Power Station Operations Graduate

Power Station Operations Graduate

Department: Operations

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Northern Ireland

Reporting To: Operations Engineer

An opportunity has arisen to join our Operations teams at Kilroot and Ballylumford Power Stations as a Power Station Operations Graduate.

This development programme offers a unique opportunity to gain hands‑on experience across some of the largest generating assets on the island of Ireland. Combining practical operational experience with formal training and mentoring, the programme will provide a strong foundation for a long‑term career within the power generation industry.

Working alongside experienced Engineers, Operations Technicians and Maintenance teams, you will develop a deep understanding of how power stations operate while contributing to the safe, reliable and efficient generation of electricity for homes and businesses across Northern Ireland.

Our sites operate a range of technologies including gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, heat recovery steam generators and associated auxiliary systems such as fuel gas, water treatment, compressed air and fire protection systems.

The 2-3 year programme offers a comprehensive development pathway for graduates aspiring to build a career in power station operations. Participants will gain hands‑on experience across plant operations, maintenance, safety, and engineering disciplines while progressing through the Company's operational authorisation framework. With the opportunity to achieve Authorised Person and Senior Authorised Person (SAP) status, graduates will develop the technical expertise, decision‑making capability, and leadership skills needed to become future operational and engineering leaders.

We welcome applications from recent graduates and early‑career engineers from Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineering disciplines who are enthusiastic about learning, problem‑solving and developing their careers within a dynamic operational environment.

Reporting to an Operations Engineer, you will:

• Develop an understanding of power station operations, electricity generation processes and plant performance.
• Safely operate generating plant in accordance with approved procedures and operational instructions.
• Monitor and support the operation of generating plant from the control room during start‑up, load changes and shutdown activities.
• Analyse plant operating data and support investigations into equipment performance and operational issues.
• Carry out routine plant inspections, identifying and reporting defects or abnormal conditions.
• Assist in diagnosing plant issues and work closely with Operations, Maintenance and Engineering teams to resolve them.
• Develop the technical knowledge, operational expertise, and practical experience required to achieve Low Voltage and Mechanical Authorised Person status, with the opportunity to progress through the Safety Rules authorisation framework to Senior Authorised Person (SAP) level.
• Undertake routine plant inspections and equipment condition assessments.
• Work closely with Operations, Maintenance and Engineering teams to identify opportunities for improvement and enhanced reliability.
• Support fault‑finding and problem‑solving activities across a wide range of plant systems and equipment.
• Participate in plant outages, maintenance planning and engineering improvement projects.
• Assist with the development and review of operational procedures, risk assessments and technical documentation.
• Contribute to maintaining the highest standards of safety, environmental compliance and operational excellence.
• Progress through a structured development programme designed to build technical, operational and leadership capabilities.
• Participate in emergency and incident response activities as required.

The successful candidate will undertake a development and mentoring programme designed to provide exposure to:

• Power station operations and control room activities.
• Gas turbine and steam turbine technology.
• Electrical generation and distribution systems.
• Process engineering and plant optimisation.
• Maintenance and reliability…