Head of Engineering

Our client is a leading European energy company, which for more than 100 years has electrified industries, supplied energy to people’s homes and modernised the way of living through innovation and cooperation. They now want to make fossil-free living possible within one generation. That's why they are driving the transition to a sustainable energy system through initiatives in renewable production and climate smart energy solutions for their customers. They employ approximately 20,000 people and have operations mainly in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK.

Role Description:

• As the Head of Engineering, you will be responsible for leading and developing a team to deliver low carbon and economic and scalable district heating and cooling solutions from early client engagement to operational delivery.
• Responsible for creating, shaping, developing and functionally steering a responsive, high quality, cost-effective and value-adding technical solution that supports internal partners and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for the personal development of colleagues’ talents and team culture that fosters performance excellence, entrepreneurship, integrated partnership orientation and innovation.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the team to develop and deliver city wide / area wide heat and cooling network solutions including; technical, optimising techno-economic models and owning the benchmark financial offer (including customer tariffs).
• Manage the technical solution through the governance process, ensuring that the solution and approach is commercially viable over its lifetime of operation.
• Own all technical engineering capital cost decisions on projects in the portfolio. Portfolios have a heat capacity of up to 200 MW. CAPEX of portfolio £400 million.
• Directly manage technical supply chain and budget (circa £1-2 million per annum) ensuring optimization and planning is in place.
• Review, challenge and approve commercial assumptions and financial models related to technical solutions through matrix management.
• Partner with Business Development to create account plan, city strategy, win strategy, bid develop.
• Provide technical expertise to the Delivery team to influence the delivery approach, selection of supply chain and accountable for the technical specification and approval process.
• Provide technical expertise and transfer knowledge related the systems design (including products) to guide Operations in setting up O&M strategy and readiness that is fit for purpose.
• Ensure our solutions are compatible with processes including commercial, operations, asset management, and legal requirements.
• Own technical risks and provide mitigation and communicate control measures to Delivery, Sales and Operations teams and key stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety, regulations, technical integrity and quality, including required authority approvals.
• Upskill teams to deliver best practice in technical and project management approach.
• Create resource strategies that align within budgeting parameters, resource planning, forecasting and optimization.
• Team leadership, with direct and project teams, leading through uncertainty and helping to bring structure to projects and teams.
• Manage key stakeholders in your region – local authorities, government, educational sector, supply chain.
• Provide leadership in the market and influence the industry and key drivers – policy consultations, technical guideline and standard consultations, etc.

Requirements:

• High personal impact combined with distinct customer orientation, entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into commercial impact, and to identify and manage risks in changing and challenging environments.
• Proven leadership skills – provide leadership to your team and others in the business.
• Demonstrated experience and good understanding of Energy Project Development from commercial and technical point of view
• Excellent presentation and communication skills internally and externally.
• Able to influence key stakeholders including local authorities, developers, and energy partners.
• Risk management –strong understanding of commercial and technical risks and how it impacts the business.
• Good understanding of customer needs and customer types (local authorities, developers, commercial customers) and their drivers.
• Solid understanding of heat network industry, market and future direction.
• Excellent engineering skills with good understanding of commercial approach, risks and challenges.
• Good knowledge of regulatory and legislative requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills.
• Strong knowledge of zero carbon solutions and policy trends.

Qualification and Experience:

• Engineering degree qualified
• Team management experience
• Chartership in engineering discipline - preferred
• CIBSE CP1 Heat network consultant - preferred
• Experience in energy sector

Other Information:

• We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community which offers great opportunities for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. 
• We seek to attract and employ the best people from the widest talent pool because creating value through diversity is what makes us strong as a business, enabling us to solve important problems and deliver value to our clients.
• We encourage an inclusive culture where people can be themselves, are valued for their strengths and are empowered to be the best they can be.
• As an organization with an increasingly agile workforce, we also support different ways of working, offering flexible working arrangements.
• As a member of the UK Heat team, all employees are expected to take individual and collective professional responsibility for championing our Diversity and Inclusion agenda and to commit to continually developing personal understanding.