Whakatakoto te tūāpapa – Laying the foundation
Contact Energy stands as one of Aotearoa’s leading energy providers, committed to powering communities with a focus on sustainability, innovation, and kaitiakitanga. With a proud history of supporting local whānau and businesses, Contact is deeply invested in the future of New Zealand’s energy landscape, ensuring that every decision made today helps create a brighter, cleaner tomorrow.
Nestled in the heart of the Tararua Ranges, the Mangahao hydro dam is a taonga of our renewable energy network. As one of the country’s oldest hydroelectric power stations, Mangahao has been quietly generating clean, reliable energy for generations. Its ongoing operation is a testament to the skill and dedication of those who keep it running, ensuring that the awa continues to flow and the lights stay on across the motu.
Job DescriptionTe āhua o te tūranga | The nature of the role
Imagine starting your day surrounded by the natural beauty of Aotearoa, working alongside a tight-knit team who share your passion for keeping the wheels of our hydro generation turning. As a Generation Technician – Operations, you’ll be the heartbeat of our hydro assets, carrying out electrical maintenance and operational duties that keep our plant humming. Your mahi will see you monitoring plant conditions, responding to challenges, and making improvements that help us deliver safe, efficient, and reliable energy to our communities.
You’ll be hands-on, from routine inspections to responding to emergencies, always with the health and safety of yourself and your mates front of mind. Whether you’re planning outages, supporting your team across different sites, or helping to shape our maintenance strategies, your contribution will be valued. At Contact, we believe in manaakitanga – looking after each other and our environment – and you’ll play a key role in upholding these values every day.
QualificationsKo wai koe | About you
We’re looking for someone who brings a practical mindset and a genuine commitment to safety and teamwork. Ideally, you’ll have a Trade Certificate or equivalent, and experience in maintaining equipment and systems – especially in power generation or heavy industry – is a real bonus. If you’ve worked with high voltage plant, managed inventory, or supervised contracts, that’s great, but what matters most is your willingness to learn and your drive to make a difference.
You’ll thrive in a role where every day is different, using your problem-solving skills to tackle challenges and your communication skills to build strong relationships. Integrity, a high standard of professionalism, and a knack for finding cost-effective solutions are must-haves. If you’re skilled in diagnosing plant issues, have experience with mechanical or electrical plant, or know your way around control systems, we’d love to hear from you. But even if you don’t tick every box, bring your enthusiasm, your curiosity, and your commitment to our kaupapa – we welcome all who are keen to grow with us.
Additional InformationThere are a bunch of perks to being a permanent Contact kaimahi. Along with great leadership, teammates, development, and growth and progression opportunities, free health insurance cover, better-than-your-average leave, access to Contact Shares, a ‘Good to be Home’ annual payment toward your home set up & wellbeing, a trail-blazing parental leave policy, bi-annual payments towards Contact Energy products, and more!
Applications close 5pm Friday the 12th of December 2025
Here at Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko), we know our strength lies in developing a sense of belonging - one that helps us attract and retain people with a broad range of perspectives and experiences.
We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our customers and communities to help build a better Aotearoa New Zealand.
We have a rich community of talented people that we support to thrive at Contact.
Our inclusive hiring process is designed to embrace the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in our decision-making and helping reduce bias along the way.
The wellbeing of our kaimahi is super important to us.
We use employee insights to offer a range of initiatives and resources to support physical, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing – including flexible working arrangements, employee network groups and a market-leading parental leave policy.
At Te Mata Hiko, we want everyone to thrive. We welcome applicants far and wide - of every age, stage, background, and pride. Join us and be part of a team that values your passion and attitude just as much as your experience and skills.
Please note, only candidates with the right to live and work in New Zealand will be considered for this role.
Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and those in underrepresented groups tend to only apply if they tick every box. We're not about box ticking, so if you think you have what it takes but don't meet everything stated above, please still get in touch. We'd love to kōrero.
Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) does not accept any CVs received from recruitment agencies where a formal engagement has not been confirmed and agreed to with our Talent team. In the event that unsolicited CVs are submitted by recruitment agencies, Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and consider them for current/future vacancies without any financial obligation to the recruitment agency in question. This will also apply to any CVs sent directly to line managers.
Top Skills
What We Do
Contact (contact.co.nz ) is one of New Zealand’s largest energy retailers and generators. We’re committed to building a better New Zealand. We balance our commitment to lowering carbon emissions and producing renewable energy, with maintaining reliable access to energy for our 500,000 customers. We generate electricity from hydro, geothermal and gas and have one of the most flexible generation portfolios in the country.
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