Senior Local Energy Transition Advisor

For the next stage of decarbonisation in the UK, places matter, the role of local action is critical in meeting the challenge of delivering a Net Zero energy system. Whether we are decarbonising heat in buildings, deploying renewable energy, increasing and managing EV uptake, creating flexibility, or decarbonising industrial clusters, solutions will need to respond to the needs of a place and its people.

Applying a place-specific approach will help ensure that we achieve this transition in an optimum way, maximising the unique opportunities presented by each place, and allowing that place to realise the benefits. It will also allow us to leverage the coming together of local and regional ambitions, resources and stakeholders, with national policy and stakeholders, to drive action.

The Energy Systems Catapult Place Platform is looking for an exceptional Senior Advisor or an Advisor to join our successful team, helping places turn their Net Zero ambitions into credible plans, and to turn those plans into action. As a Senior Advisor you will be leading on many of the activities and deliverables, whilst as an Advisor you will be supporting both the Senior Advisor and other members of the team.

Much of your focus will be working with regions, local authorities, devolved administrations, networks and industry. The role will support and build on our track record of impactful work, such as acting as Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) technical advisor to Welsh Government, delivering LAEP’s in areas including Greater Manchester and York and North Yorkshire, and supporting UK Power Networks to establish a pioneering tool to support Local Authorities with planning.

You will work in the Place team to help define strategy, win new work, lead engagement with clients and sector stakeholders, and lead delivery of ground-breaking projects. You will help develop leading edge thinking on how place-based planning, like LAEP, effectively integrates into the evolving regional and national systems planning landscape. For example in the context of Regional Energy Strategic Planners and the National Strategic Spatial Energy Plan. You will also support ongoing technical and delivery innovation in LAEP and place-based planning.

Key Deliverables & Work Activities

Business Development & Strategy

• Build sector insight to drive innovation (in technical scope and delivery techniques) across existing and new offers such as Local Area Energy Planning, Network Operator and Devolved Administration propositions. Developing customer and impact-focused solutions.
• Lead on or support engagement with clients, and potential clients, to develop and secure new business and opportunities to deliver impactful projects. Identifying new opportunities and value-propositions.
• When developing strategy and opportunities, understand what the Energy Systems Catapults role is in the space to help prioritise activity and alignment with commercial and strategic position in the market.
• Work across internal teams, particularly the Whole Systems and Networks Platform, to identify cross-platform innovation opportunities and co-develop propositions and projects. Including leading thinking and innovation around how local energy planning integrates with the regional and national whole-systems landscape.
• Build strong collaborative and influential working relationships with colleagues across the Catapult.
• Prioritise activity based on impact and commercial value, then lead on or support solutions design and production of tender submissions and proposals, which deliver on key innovation priorities and client needs. Collaborating with the wider Catapult team and third parties in development of such tenders/proposals.
• Representing the Energy Systems Catapults externally, including leading and supporting engagement and activity with key external stakeholders.

Delivery

• Lead or support successful development and delivery of multiple externally funded projects at one time, managing relationships with any third parties. Ensuring successful scoping, contract negotiation, understanding of customer needs and requirements, effective resource and budget management, ensuring client satisfaction and quality assurance.
• Lead or support definition and successful delivery of key internal asset development projects, collaborating with internal teams particularly the Modelling team. Ensuring clear and prioritised scopes, effective resource planning and communication with stakeholders.
• Lead or support on applying clear and effective critical whole systems thinking across projects and within the team, to ensure robust outcomes. Understanding complex systems issues, trade-offs, and translating insights into clear recommendations and actions, for example in leading delivery of Local Area Energy Plans, planning advisory services, and local to regional integration.
• The Senior Advisor will have line management responsibility within the team, supporting team members to thrive, delivering professionally against objectives and furthering personal development. Wider quality assurance and coaching of direct and matrix team members within multi-disciplinary projects and activities.
• Play a critical role, working closely with the Senior Business Development Manager and Senior Programme Manager, in maintaining resource plans and opportunity pipelines for projects and reporting.
• Apply a clear commercial awareness across activities, including directing engagements with clients, to ensure impact is maximised within available resources; and opportunities for follow-on work are identified.

What credentials are we ideally looking for?  

Qualifications and Experience:

• Ability to prioritise activity based on impact and commercial value as well as acting in a leadership role to influence strategic direction and corresponding activity.
• A deep understanding and exceptional track record within the energy sector, preferably related to place based activity, planning, and the built environment (or equivalent planning related track record)
• Strong understanding of whole energy systems issues, including the principles of relevant local, regional and national planning framework
• The Senior Advisor will be expected to excel at identifying the need (based on commercial, sector and innovation needs) to consider and where appropriate develop new concepts (including potential products/assets), as well as being a very capable solutions architect to develop subsequent approaches to deliver concepts.
• Strong technical, commercial and project delivery leadership
• Strong demonstrable experience of business development, winning work, and commercial project management
• Experience of working with and leading government, public and private sector organisations to develop, scope and deliver energy related projects and programmes.
• Ability to produce high quality outputs, reports and thought leadership.
• Ability to translate and interpret complexity into a digestible form for non-experts.
• Degree in a relevant area

Behaviours:

• An energetic person who is self-motivated, purpose-led, and impact-driven

We welcome applications from all, including those who may be returning to work, those wishing to work flexibly for any reason, and those who may need additional support.