Title:  Environment and Consents Specialist

About the role

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

The Network Planning Review project is a key part of the ESO’s plan to facilitate net zero. This exciting project works in collaboration with the government’s Electricity Transmission Network Planning Review (ETNPR) to transform out network planning processes.  This review of our network planning processes will ensure that network design and investment processes in GB are fit for the future. If we are to meet our ambitious decarbonisation targets, the pace and scale of our Electricity Network planning processes must change. We are therefore moving away from an annual network planning assessment cycle to a new Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP).

This role sits within the NESO Strategic Network Development team. This team is responsible for modelling and predicting system flows, economic assessment of network options and communicating existing and new asset infrastructure needs. This role will involve how environmental and community impacts can be considered as part of new network options development. We are looking for the successful candidate to have experience in completing environmental statutory assessment (Strategic Environmental Assessment, Habitats Regulatory Assessment). 

This role can be based from Wokingham, Warwick, Glasgow, and we continue to offer hybrid working from office and home. We are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements.

About us

The creation of National Energy System Operator (NESO) is driven by an urgent need to unify and optimise our approach to energy. A more integrated and coordinated strategy is needed to meet the unprecedented challenges of climate change, ensuring secure energy supply, and keeping costs manageable for consumers.

Join us and empower your potential, energise our team, and be part of something bigger.

Your energy, our future, together.

About the National Energy System Operator (NESO)

In Autumn of 2024, the ESO transitioned to National Energy System Operator, or NESO for short. Previously denoted as the Future System Operator (or FSO), the new National Energy System Operator is the independent body responsible for planning Great Britain’s electricity and gas networks and operating the electricity system.  

The ESO, including all of its existing roles, are now at the heart of the new National Energy System Operator. As NESO, we will build on our existing roles, capabilities, and ways of working significantly to create an organisation the energy system and its users’ need. Our new capabilities will enable us to look across vectors, including electricity, natural gas and hydrogen, and crucially consider the trade-offs between them.

The organisation is set up as a public corporation with its own Board of independent directors, with complete operational independence from government, the regulator and any and all commercial interest. As was the ESO, NESO will be licenced and regulated by Ofgem through price control agreements and obligated to identify optimal solutions to system operations and planning in the most sustainable, affordable and secure way for all.

The time to deliver is now. As part of our team, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in Great Britain – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

Key accountabilities

• Develop and advise on the cost benefit assessment methodology for assessing the environmental and community impacts of onshore and offshore option designs.
• Lead the appraisal of environmental and community considerations for various design options.
• Provide critique and provide input into the development process of the cost benefit analysis tools
• Provide environmental and consenting expertise and knowledge to the project design options being develop under the CSNP.
• Ensure design proposals are consentable and deliverable. 
• Manage specialist consultants responsible for delivering the environmental assessments
• Collaborate and engage with key external stakeholders including transmission owners, Government and Statutory Bodies to present and gather feedback on network design options

About you

We’re forging the path, and we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need visionary minds like yours to join us on this transformative journey. In this case, we’re looking for someone who: 

• Experience in completing environmental statutory assessment (Strategic Environmental Assessment, Habitats Regulatory Assessment). 
• Passionate about building quality relationships both internally and externally and using those to achieve the required outcomes
• Has willingness to contribute, adapt and learn within a busy fast-moving team
• Experience of planning processes, consenting regimes and environmental assessment processes
• Experience of manging complex projects and managing consultants to deliver desired outcomes
• Strong communicator with excellent writing skills. 
• Knowledgeable on statutory environmental consultation and framework across Great Britain onshore and offshore

About what you'll get

A competitive salary between £51,000 - £65,000 per annum – dependent on experience and capability. As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on company performance, 26 days annual leave as standard and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.

As we work towards creating a cleaner, greener, and more affordable future for all, we also work towards creating a place for our teammates to belong, with professional and personal growth and positive well-being.

• Full support and career-development resources to expand your skills, enhance your expertise, and maximise your potential along your career journey.
• A diverse and inclusive community of belonging, where teammates are empowered to bring ideas to the table.
• Generous Total Rewards Plan – comprising of health, finance and wealth, work/life balance, and career benefits.

More information

This role closes on 23rd February 2025 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary. Interviews will be held in January 2025.

We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. 

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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