Conor Graham, Graduate Engineer
Want to forge new frontiers in problem solving?
Conor’s future is Energy Queensland
As a Graduate Engineer at Energy Queensland, Conor Graham has channelled his passion for understanding the how, what and why behind systems into a variety of fascinating roles. But he’s about to embark on his most exciting adventure yet - joining our isolated networks team to help deliver renewable energy projects for remote communities.
On the right track
If there’s one word you’d use to describe Conor Graham, it’s curious. He spends his weekends acting as a tourist in his own city, constantly seeking new restaurants to try, nature paths to hike or scenic roads to ride his motorbike on. It was curiosity that inspired him to follow an engineering pathway after completing his degree in design.
“During my earlier studies, I completed a winter exchange program at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea. We took a tour of their engineering department, and I loved the challenge of trying to understand how they built what they showed us. I liked the creative work I did in design, but I really want to understand how systems work - the how, what and why.”
Since joining us in 2023, Conor has applied that same curiosity to his various roles at Energy Queensland. He’s passionate about digging deep, exploring different ways to do things and creating innovative processes that help make information more accessible.
“I’m involved with a not-for-profit organisation called ‘Career Trackers’ that helps pair Indigenous students with internships in their chosen field. Because I was looking for more work in the information automation space, specifically engineering, Energy Queensland was a great fit. It’s such a large business, with a lot of data to track, so I was grateful for the support of my team as I found my feet.”
In 2024, Conor transitioned from the internship track to a graduate role and began his first rotation in substation design. Here, he’s involved in design project coordination (DPC), where he works collaboratively to finalise the design execution phase and provide job estimations for the construction team.
“It’s really varied, and I get to interact with almost everyone from the business, which is great. Every day is different - some days, I’m in back-to-back meetings with designers, resource teams and other engineers, and other days, I get to go out to site to identify key design requirements in person. Throughout my rotation, I’ve been to eight different sites. It’s been great to travel around and meet the construction teams in person.”
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Supported to succeed
Each site visit teaches Conor something different. But he's noticed a few commonalities no matter where he goes: our unwavering commitment to safety, camaraderie and culture of respect.
“There’s a big community aspect in working here. Most engineers think they can do everything themselves, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from being here, it’s that you’re not expected to know it all. Collaboration is a key driver in achieving our goals. Being professional and treating each other with respect is the first step towards building a strong, collaborative working relationship.”
As much as Conor has achieved in his career so far, he refuses to take all the credit. He attributes much of his journey to the colleagues who have supported him to succeed.
“One of the biggest parts of my journey has been the support I’ve been given. Working in the corporate world can be quite daunting at times. I’ve found it’s really helped to surround myself with supportive people who truly want the best for me - who don’t judge me for asking stupid questions and encourage me to explore new ways of making things better.”
Powering connection
Working for Energy Queensland has given the ever-curious Conor many opportunities to continue learning. Being paired up with an experienced mentor gives him regular opportunities to glean expertise and support, and he also enjoys sharing learnings with his peers.
“The whole business is structured in a way that encourages you to continuously learn and grow.
"In my opinion, there’s no better place to grow a career in the power industry than at Energy Queensland because it covers such a broad range of disciplines - there are disciplines within disciplines. All of them require new frontiers in problem solving that would satisfy anyone who loves finding exciting new solutions.”
Having recently achieved a qualification in advanced protection, Conor is keen to put his newfound skills to use on the ground. He’s preparing to embark on his second rotation, which will see him working with our isolated networks team in Cairns to connect remote communities with renewable energy.
“Looking at different ways of introducing renewable energy is a space I’m really interested in. If the community already has solar generation and network power, what would the transition to renewables look like? What are the requirements we need to consider?
“It’s also very beneficial for me as an Indigenous person to re-engage with my community. I’d love to become a role model for young kids, get them excited about learning and show them what you can achieve when you invest in yourself and your education. There’s a lot you can learn from this business and from the people who work here, and one day I hope to be a leader myself and contribute some of my own learnings to the next generation of engineers.”
