General Manager, Grid And Connections

Firmus Technologies Firmus Technologies is a global leader pioneering the development and operation of efficient AI infrastructure across Asia Pacific. Founded in Australia in 2019, our mission is to create the most efficient AI infrastructure by combining cutting-edge technology with a steadfast commitment to sustainability. At Firmus, we are unique in our approach. We design, build, and operate a new class of digital infrastructure – the AI Factory. Through our model-to-grid technology approach, we have pushed the boundaries of multi-generational liquid cooling systems, energy management, AI software orchestration, and construction. For our customers, this approach allows us to make every watt count and deliver low-cost AI tokens globally. Through ground-breaking research and development, we invented a verticalized AI Factory - a new class of digital infrastructure that replaces traditional data centres. Built on new approaches to liquid cooling, energy management, water use and modular construction methodology, the Firmus AI Factory delivers low-cost AI tokens across Asia-Pacific. Firmus AI Cloud Our large-scale GPU cloud platform, Firmus AI Cloud, is purpose-built to deliver energy-efficient AI compute at scale to customers. It empowers developers, enterprises, educational institutions, and government users to train and deploy AI models with unmatched efficiency and cost savings. With an ever-growing suite of services and applications, we are committed to delivering a cloud experience that is market-leading, proprietary, and built to scale. Why you’ll love working here As an NVIDIA Cloud and Engineering partner in Asia Pacific, you will gain skills, experience, and exposure across the AI industry and be part of shaping what this industry looks like for decades to come. We are founder-led, not a big corporate. Decisions happen fast, our leaders are accessible, and there's minimum bureaucracy between you and the work. Ownership comes early. Whatever your role, you will have a direct line to outcomes, helping shape how the business grows as we scale nationally across a long-term, large-scale roadmap. Work alongside founders and experts in AI infrastructure, energy systems and next-generation compute. What we build here has impact beyond the business. Our AI Factories are designed to operate as assets to the energy grid to actively strengthen the communities and regions they operate in rather than drawing from them. Role Summary Firmus Technologies is seeking a senior and experienced General Manager, Grid and Connections to lead grid connection strategy and delivery across Firmus’ national portfolio of large-scale AI factory and data centre developments.This is a high-impact owner’s-side leadership role. Reporting directly to our Chief Operations Officer, the General Manager, Grid and Connections is Firmus’ senior internal lead and informed owner for grid access, connection approvals, network performance requirements and connection-related regulatory compliance across the National Electricity Market. While Firmus will use specialist consultants, connection management support and delivery partners for much of the detailed technical and process work, this role ensures Firmus remains an active and informed owner of its grid connection strategy. The General Manager, Grid and Connections will direct external support, maintain internal oversight, protect Firmus’ interests, and ensure key connection decisions are clearly understood and controlled within the business. This is a genuine opportunity to lead grid connections for one of Australia’s most ambitious AI infrastructure pipelines — with strong internal and external support behind you. Key Responsibilities • Act as Firmus’ informed internal owner grid connections — ensuring external advisers and delivery partners are properly directed, that Firmus retains internal control of key decisions, and that the connection strategy remains clearly understood within the business. • Own and oversee the end-to-end connection pathway for each project — from early site assessment, connection enquiry and feasibility through to connection agreement, registration, energisation, commissioning and operational load ramp-up. Keep Firmus in control of the pathway even where external partners are supporting delivery. • Lead Firmus’ engagement with AEMO, TNSPs, DNSPs and relevant regulatory bodies. Act as the senior relationship owner, represent Firmus credibly in technical and commercial discussions, and ensure Firmus’ interests are clearly communicated and protected. • Direct and coordinate external consultants, connection management support and specialist advisers. Ensure work is appropriately scoped, sequenced and aligned with Firmus’ objectives — and that external advice is understood, tested and converted into clear decisions rather than accepted at face value. • Maintain a clear internal view of each connection project — including status, risks, dependencies, obligations, decisions, commercial trade-offs and next steps. Ensure this picture is current, accurate and accessible to Firmus leadership and project teams at all times.. • Translate external technical and regulatory advice into practical, plain-language recommendations for Firmus executives and project teams. Ensure connection risks, obligations, programme impacts and commercial exposures are clearly communicated and acted on. • Build repeatable national connection processes, internal governance frameworks, reporting templates and programme controls. Skills & Experience • Extensive experience managing grid connections for large loads, generation or complex assets in the Australian NEM. Demonstrated track record of delivering connections through AEMO and one or more TNSPs. • Strong working knowledge of National Electricity Rules, AEMO connection processes, TNSP and DNSP connection frameworks, Generator/Load Performance Standards, registration, commissioning and compliance requirements. • Strong industry network and credibility with AEMO, TNSPs, specialist consultants and NEM market participants. Able to engage at a senior level and be taken seriously as an owner’s-side counterpart. • Technically and commercially grounded in grid connection matters — with enough working knowledge of power system studies, performance standards, network modelling, protection and compliance to direct specialist consultants effectively, understand and test key study outcomes, identify risks, and ensure Firmus is never simply accepting external advice without informed scrutiny. Detailed modelling and design work is carried out by specialist advisers. • Sound technical awareness across grid connection matters, including familiarity with EHV/HV substation infrastructure, transformers, protection, power quality and connection compliance — sufficient to ask the right questions, test assumptions and make well-informed owner’s-side recommendations. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Able to translate complex technical and regulatory matters into clear, concise executive-level advice. • A relevant tertiary qualification in electrical engineering or a related field is preferred, though industry experience and demonstrable NEM expertise will be weighted heavily. Location Based in : Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Firmus would be open to consider suitable candidates to based in Tasmania or South Australia, depending on experience and ability to support Firmus’ national project pipeline Employment Basis Full-time