Title:  Location Intelligence Platform Manager - NESO

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're now looking for a Location Intelligence Platform Manager. The purpose of this role is to drive the strategy, delivery, and management of our modern Geospatial and Location Intelligence platform and practices, establishing a streamlined platform to deliver outcomes for customers and stakeholders. This role is accountable for adopting modern platform engineering practices, removing technical debt, and delivering platform services that enable efficient delivery by reducing cognitive load on teams.

The role, in collaboration with the Enterprise Architect, defines the future pathway for these platforms. The individual designs, improves, and manages the operating model for these platforms, ensuring solutions meet business requirements, follow best practices, and adhere to quality standards.

As part of the technical leaders for DD&T, this role requires collaboration with other technical leaders to create a seamless service for the organisation. It involves creating strong partnerships with technology providers and other service partners.

Reporting to the Senior Delivery Manager, this leadership role focuses on creating a strong foundational service that drives NESO’s operational resilience, security, and digital-first approach. The role is crucial in driving reputation, critical delivery, and strategy for digital, data, and technology in NESO and with customers.

As the first line of assurance on the platform, the individual manages risks and mitigation plans to maintain stable and resilient platforms. The role includes line management accountability, developing leaders, diverse teams, and strong people management practices. It also requires making astute commercial decisions and understanding IT financial management.

The successful candidate will provide thought leadership and a structured approach to drive a digital-first mindset, bringing modern thinking and understanding of digital trends. This role combines technology breadth and depth, strategic vision, strong team management, influence, and relationship management

The role will be based in the UK (Wokingham or Warwick), will require travel to NESO’s other offices in Wokingham, Warwick, London, and Glasgow. We continue to offer hybrid working from office and home and are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements. 

Key Accountabilities

• Ensure platform services are reliable, stable, future-proof, and accessible to all DevSecOps product teams and the wider organisation.
• Make commercially, technically, and operationally sound decisions consistent with the DD&T strategy.
• Develop and deliver modern integration and customer platforms in alignment with the Enterprise Architect.
• Formulate the platform vision and roadmap in collaboration with the Architecture team, Senior Delivery Managers, Product Manager and other technical leaders.
• Design and implement a streamlined operating model for the platform, ensuring it is suitable, scalable, and adaptable.
• Work with other technical leaders to provide a seamless service to the organisation and promote collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
• Enable and educate delivery teams on best practices for the platform to ensure adoption, reliability, and quality of releases.
• Implement and enforce coding standards, best practices, and design patterns.
• Build strong relationships with technology partners and other service providers.
• Provide first-line assurance on the platforms, managing risks and mitigation plans.
• Lead, manage, and develop a diverse team of platform experts, fostering a culture of learning, growth, and performance.
• Make smart commercial decisions and demonstrate a solid understanding of IT financial management.
• Adopt modern platform engineering practices to improve security, compliance, costs, and time-to-business value.
• Stay current with platform trends and identify opportunities for improvement and innovation.
• Champion platform usage across the business, leading training sessions and developing documentation.
• Conduct regular system audits, manage the change control process, and establish governance and best practices for platform usage.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentoring to the team.
• Communicate, collaborate, and influence effectively with other key roles.

About You

This role requires a strategic and impactful leader with broad technology exposure, enterprise scale, and strong management skills, able to influence at senior levels. A track record of leading change in complex environments is essential. Working effectively with 3rd parties and outsourced services is key.

Successful candidates will need to demonstrate the following skills:

• Knowledge of platform engineering principles and practices, such as DevSecOps, continuous integration and delivery, infrastructure as code, microservices, and cloud-native architectures.
• Knowledge of integration of ESRI with customer platforms like Salesforce, MuleSoft, or other technologies.
• Skills in designing, developing, testing, deploying, and maintaining scalable, secure, and reliable platform solutions.
• Track record of managing issues effectively during priority incidents.
• Ability to create a performance-driven culture in the team, including 3rd parties.
• Commercial astuteness when dealing with 3rd parties and ability to manage costs effectively.
• Skills in managing platform services like site reliability engineering, backup and recovery, disaster recovery, configuration management, and security management.
• Skills in leading and managing a team of platform engineers.
• Skills in communicating and collaborating effectively with various stakeholders.
• Skills in troubleshooting technical issues and resolving problems.

Mandatory Criteria

• Degree in Management, Computer Science, or Engineering, or equivalent management-based digital, data, or technology-specific industry experience.
• Experience working with ESRI, knowledge of Location Intelligence platforms (ESRI, Precisely, GeoServer, etc) in a complex enterprise setting, including database design, web services definition and delivery, and complex integration services.Vast experience in technical leadership roles, managing teams effectively, and working with senior stakeholders.
• NSV Security clearance is required, along with the ability to maintain this clearance.
• Demonstrable experience in shifting to modern technology practices and adapting to change.
• Experience working with outsourced partners to deliver services is a must

About What You'll Get

A competitive salary between £659,000 – 72,000 – 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%.

You will also have access to a comprehensive benefits package tailored to support your well-being and professional success. From a competitive salary to flexible work arrangements, we promote your work-life balance. Enjoy fit for purpose wellbeing and lifestyle offerings, ongoing skill development aligned to our Purpose and Values, and be part of a supportive community that values your individuality and where you can belong.

About Us

National Energy System Operator (NESO) has a key role to play in tackling climate change by transitioning GB’s electricity system to net zero. We already operate the fastest decarbonising electricity system in the world, with an ambition for zero carbon power operation by 2030 when there is sufficient renewable generation. We are also providing advice to the Government on achieving a decarbonised power system by 2030.

So, join the energy transformation and help shape the future.

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.

More Information

This role closes on 20/07/2025 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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