Balclutha-based electricity distributor OtagoNet is planning to expand its workforce by about 200%.
Four jobs advertised in the Otago Daily Times on Saturday were part of a drive to employ about 12 new staff, which would increase OtagoNet's number of employees to about 18.
OtagoNet network engineer Garth Brown said the new positions would assist in a move to provide more effective and efficient delivery of electricity, and improve local presence.
Further jobs, possibly about eight, were being created through PowerNet, Mr Brown said.
PowerNet Ltd was a lines management company which held a contract to manage assets on behalf of OtagoNet.
New employees would work on projects including ongoing asset renewal and improvements, which would add a small amount of new electricity load, Mr Brown said.
''A key strategy to this is the geographic information system (GIS) data capture project using state-of-the-art diagnostics to determine the condition of assets and to undertake remedial work accordingly.''
It was hoped that the positions would be filled by local people, but it was expected some specialist positions would have to be filled from outside the region, he said.
''The majority are permanent positions. Some [temporary jobs] are related to the GIS project.
Services would also be centralised in the Balclutha headquarters of OtagoNet, and jobs which were previously completed elsewhere would be moved to the town, Mr Brown said.
Yesterday, the company was in the process of moving into a new office which would be able to accommodate new staff.
Changes would be noticed by people in the OtagoNet area as they saw work crews undertaking servicing, renewals, and improvements on assets, he said.
Other ongoing work the company was involved in included an upgrade of a sub transmission line between Palmerston and Dunedin, the only supply between the two areas. Work was expected to proceed in stages from 2014 until planned completion in 2018.
The company provided power to about 14,700 people on one of the lowest-density networks in New Zealand - about three customers per kilometre - and was ''substantially'' a rural network, he said.
The mainly overhead network covered an area stretching from near St Bathans in Central Otago to the east coast, including Palmerston and Waitati, to Chaslands in Southland, and from the Blue Mountains to Shag Point.
OtagoNet is a joint venture, formed in 2002 following the purchase of electricity network assets from shareholders of Otago Power Ltd and its origins were in the Otago Electric Power Board, which was formed in 1923.
