Software Engineer/Electrical Engineer - Distributed Energy Resources (DER)

Acknowledgement of Country 

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation. 

Role highlights

• Apply your DER, software or electrical engineering expertise to impactful projects
• Great opportunity to contribute to Australia’s net‑zero energy transition
• Join our team to deliver practical solutions for a changing energy system!

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity 

As distributed solar PV, household batteries, EVs and other DER grow, effective integration and management are critical. CSIRO’s Networks & DER team delivers actionable research to support a more flexible and reliable energy system, while unlocking value for Australian consumers.

In this role, you will interface with DNSPs, electricity retailers and OEMs to address interoperability and integration challenges and opportunities at the low‑voltage level. You will collaboratively design and deliver practical DER projects that close current gaps, improve integrations, and support scalable deployment across real‑world networks. You will be developing and validating methods, tools and workflows for DER interoperability, collaborating with industry partners to prove solutions in practice, and helping translate insights into repeatable approaches and guidance for the sector.

If you’re interested in contributing towards enabling a smarter, more connected DER ecosystem, this is a great, ongoing opportunity to apply your skills where they matter and create impact. Here at CSIRO, we provide a diverse and inclusive culture, support flexible working, and offer you excellent professional development opportunities to grow your skills & career!

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Participating in project scoping, planning and delivery, making significant contributions to the research or technological direction.
• Initiating and taking responsibility for tasks/functions within larger projects and across Research Units which align with your expertise and capabilities.
• Developing solutions for testing and improving DER visibility, control, interoperability while unlocking additional value for consumers.
• Developing expertise in DER protocols and integration methodology, and testing/building solutions for industry.

Role particulars

Location and office arrangements: Perth (Kensington) WA; Newcastle NSW; Melbourne (Clayton) VIC; Canberra (Black Mountain) ACT; or Hobart TAS – other Australian locations would also be considered.

Salary: AU$118K – AU$127K per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule: Indefinite; Full-time (preferred) – part-time and flexible work arrangements would be considered based on the needs of the role and individual circumstances.

Reference: 102205

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• Relevant tertiary degree in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science or a similar/related discipline.
• Minimum two years of demonstrated industry experience in the electrical field working in software development (or related) – ideally on DER integration or optimisation solutions with or for utilities/a utility/an OEM.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and interpersonal skills with the ability to work constructively with colleagues, collaborators, and clients, and to build strong networks with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• An enthusiasm for applied research solving problems for commercial partners.

For full details about this role, including desirable criteria, please review the Position Description. 

Not sure if you meet all the criteria?

While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.

Setting you up for success

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact the Talent Acquisition Partner via email (see details in the Position Description) and let us know how we can support you.

 

Eligibility 

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens, and Australian Permanent Residents.

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Child safety 

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy. 

How to apply 

Please apply online, and provide a CV and a detailed cover letter, responding to each of the selection criteria in detail, that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role. Please attach your selection criteria responses to your cover letter as one document.

Applications close 

22 February 2026, 11:00pm AEDT

We strongly encourage early applications as we will be reviewing applications as they come through. CSIRO reserves the right to close the advertising early if we find our desired candidate.