2026 Graduate External Affairs Officer, Strategic Infrastructure

**About us**:
National Grid is at the heart of the UK energy network keeping people connected and society moving. We develop, own and maintain the physical infrastructure, such as pylons and cables needed to move the electricity generated from windfarms and power sources around the country. Every time a phone is plugged in, or a switch is turned on, we've played a part, connecting you to the electricity you need - and we're leading the transformation towards a greener future, dreaming bigger to bring a more affordable energy future to everyone.

But it's our people that provide our true superpower. They drive and sustain our growth, their unique differences only making us stronger. But it's no small feat and we need the best to join us in our mission. So, join us and power the future of energy.

**About The Role**:
Strategic Infrastructure delivers major strategic UK electricity transmission projects, focused on connecting more clean, low-carbon power to England and Wales. Strategic Infrastructure is a part of National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) and is responsible for delivering 17 major new projects to connect more clean, low-carbon power to the transmission network in England and Wales. These projects play a vital part in achieving the UK Government’s ambition of connecting 50GW of offshore wind by 2030. They will be delivered under the regulator’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework. As well as these 17 projects, Strategic Infrastructure will also focus on the early-stage development of other strategic infrastructure that Ofgem has requested.

You’ll be working with the External Affairs Team within Strategic Infrastructure, supporting how we engage with communities affected by our infrastructure projects across Electricity Transmission—including Infrastructure Delivery, Customer Network Development, and Asset Operations. Whether a project is in its early planning stages or already under construction, how we communicate and build relationships with local and regional stakeholders is of paramount importance.

In this role, you’ll work closely with External Affairs Managers, Advisors, and a framework of community relations agencies to support the delivery of community engagement on live projects using a campaign-led approach. This includes developing materials, attending engagement events, and assisting with the organisation and coordination of activities. You’ll also help draft responses to external stakeholders and support the team in attending community liaison groups.

Additionally, you’ll contribute to the development and coordination of a new procurement framework for our community relations agencies. Given the scale and ambition of our infrastructure programme, it’s vital that our partners are equipped to help us meet government targets for Net Zero by 2050. You’ll need to be commercially astute, collaborative, and confident engaging with stakeholders both internally and externally. Strong writing and interpersonal skills, along with a genuine interest in communications, engagement, and contract development, will be key to your success.

**Our Graduate Programme**:
As you'll be joining our 18-month graduate programme, you'll have a tailored development pathway to support you as you develop a wide range of leadership, business, and technical skills. You'll attend in-person and virtual development sessions throughout your programme to equip you with the essential skills required, as you begin your career at National Grid. We're committed to the personal development of our colleagues so as well as the support from your line manager as you navigate your new role, you'll also have access to 121 coaching and a mentor, from a previous cohort to help you transition from campus to corporate life.

All graduates complete the core development programme to develop key skills such as how to make an impact, giving feedback and presentation skills. Aligned to this role is our Commercial pathway, where you’ll further develop commerciality skills and gain important insight of engineering and electricity to increase your understanding of our business and industry. Dependent upon your role you may complete a formal qualification such as (Chartered Institute of Professional Development) CIPD.

We believe in the importance of getting as much on-the-job experience as possible and to do this, you will complete three 6-month placements, across the UK, designed to deepen your understanding of your speciality but to also broaden your knowledge of our business. At the end of your 18-month programme you’ll return to your initial placement area to kickstart your superpowered career.

**What you'll need to apply**:
**Location**:
This role is based in National Grid House Warwick but you can also be based in North East or South West if you'd prefer. We offer flexible hybrid working, where possible.

**What You'll Get In Return**:
We are proud to offer a graduate starting salary of £36,640

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