Title:  Office of Chief Engineer - Manager

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.

We are looking for a manager to lead the Office of Chief Engineer within the Strategic Energy Planning (SEP) directorate. Within this role you will be supporting the NESO Chief Engineer, working with the technical leads across the business and industry to learn and drive engineering best practice.

Your team will consist of engineering experts from a range of engineering disciplines. You and your team will be welcomed by the rest of NESO as a ‘critical friend’, providing impartial insight and feedback on critical engineering processes and decisions.

You will lead NESO’s international interactions in relation to energy system engineering, making a network of international contacts, and using this network to share insights, innovations and best practice. NESO has a long history of excellence in electrical engineering as the system operator for the GB electricity transmission system; since 2024 NESO’s engineering scope has broadened to include natural gas, hydrogen and other whole energy system interactions.

This role can be based from Wokingham, Warwick, 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

• Supporting the Director of Strategic Energy Planning in their duties as the Chief Engineer, and leading a small team to achieve that 
• Working closely with the heads of technical engineering functions to understand all the engineering processes within NESO, and develop plans for how the Office of the Chief Engineer can best support them 
• Being a ‘critical friend’ to support and enhance the engineering rigour and decisions that NESO makes 
• Articulating the NESO Engineering story in an accessible and interesting way to promote NESO as a strong engineering organisation and build NESO engineering credibility  
• Managing the relationship with various professional engineering bodies  
• Leading NESO’s work to promote engineering chartership within NESO, providing and coordinating support for individuals striving to achieve, and maintaining, chartered status 
• Supporting the development of professional mentoring schemes and internal technical development models 
• Leading on the sharing and learning of engineering best practice from within the NESO and from around the globe 

• Managing key international engineering relationships, such with EPRI, the International System Operator Network (ISON), and system operators and planners of other rapidly decarbonising energy systems around the world, to support and inform the research and technical priorities of the global research community 
• Supporting NESO technical teams to ensure consistency across NESO in the development of technical codes and standards 
• Working closely with the leading engineering universities in the UK, influencing their research priorities and academic courses, to ensure potential future energy system engineering challenges are investigated and there is a strong pipeline of future graduates to recruit from 
• Ensuring that a whole energy system view is taken when thinking about current and future engineering challenges 
• Supporting/leading engagements with manufacturers, software vendors, philanthropic organisations, universities and other technical institutes, as required. 
• Supporting relevant innovation projects 
• Being a fully active, constructive, and progressive member of the SEP leadership team 
• Developing your team members to drive performance and to create a strong career path and progression 

About you

As NESO takes on a larger role in the planning and operation of the GB energy system it is essential that we ensure and can demonstrate the high quality of our engineering decisions. We are looking for individuals who have a demonstrable understanding of the fundamentals of energy system operation as well as using and developing processes that ensure a rigorous approach to engineering-based decisions making. This role requires the ability to create strong relationships, have strong influencing and communication skills. 

• A good understanding of the fundamental roles of a national energy system operator 
• Experience working with and improving processes to ensure high quality engineering decision making 
• Experience of leading and developing a team 
• Ability to analyse and present complex issues and understand their impact on regulated and non-regulated companies in the energy industry. 
• Ability to represent NESO at external meetings and conferences 
• Strong level of competence in producing written reports and presentations 
• Strong ability to communicate and build international relationships 
• Strong organisational skills  

• Experience of working within a gas or electricity transmission / distribution network or system operator 
• Experience of working in a whole energy system context 
• Knowledge of key industry frameworks and technical challenges 
• Knowledge of professional engineering standards and relationships with the bodies that manage them (e.g. IET, IEEE, IGEM) 
• Experience of building a new function within an organisation 

About what you'll get

A competitive salary between £74,000 - £88,000 per annum – dependent on experience and capability. As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus of up to 15% of your salary for stretch performance, 28 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 8th June 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.

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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