Scotland Energy Strategic Planning Lead - NESO

Job Purpose

Great Britain's electricity system is undergoing an ambitious, exciting and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, greener system, one that protects the planet and serves generations to come.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is taking on the exciting new role of being the Regional Energy Strategic Planner. We will be responsible for developing Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) for 11 regions across Great Britain, empowered through recent Ofgem decisions and an ongoing consultation.

The Scotland RESP will need to reflect regional characteristics and priorities, driving whole energy considerations across all energy vectors. Think renewables, heat decarbonisation, hydrogen, energy networks, transport and flexibility! And how each region’s needs differ yet come together in forming the Great British energy plan. To achieve this, we need a Scotland based team – to work alongside our other regional and central teams in forming the hub and spokes needed for energy planning to benefit from and reflect local inputs. This role will either be home based in Scotland or based in our Glasgow office, please expect travel to either the Warwick/ Wokingham or Glasgow office as and when is needed.

Developing the Scotland RESP will require us to work with organisations at a local level (‘local actors’) including local government and gas and electricity networks, to improve understanding of the infrastructure needed in different parts of the country and attract investment for projects. Stakeholder engagement will be key to unlocking the benefits of integrated regional energy planning.

This is the first time we will have a regional presence in Scotland. Alongside your regional manager, you will be the first to establish and commence energy planning work within your region. Regional teams will continue growing in 2025.

The purpose of this job is to lead certain aspects in developing the Scotland RESP. This will include leading or inputting into specific energy aspects of the whole energy system as part of the team and wider NESO, leading engagement with some key stakeholders, maintaining and strengthening cross-team working with other regional and central teams, deputising for and working closely with your manager, and leading on specific packages of work in developing and then delivering RESP. As the team grows, you may be expected to take on line management responsibilities for up to 3 people.

Having an understanding and lived experience of Scotland will be key.

Our focus in the immediate term is to build trust with our stakeholders, establish our process and methodology, and grow our capability in whole energy systems to best support local actors and industry stakeholders in developing credible plans to support net zero.

About Us

In Autumn of 2024, the ESO transitioned to National Energy System Operator, or NESO for short. Previously denoted as the Future System Operator (or FSO), the new National Energy System Operator is the independent body responsible for planning Great Britain’s electricity and gas networks and operating the electricity system.

The ESO, including all of its existing roles, are now at the heart of the new National Energy System Operator. As NESO, we will build on our existing roles, capabilities, and ways of working significantly to create an organisation the energy system and its users’ need. Our new capabilities will enable us to look across vectors, including electricity, natural gas and hydrogen, and crucially consider the trade-offs between them.

The organisation is set up as a public corporation with its own Board of independent directors, with complete operational independence from government, the regulator and any and all commercial interest. As was the ESO, NESO will be licenced and regulated by Ofgem through price control agreements and obligated to identify optimal solutions to system operations and planning in the most sustainable, affordable and secure way for all.

The time to deliver is now. As part of our team, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in Great Britain – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

Key Accountabilities

The role accountabilities will be dependent on the successful candidate’s experience, knowledge and interest. There will be flexibility, to reflect regional and ESO needs, in the composition of each regional team. We need people that will contribute or lead on the following accountabilities:

• To develop, consult and then implement relevant parts of the RESP methodology to your region
• To be the subject matter expert in understanding specific aspects of your region’s energy system planning and the interfaces with both internal NESO and external stakeholders
• To define and lead on regional energy strategic planning work packages; working in a matrix style structure to ensure work your leading upon is coordinated with other regional and central RESP teams
• To represent NESO’s regional energy planning function at strategic level and deputise for the regional manager
• To engage with specific key regional stakeholders within local government, gas and electricity networks, other local actors and whole energy system stakeholders to understand their views and requirements to ensure that RESP delivers value
• To design, support and run workshops and engagement activity with the Regional Board, working groups and other regional stakeholders to progress the RESP
• To produce and deliver clear, concise, short reports and slide packs in progressing the RESP. Ensure that the key messages are relevant, clear, and pitched appropriately for the audience.
• To understand, engage and gain required and beneficial inputs from stakeholders in developing the RESP to the prescribed methodology; being able to clearly communicate and propose changes where needed to key assumptions
• To create new ways to analyse and present problems and potential solutions, sometimes building on the work and experience of others to quickly develop sufficient understanding of unfamiliar topics in developing the RESP
  
  
  

About You

To deliver RESP requires a diverse team made up of individuals with a wide range of skills and knowledge which are unlikely to be present in a single individual. Key skills and experience we are looking for are:

• Experience within the energy sector, including technical energy knowledge
• Knowledge of energy project development lifecycles and the ‘whole energy’ system – with advanced experience in at least one of the energy vectors (gas and/or electricity networks, heat decarbonisation, hydrogen, transport decarbonisation, etc)
• Experience of working with or within Local Authorities and/or energy distribution companies, ideally relevant to the region you seek to work within
• Knowledge and ideally experience of working in and/or managing others in newly formed teams
• Ability to translate complex and technical information into easily understandable messaging for non-technical audiences, in both reports and presentations
• Knowledge and experience of strategic critical thinking with ability to consider strategic frameworks and concepts, and how changes to these will drive RESP design and implementation
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience of communicating with, and influencing, internal and external stakeholders at a range of levels
• An understanding of data and systems used in the energy distribution networks and/or in local energy planning
• Project management, coordination and planning skills to ensure that deadlines are met, governance is adhered to, stakeholders are effectively engaged and high quality process and outputs are achieved
• An inquisitive mind with the ability to join the dots and a willingness to learn about new areas of work
  
  
  

Training and development of the team will be a key priority as we set up RESP. Successful individuals may be asked to help train other team members and also have the opportunity to be trained on less familiar areas.

What You'll Get

A competitive salary between £46,000 - £63,000 per annum – dependent on experience and capability. As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on company performance, 26 days annual leave as standard and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.

As we work towards creating a cleaner, greener, and more affordable future for all, we also work towards creating a place for our teammates to belong, with professional and personal growth and positive well-being.

• Full support and career-development resources to expand your skills, enhance your expertise, and maximise your potential along your career journey.
• A diverse and inclusive community of belonging, where teammates are empowered to bring ideas to the table.
• Generous Total Rewards Plan – comprising of health, finance and wealth, work/life balance, and career benefits.
  
  
  

More Information

This role closes on 13th October 2024 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation , and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.