Chief Technology & Innovation Officer

• Salary:  Commensurate with the skills and experience of the candidate and the seniority of the role 
• FTE: 1 
• Term: Open Ended
• Closing Date: 01 November 2024
• Location: PNDC, Cumbernauld 

We are seeking an inspirational, technological and innovation-minded Chief Technology & Innovation Officer to join the Senior Leadership Team at PNDC. PNDC is entering into a new era of growth and impact at the forefront of the global energy transition across advanced power networks, transport and heat. PNDC capability is Headquartered in Cumbernauld with our new Advanced Net Zero Innovation Centre (ANZIC) opening in Autumn 2024; a facility where we are co-locating our capabilities that support the design, manufacture, integration and testing of decarbonisation products.

PNDC is one of the University of Strathclyde’s industry-facing innovation centres, focussed on the de-risking and acceleration of novel energy technologies and systems towards commercialisation. When we launched PNDC back in 2013, we pioneered a new model – working and closely collaborating with distribution network operators (DNOs) and their supply chain partners to enable rapid adaptation to the challenges of decarbonisation, decentralisation, and digitalisation.

Over the past decade, we've established ourselves as trailblazers, supporting over 300 projects piloting innovative solutions. Our entrepreneurial approach and trusted partnership model is appreciated by our ecosystem.

Now, we are expanding our focus to address "whole system" integration across electricity, grids, heat, hydrogen, and transport through launching new facilities, flagship projects and strategic collaborations. This represents a huge opportunity for PNDC to play an even more impactful role innovating, developing and demonstrating the technologies and business models that will define the energy system of the future and accelerate the transition to net zero.

As a member of the PNDC Senior Leadership Team, the CTIO will lead the development and delivery of PNDC’s innovation and research programmes, ensuring that PNDC remains at the forefront of energy systems building on the world-leading research of the University of Strathclyde. This individual will be responsible for the coordination of collaborative research across the University ecosystem as well as delivering transformational projects to our industry partners. The CTIO is responsible for providing the vision, leadership and drive to ensure PNDC grows in stature and reputation, technically delivers novel and new ideas and enables the Net Zero transition to happen for Scotland and beyond. The PNDC CTIO will embed new technology, innovation process and promote a culture delivering bold and ambitious innovation strategy.

This role is ideally suited to a strong research leader to significantly accelerate transformative energy systems through innovation and industrial application. The sectoral reach is significant and the technology fast moving. Experience in realising solutions through advancing technology towards manufacturing approaches would be advantageous.

This globally high-profile role will require candidates who have the right blend of leadership, strategic vision, technical depth, people skills and business acumen to deliver programme commitments and achieve the impact expected from our partners.