Head of Sustainability

Head of Strategy and Sustainability

Job Type: Permanent Full-Time

Remote Work Option: Hybrid

Category: Business and Corporate

Location: Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom

Reports to: Director of Strategy & Regulation

About our client: They are responsible for the safe, secure, economic and reliable operation of the Transmission System in Northern Ireland under licence from the Utility Regulator and via a joint venture is responsible for operating the all-island Single Electricity Market (SEM).

As part of a licence change, the Utility Regulator (UR) outlined its vision for two independent TSO’s on the island of Ireland, where they works in the best interests of NI consumers and in all-island arrangements. It is also required that the TSO business be managerially and operationally separate, therefore undergoing organisational change as it implements the new licence requirement.

As Transmission System Operator, has responsibility for Planning upgrades to the electricity grid infrastructure to facilitate more Renewable Energy which is key to supporting the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy and the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022 which sets a legal target of 80% renewable energy usage by 2030. To respond successfully to this Transformational Change and the increased complexities of operating today, strategic ambition supports said energy policy.

The Head of Strategy and Sustainability has a pivotal role at the centre of the business in ensuring the development and delivery of the Strategy and sustainability programme.

Role Profile

The role holder will lead and drive the development and delivery of the strategy and ensure that our strategy work informs and contributes to Northern Ireland’s Energy Policy. A key requirement will be to oversee the execution of both the strategy delivery programme and the sustainability programme, aligning both and driving them as one going forward in the interests of Northern Ireland (NI) stakeholders and consumers.

The role holder will lead the development of the company strategy and delivery of strategic initiatives, ensuring that their strategy compliments Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy and the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022.

The role holder will be responsible for horizon scanning the policy landscape at both local, national, European and international level and leading on engagement with government departments, relevant regulatory bodies and key industry stakeholders as appropriate for the business.

The role holder will develop integrated GB and European Strategy working closely with managers and subject matter experts across the business. They will play a leading role in coordinating interactions and involvement with the various European energy bodies (e.g. European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E etc) and ensure that they are represented appropriately and efficiently in the various working groups. This will require a large degree of cooperation with the Irish TSO to consider any impact EU Energy Policy may have on the Single Electricity Market SEM.

Success in this role will be demonstrated through the ability to structure and execute strategic initiatives through the development of work plans, gathering and generation of relevant Data, Driving Analysis, and the development of actionable recommendations.

The role holder will lead the embedding of sustainability into the culture of the organisation ensuring that sustainability is a consideration in day to day, commercial and strategic decision-making processes.

The role holder will implement best practice business planning, monitoring and reporting, working collaboratively across the business to develop multiyear and annual business plans, the Annual Forward Work Plan, and associated reporting to the leadership team and THE Board.

The role holder will collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams. They will be results oriented with strong people leadership, influencing and communication skills.

The role holder is a member of management team and as such is expected to actively contribute and work closely with all colleagues to the overall achievement of objectives.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

End to end responsibility for the strategy function in acting as a first point of escalation for strategic and sustainability matters.

Develop and influence NI Energy Policy with an understanding of key requirements of NI stakeholders.

Engage with relevant Government Departments responsible for developing NI Energy Policy, establishing key partnerships and eliciting support and understanding of the role and strategy to a broad range of stakeholders in Northern Ireland.

Lead Strategic Engagement with and influence a wide range of NI stakeholders at all levels of seniority to ensure that technical expertise is communicated, understood and thereby able to inform and influence wider NI strategy and policy developments.

Lead, motivate and engage a high performing team within the Strategy & Regulation directorate.

Develop and maintain a multi-year strategy execution programme with the associated governance and reporting framework.

Lead the annual business planning process, working with the business owners to translate the strategy and policy into actionable and quantitative business plans, ensuring plans are consistent with strategic priorities.

Drive, monitor and report on the implementation of strategy, measured through the relevant KPls and achievement of milestones; challenge the business owners in terms of delivery and outcomes and provide independent and objective inputs.

Lead the development, and embedding throughout the business, of Sustainability Policy and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy and associated targets with reference to current and upcoming regulations and goals.

Review initiatives proposed by the business to ensure alignment with their ESG Strategy.

Working with Communication & Engagement, build on and develop existing stakeholder engagement initiatives ensuring alignment with sustainability ambitions and value-add to local communities.

Research and Analyse new and emerging trends and provide guidance to Directors on future strategic direction.

Develop integrated GB and European Strategy.

Coordinate the role within the various European Energy Bodies, engage with all directorates across to ensure a consistent approach in line with strategy and coordinate with Irish TSO on SEM related matters.

Exemplify the values and leadership behaviours expected of a leader.

The above list is non-exhaustive. All Heads of Function are expected to proactively identify areas that need to be managed by the business working to their capabilities and competencies in the interests of promoting as a world class TSO.

Critical Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Qualified to degree or master’s level in a relevant discipline.

Exceptional experience of successful Energy Strategy and Policy Implementation at a senior level.

Outstanding business acumen, commercial expertise and analytical skills.

Ability to build credibility and strong relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders across the Energy Industry and Government.

Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to simply explain complex issues to a wide range of stakeholders and get buy in.

Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills; ability to navigate the organisation and garner support from multiple areas to deliver initiatives.

Demonstrable ability to deliver under pressure of deadlines, while working independently.

Ambitious, driven, planful, results oriented via the development of our team.

Ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, demonstrate resilience and be comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Experience in the Energy/Utilities sector is a distinct advantage.

Experience or understanding of the environment in the context of Climate Change.

The Rewards Package

This is an opportunity to lead and contribute to the advancement of a critical component of the energy infrastructure.

The rewards package includes a competitive salary commensurate with experience, eligibility for an annual performance related payment, private medical provision, competitive pension with employer matching arrangements, a variety of salary sacrifice schemes (e.g. pension and cycle to work) together with hybrid working arrangements (3 days office: 2 days working at home), competitive holidays and complimentary car parking with electric charging point on site.

Interested? Please send a copy of your CV to Jamie.ali@enexa-partners.com