Graduate Development Programme (Feb 2026)

Are you ready to kickstart your career with an award-winning programme? Pre- register now to join Contact Energy’s Graduate Development Programme in 2026.

Job applications officially open in April 2025, but why wait? 

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

At Contact, we believe in creating opportunities for the next generation to join us in leading the decarbonisation of Aotearoa. Our Graduate Programme is designed to provide you with meaningful experience, mentorship from industry experts, and opportunities to work on impactful projects that will help create a renewable energy future for Aotearoa. You’ll be part of a team that is excited to share their energy industry knowledge with you. Every day will bring new and exciting challenges – no two days will be the same!

Our Graduate Programme starts in February 2026. It’s an 18-month rotational programme where you’ll experience different areas with the business unit you’ll be working in. At the end of the programme, you will transition into a permanent role within the business.

We will be hiring graduates for the following roles:

• Electrical Engineer Graduate | Taupo - Ideal for electrical engineering students who have a passion for distributed control systems (DCS) and Operational Technology (OT). You’ll be a member of our engineering team and need to be ready to tackle challenges with creative problem-solving, and troubleshoot any issues that may pop up with our plant. You will provide engineering support to asset managers and project teams, and may get opportunities to lead small upgrade projects and assist with the commissioning of new power stations.
• Reservoir Engineer Graduate | Taupo - Ideal for individuals from either an engineering science, chemical and process, or mechanical engineering background. You'll spend time working within our subsurface tearms learning the various skillsets required to operate and manage our geothermal reservoirs, wells and generating plant. 
• Trading Graduate | Wellington - Ideal for individuals with a STEM background in mathematics, engineering, physics, or statistics. You’ll be part of the Market & Portfolio Analytics team and will enhance your quantitative skills to support the wider Generation & Trading (G&T) business. Throughout the program, you’ll provide analytical support for development projects and trading activities, including tool and algorithm development, and modelling of the energy markets.
• Technology Graduate - Data Developer | Wellington/Auckland - If you’re studying computer science, information systems, data engineering, or data science, this could be the job for you. Join our Data team and help expand Contact’s data science and machine learning capabilities! You’ll gain hands-on experience working on a variety of projects, from data platform development to integration and change management activities.
• Technology Graduate - UX / UI Design | Wellington/Auckland - For creative individuals looking to transform customer and employee experiences. You’ll use tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, JIRA and Confluence to create digital products that enhance the experience for everyone.
• Technology Graduate - Communications & Change | Wellington/Auckland - If you’re a people person who loves working with a diverse range of individuals to deliver successful business outcomes, this opportunity could be it. This role provides a unique opportunity where you’ll bridge the gap between technical and business teams. You’ll learn some of the technical skills but, where you’ll really shine is in translating the code-focused talk of our technical team and the strategy-focused talk of our business team to help Contact to achieve our goals. 
• Finance Graduate | Wellington - As a Finance graduate you will be working with our technical accounting and financial risk and services teams. You’ll learn from the best and get hands on exposure to a range of development opportunities including financial analysis, group and financial reporting, tax and treasury compliance. Plus, you’ll play a key role in contributing to our business ambition of reaching net zero by 2035. 
• Corporate Affairs Graduate | Wellington  - Are you interested in communications, policy, regulatory affairs, and government relations? Join our Corporate Affairs business unit where you’ll work with our Regulatory Affairs and Communications and Reputation teams. It’s a unique chance to gain exposure to a variety of disciplines including, research, regulatory change, government engagements, and execute communication strategies like news media, press releases, and speech writing. 
• People Experience Graduate | Wellington/Auckland -  As a People Experience (PE) Graduate at Contact you will get the opportunity to work as part of our PE team that create awesome experiences for our people. If you are passionate about human resources, organisational development, health, safety and well-being then this is the role for you!

What types of degrees are we looking for?

• Engineering - Electrical, Data, Mechanical, Geothermal, Chemical & Process.
• Science - Data, Computer, Physics
• Mathematics - Modelling, Statistics.
• ICT - Programming, Networks, Systems, Development.
• Commerce - Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Analytics, Change, HR, People & Culture Organisational Behaviour.
• Arts – Communications, Politics, Psychology, Organisation Studies.

We look for

Diversity of thought is vital to our success along with the right behaviours, so it is important to just be yourself. We can teach you the skills, it is more about attitude and team fit for us. 

• Have a keen interest in the energy sector and our strategy to decarbonise Aotearoa
• Demonstrate resilience and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in
• Bring excellent communication skills, including verbal, written and listening
• Be able to build effective relationships and collaborate well with others
• Have a curious nature, analytical mindset and explore possibilities to solve problems

What Contact will offer you

Check out our employer profile for a full rundown of our company benefits and programme details!

Next Steps

So, have we got your attention? If you like the sound of what we’re offering and want to play a role in Contact’s commitment to renewable energy, register your interest now and we will touch base in July with the next steps!

Ko wai mātou | About us

Ko tā Contact e whakapono nei, ko te taiao tonu te taonga nui katoa o te ao. 

Koinei mātou e whai atu nei kia mahue atu i a mātou tētahi ao hauora ake, tēnā i te ora i kuhu ai mātou. 

He pakihi whakarato hiko, ipurangi mātou, engari arā kē atu anō ā mātou taha. 

Kei te whakawhanake mātou i ā mātou mahi ake, i ngā ara hoki e whai hiko ai a Aotearoa, kei te kōkiri kia tukua te hiko tukurua, ā, kei te whakaputa i tētahi wheako matihiko mō ā mātou kiritaki kāore anō kia kitea i tēnei whenua. 

He tīma kotahi mano mātou nō ngā hau e whā, e ngākau nui ana ki ā mātou mahi, e aroha ana tētahi ki tētahi, e ako ngātahi ana, e whakapono tahi ana ki ā mātou tikanga ārahi: mā te manaaki kia toa, ka mana te katoa. 

Contact Energy believe home is the most important place in the world. It's all part of our vision to leave Aotearoa better than we found it. We’re a power, mobile, and broadband company, but we’re so much more than that. We are transforming the ways we mahi, and how Aotearoa is powered, leading the charge on renewable energy and digitising our ways of working in ways not yet seen here. A team of 1000+ from all walks of life who love what we do, look out for each other, and learn from one another every day, we’re stoked to be guided by our tikanga: we touch lives to make life better.

Please note, only candidates with the right to live and work in New Zealand will be considered for this role.