Lead Contract Manager

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Lead Contract Manager (H2)

Department: Scheme Delivery

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: London

Reporting To: Head of CCUS & H2

Description

Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week

Salary: circa GBP 84,000 depending on experience

Location: Canary Wharf

WFH policy: Employees are required to attend the office 2 days/week

Flexible working : Informal flexible work patterns subject to line manager discretion including a 9-day fortnight.

Reports to: Head of CCUS & H2
Deadline Note: We reserve the right to close the advert before the advertised deadline if there are a high volume of applications.

Role Summary:

The Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) is a private limited company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ) and established to play a key role in the transformation of the UK's electricity system - ensuring future supply is secure, low-carbon and affordable as we progress to Net Zero 2050. LCCC is the counterparty to the Contracts for Difference (CfD), the scheme whereby low-carbon generation is supported in order to compete with conventional fossil fuel generation. There are over 250 CfD's currently in operation, covering a wide range of renewable technologies including offshore and onshore wind, solar and biomass conversion.

The LCCC is at the heart of delivering the Government's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution by bringing forward tens of billions of pounds of investment in carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) and low carbon H2. This is being achieved through the development of contractual mechanisms that make First Of A Kind (FOAK) projects investable. LCCC will be the counterparty to the CCUS and H2 schemes, which are based on the existing CfD contracts, and is responsible for ensuring that these schemes are constructed and operated as intended, ensuring best value for government is preserved and maintaining the confidence of investors.

CCUS is required to decarbonise sectors that cannot achieve this through other means. The technology will capture carbon dioxide from power generation, low carbon hydrogen production, and industrial processes transporting and storing it deep underground where it cannot enter the atmosphere. This technology will be globally necessary, but no one country has yet captured the market. The UK has an unrivalled asset - our North Sea, that can be used to store captured carbon under the seabed. With FOAK technology and the developing CCUS infrastructure, this will contribute to the economic transformation of the UK's industrial regions, enhancing the long-term competitiveness of UK industry in a global net zero economy. The schemes will ambitiously set out to decarbonise our most challenging sectors, provide low carbon power and a pathway to negative emissions.

Low Carbon Hydrogen will play an important role in the UK achieving Net Zero by 2050, by offering a solution to decarbonise carbon intensive industries. The Government has set a target to deliver 10 GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030 with up to 6 GW electrolytic production from alternative technologies also contributing towards this.
The Government has chosen the CfD framework for the delivery of the Hydrogen support mechanism..We have been advising government, using our expertise and deep understanding of the CfD mechanism to develop the Hydrogen Production Business Model and resulting Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement, ensuring any learning is implemented to deliver an effective solution for all. We are the counterparty to the Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement and will manage these contracts once they are entered into.

Lead Contract Managers will lead a team of circa 4 contract managers (Assistant / Contract / Senior / Principal Contract Managers) who each manage a portfolio of CfD contracts (contract values c.GBP 50m to GBP 1bn). The more technically complex CfD contracts are managed by the more experienced and senior members of the team. Each contract manager is responsible for the day-to-day relationship and contract management of their assigned CfD portfolio.

The Lead Contract Managers will, as well as managing their team, their CfD contract portfolio and being part of the Scheme Delivery Extended Leadership team, also lead on supporting the wider Scheme Delivery Team and LCCC initiatives, and regularly interface with both internal (Legal, Data & Analytics, Finance, etc.) and external (Ofgem, EMRS, etc.) stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading the planning phase of the Contract Management activity:
  • In-depth understanding of contract terms and conditions
  • Following the anticipated successive ESNZ publications which are expected to provide further level of detail
  • Offering continuous feedback and assisting ESNZ in the further development of any new terms
  • Leading the procurement of advisors to assist LCCC with its reporting obligations under the contracts and set up the reporting templates
  • Developing contract management procedures, systems and guidance (or adapting existing ones), tailored to the requirements of the new contracts
  • Supporting the Settlement and Forecasting teams in their understanding of the payment mechanisms; sense checking the robustness and suitability of the settlement system and forecasting logic proposed by the respective teams
  • Recruit and on-board additional contract management team members
• Leading and enabling the contract management:
  • Having ownership and responsibility for the assigned contracts, acting as the Account Manager and managing contractual processes and issues, including actively identifying and resolving potential disputes
  • Applying judgement to managing the contracts, based on LCCC's overarching interpretation
  • Leading the review of information provided by the developers and lead the preparation and presentation of regular briefings to senior stakeholders on the progress of the project, key risks and any other relevant matters
  • Scoping, instructing and managing the work of the appointed technical and financial advisors to support the above (including challenging the views advanced by the advisors)
• Providing high quality detailed and insightful analysis and advice in relation to technical, existing and/or new CfDs, new schemes, or other LCCC functions.
• The role will be flexible across our schemes whether managing CfDs or any new schemes in future as they are allocated to the LCCC.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Essential

• A self-starting leader and commercial contract manager with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience of the operational delivery of construction or energy contracts, with a STEM related first degree.
• Alternatively a minimum of 10 years relevant experience without a relevant degree.
• Leadership of operational contract management including, contract:
  • Team leadership
  • People line management
  • Reviews
  • Negotiation
  • Change management and administration
  • Claim/dispute management and settlement
  • Technical knowledge of engineering in wind, solar, biomass, waste, tidal stream, or related / comparable technologies
• A demonstrable ability to maintain and develop multiple stakeholder relationships and undertake stakeholder management.
• Experience of relevant legal, regulatory and contract management issues.
• Commercial acumen with extensive experience of analysing and developing solutions to collaboratively solving complex commercial and contractual issues (multiple GBP m's) whilst maintaining relationships.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written, presentation) enabling the clear explanation of complex technical, commercial, and contractual issues to multiple audiences.

Desirable

• Relevant experience in power generation or the Energy Sector
• Good understanding of the current UK energy policy landscape and regulations, including power and renewables sectors
• Contracts for Difference (CfD) experience/knowledge
• Project finance transactional experience
• Proven project management experience

Employee Benefits

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn't rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. Key benefits that may be available depending on the role include:

• 25 days' annual leave and bank holidays
• Recognition schemes allowing colleagues to say thanks
• Company contribution to your pension scheme
• Family friendly policies, including enhanced company maternity/paternity and shared parental benefits
• Employee assistance programme for free, confidential support for your professional or personal life, including financial management and family care
• Special leave such as study leave, sabbatical or public duties
• Three days paid leave a year for volunteering to support your local community
• Season ticket loan scheme to support your commute
• Access to "Work Perks" offering deals, discounts and cash back on your purchases
• Family savings on days out and English Heritage or gym discounts through our partners.