Project Developer
Rondo Energy · Richmond
Rondo is accelerating industry’s transition to lower-cost, zero-carbon heat and power.
Our Rondo Heat Batteries turn low-cost renewable electricity into continuous, high-temperature heat and power, enabling industrial facilities to replace fossil-fired boilers without costly process changes. The result is lower-cost, zero-carbon industrial energy delivered safely, reliably, and at 98% efficiency.
Rondo is commercially deployed and rapidly scaling, today. Backed by world-class industrial leaders and investors, including Breakthrough Energy, Energy Impact Partners, Rio Tinto, Aramco, SABIC, SCG, TITAN, Microsoft, H&M, and John Doerr, Rondo is building the next generation of industrial energy infrastructure at global scale.
We are looking for an experienced Project Developer to lead the development of large-scale industrial energy projects across Australia. Working within our Australian Commercial team, you will take qualified opportunities through development to final investment decision (FID) and structured handover to Delivery. The role is particularly important to our Heat-as-a-Service (HaaS) model, where Rondo develops energy infrastructure to provide reliable, cost-competitive industrial heat to major customers.
You will own the integrated development pathway and project readiness, bringing together grid, land, approvals, engineering, commercial, schedule and cost workstreams.
What You Will Do
- Lead project development: Establish and drive integrated development plans, critical paths, budgets, resource requirements and decision gates from opportunity qualification through to FID.
- Drive grid and infrastructure development: Lead grid-connection and major electrical-infrastructure development, coordinating network service providers, connection advisers, engineering consultants and internal specialists.
- Secure land and approvals: Establish land and site-control requirements and coordinate planning, environmental, heritage, geotechnical and other statutory pathways. Scope and manage specialist external advisers.
- Develop project scope and definition: Coordinate feasibility studies, pre-FEED, FEED, balance-of-plant and site infrastructure activities, integrating technical requirements, cost estimates and schedules as project definition matures.
- Integrate project economics and commercial requirements: Ensure electricity procurement, network tariffs, customer requirements, contractual requirements commitments, financing requirements and applicable incentives are reflected I the development plan and investment case.
- Manage development risks and interfaces: Identify, assess and mitigate risks, dependencies and unresolved assumptions. Coordinate interfaces among customers, utilities, consultants, contractors, vendors and internal teams, escalating decisions needed to protect schedule, budget and project viability.
- Report progress and support decisions: Provide clear updates on milestones, development expenditure, risks and decisions required. Prepare recommendations supported by technical and commercial evidence.
- Lead the transition to Delivery: Establish project readiness criteria and coordinate structured handover, including scope, cost and schedule baselines, assumptions, approvals, commitments and external interfaces.
- Build repeatable development capability: Improve development processes, tools and governance so constraints are resolved early, expenditure supports the decisions that matter, and projects reach investment and delivery decisions with greater confidence.
What You Will Bring
- 7+ years of relevant experience in energy, infrastructure or major-project development, including meaningful responsibility for projects prior to FID.
- A demonstrated record of progressing complex projects across multiple development workstreams and resolving the issues standing between an opportunity and an investment decision.
- Experience with large electrical connections, network businesses and/or major energy infrastructure, and practical understanding of land, planning, environmental approvals and development pathways.
- Experience coordinating engineering studies, pre-FEED/FEED or equivalent project-definition activities, and managing multidisciplinary external consultants and advisers.
- Experience managing schedules, development budgets, cost estimates and programmes, with proficiency in project planning and management tools.
- Strong commercial judgement and understanding of how development decisions affect project economics, contractual positions and investment readiness.
- Strong stakeholder-management, communication and negotiation skills across customers, utilities, government, engineering and executive stakeholders; ability to lead multidisciplinary work without relying on formal reporting lines.
- An analytical, proactive and self-motivated approach; ability to learn quickly, work with incomplete information and independently drive progress as project requirements evolve.
- Willingness to travel to project sites and stakeholder meetings as required.
- Relevant qualifications in engineering, commerce, economics, planning, project management or a related discipline. Demonstrated success developing complex energy or infrastructure projects is more important than a particular degree.
Bonus Points
- Experience in renewable energy, BESS, transmission or major-load connections, data centres, industrial energy, thermal energy storage or project-financed infrastructure.
- Experience developing projects within the NEM, working with major industrial customers, or developing long-term energy-as-a-service or offtake arrangements.
- Experience working internationally or in a growing business deploying novel technologies at scale.
What We Offer
- An opportunity to make a significant positive impact on industrial decarbonisation.
- Ownership of the development pathway for major Australian industrial energy projects.
- Collaboration with multidisciplinary Australian and global teams commercialising thermal energy storage.
This full-time role is based in Richmond, Victoria, and involves travel to project sites and stakeholder meetings as required.
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