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Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)

4.4
  • #2 in Energy & utilities
  • 500 - 1,000 employees

Jessica White

Doing work that ultimately increases the amount of rooftop solar Australians can install is pretty cool! Also, getting the chance to move around the business and work in different teams has also been a great experience.

What's your job about?

I am in the graduate program at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). AEMO oversees the operations and security of the National Electricity Market (NEM) and ensures your lights stay on. In my current rotation, I am working in the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Operations team. DER includes any consumer-owned device that can generate or store electricity, like rooftop solar or home battery systems. In the DER Operations team, we look at the challenges associated with increasing levels of DER installation.

As a result of increasing rooftop solar installation, consumers are asking for less and less energy from the grid. I am currently working on a project which looks into the impacts of this and when we might start running into operational challenges. 

What's your background?

I was drawn towards renewables when I was in high school and realised quickly that this was an area that aligned with my skills and values. At university I studied a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Mathematics) & a Master of Mechanical Engineering. Whilst studying, I worked part time at an energy efficiency consultancy. Here I got my first exposure to the energy industry. I attended lots of energy seminars at the University of Melbourne where I learnt who AEMO were and what they did.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Definitely! I work amongst people with different educational backgrounds including physics, maths, electrical engineering and economics. My background is mechanical engineering and not directly aligned with the work I do. Having an analytical mind and problem solving skills will hold you in good stead at AEMO.

In the graduate program there is a strong emphasis on learning and most of what I do on a day-to-day basis I have learnt along the way.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

Doing work that ultimately increases the amount of rooftop solar Australians can install is pretty cool! Also, getting the chance to move around the business and work in different teams has also been a great experience. If the work that another team is doing interests you, you can put your hand up and might be able to join their team.

What are the limitations of your job?

AEMO has teams all around Australia and there is an opportunity to work with team members across Australia. However, sometimes it can be difficult when you have no teammates or manager in the office to have a chat to or ask for help. This has been especially tough over the last year where I have been the only team member in lockdown.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

  1. Use your holidays to do something cool
  2. Don’t get sucked into the stress and panic from other students around exams
  3. Take up subjects and opportunities that genuinely interest you