealand, we cover remote rural areas, regional towns and the city of Christchurch.

We are an essential service and take our responsibilities seriously. We are community owned and working here means a career with meaning and purpose that makes a difference in your very own neighbourhood.

The role

• Provide visionary leadership that aligns people, systems and operations toward future-focused network performance
• Set direction and uplift capability across operational teams fostering a high-perform and safety-first culture built on collaboration and accountability
• Drive excellence while leading the safe effectiveness and confident oversight of all network operations
• Drive system performance through advanced monitoring, analytics, reporting and targeted continuous improvement initiatives
• Manage network demand, load control and operational priorities to optimise reliability, customer outcomes and overall network efficiency
• Build and maintain strong influential relationships with Transpower, retailers, emergency services, contractors and key industry partners
• Lead emergency management frameworks ensuring robust contingency planning, readiness, and confident leadership during major events

About you

We offer

You’ll find at Orion, you can come as you are and just be you. You will be joining a workplace that values who you are, the work you do, and the way you think. Importantly, we offer :

You might be surprised to find out that the company that brings the power to your home is innovative, inclusive, progressive, and quite good fun.

To apply

We encourage you to be you in your application! We are truly committed to diversity, inclusion and lifting our cultural capability. You don't need to be knowledgeable in these areas, but you do need to be on board with learning.

Please reach out to us with any questions at

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this job. Pre-employment checks are part of our recruitment process.

Be careful – Don’t provide your bank or credit card details when applying for jobs. Don't transfer any money or complete suspicious online surveys. If you see something suspicious, report this job ad.

#J-18808-Ljbffr