Innovation Manager

Company Description

​Oaktree Power is a leading climate-tech company that works together with grid operators to enable the transition to a fully sustainable electricity system. We partner with commercial and industrial clients to reduce energy wastage and CO2 emissions and support grid operators through various flexibility services. Our vision is to empower clients to work towards a long-term goal of sustainability by fully embracing the concept of energy management.

Role Description

Oaktree Power is at the forefront of the UK's flexibility and energy transition markets. The Innovations Manager will play a key role in coordinating our innovation projects, developing market insights, and supporting commercial decision-making. This is a hands-on, analytical role that combines project management, market intelligence, and business development. The successful candidate will help shape Oaktree Power's participation in the evolving flexibility landscape and identify opportunities for strategic growth through innovation.

​The above is a list of the main duties for the role. This list is not exhaustive and may be amended from time to time as per the business needs.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management (2-3 days/week, increasing over the year)

• Lead the coordination of innovation projects, managing timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder engagement (currently 1.5-2 days/week, growing to ~3 days/week as new projects commence).
• Run weekly project calls and coordinate with project partners.
• Prepare materials and manage governance meetings with stakeholders such as UKRI, Ofgem, and NPG.
• Oversee budget management, invoice processing, and payment coordination.
• Coordinate internal stakeholders to ensure seamless project delivery.
• Facilitate ad hoc workshops, material reviews, and provide sales support leveraging project expertise.

Market Intelligence & Commercial Analysis (2-3 days/week)Information Gathering

• Build and maintain relationships with network operators, flexibility providers, regulators, and industry participants.
• Monitor consultations, policy updates, regulatory changes, and market data.
• Attend industry events and track competitor and adjacent project developments.
• Review trial results and outcomes from innovation projects.

Analysis and Application

• Analyse market developments and assess their implications for Oaktree Power's business.
• Produce internal briefs that translate complex market and regulatory information into actionable insights.
• Conduct commercial analyses, including market sizing, pricing analysis, and competitive positioning.
• Identify opportunities for new projects or commercial directions.
• Provide informed input for business development decisions and flag regulatory or market risks early.

Innovation Business Development

• Identify and evaluate innovation funding opportunities (e.g., NIA, SIF, Ofgem competitions).
• Assess project opportunities against Oaktree Power's strategy and commercial objectives.
• Build relationships with network operators to identify collaboration opportunities.
• Lead bid development for strategic innovation projects.
• Evaluate the technical and commercial viability of potential projects to guide strategic decisions.

Role Development Over Year 1

• Months 1-3
  : Establish project coordination processes, gain in-depth knowledge of existing projects and partners, and build a baseline understanding of flexibility and energy markets.
• Months 4-6
  : Increase project management responsibilities as workload grows, deliver regular market intelligence and analytical outputs, and begin tracking innovation funding opportunities.
• Months 7-12
  : Manage projects at 3 days/week, establish expertise in flexibility market developments, support commercial decisions with actionable insights, and lead innovation business development initiatives.

Requirements

• Strong project coordination and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage diverse partners effectively.
• Willingness to balance strategic, analytical work with administrative tasks.
• Robust analytical skills, including the ability to synthesise complex information, work with data, and build financial/commercial models to form defensible conclusions.
• Genuine interest in energy and flexibility markets, with a proactive approach to learning and staying updated.
• Comfort with both quantitative analysis (e.g., market sizing, pricing models) and qualitative assessment (e.g., regulatory and strategic implications).
• Ability to evaluate opportunities and make recommendations based on strategic fit with Oaktree Power's objectives.

Focus

The Innovations Manager will play a pivotal role in driving practical analysis and business development to inform critical decisions, such as pricing products, entering new markets, designing trials, and selecting innovation projects to pursue. The role demands a blend of strategic thinking, analytical rigour, and hands-on execution to support Oaktree Power's mission in the evolving energy landscape.

Why Join Oaktree Power?

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge innovation in the energy sector, working with industry leaders and regulators to shape the future of flexibility markets. The role offers significant growth potential, with increasing responsibility and the chance to become a trusted expert within the organisation.

A bit about the role:

Location - London

Our need - immediate starters

Salary - £50,000 - £80,000 DoE

Hours - full-time

Other benefits - Company Share Scheme, free breakfast, cycle to work scheme & lots more