Ofgem seeks ‘exceptional leaders’ to fill four director roles

Ofgem is advertising for four director roles to head up its infrastructure work.

The energy regulator said it wants to recruit “exceptional leaders” for the positions which cover: major projects; network price controls; energy systems management and security; and system planning, grid connections and technology.

All four positions come with a c. £120,000 per year salary and can be based at any of Ofgem’s three offices in London, Cardiff and Glasgow.

The four director roles sit within Ofgem’s Infrastructure Group alongside the cyber directorate.

Director general of Ofgem’s Infrastructure Group Akshay Kaul said: “I am looking for four strategic leaders who have both the skills and experience to lead key workstreams within The Infrastructure Group.

“Of equal importance is that these individuals are motivated and passionate by the UK’s net zero agenda and the pivotal role they can play in the achievement of these milestones. If you are excited by this unique opportunity to play a key role in shaping and transforming our energy system, the benefit of which will be realised for generations to come, then I want to hear from you.”

He added: “Ofgem has a tough but vitally important job. We act as a regulator to improve lives of customers today and to build a lower carbon, lower cost and more secure energy system for the future. This has never been a more important time to do so and I can honestly say there has never been a more exciting, significant, or meaningful time to work for Ofgem.”

Role descriptions:

Director of energy systems management and security:

• Establish and regulate the Future System Operator
• Establish governance and regulatory arrangements for regional system planners
• Work with government to reform wholesale markets and network charging arrangements to minimise the costs of meeting net zero targets; and ensure fair distribution of system costs across households and businesses
• Develop flexibility markets across retail and wholesale sectors
• Work with government, system operators and industry to identify and mitigate risks to energy security of supply
• Regulate domestic wholesale markets (including capacity and balancing markets) and advise on efficient cross-border trading arrangements

Director of network price controls:

• Lead for Ofgem on all network price controls across the gas and electricity sectors
• Engage with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that their priorities are reflected in the standards and obligations set on network companies
• Build a data-driven, modern monitoring and compliance function for network regulation to drive up standards and hold companies to account for performance
• Defend Ofgem decisions against any legal challenges; as well as provide evidence in this area in relation to Parliamentary scrutiny

Director of system planning, grid connections and technology:

• Lead the System Planning, Grid Connections and Technology Directorate
• Oversee the production of centralised network plans by the Future System Operator (for the national transmission system) and Regional System Planners (for regional distribution grids) to meet net zero targets, with an emphasis on ensuring that such system plans are appropriate, economic and efficient
• Lead the reform of grid connections arrangements to make them fit for purpose for a net zero energy system
• Collaborate with system operators to ensure system operability issues are being appropriately identified and addressed in a timely manner as the energy sector transition away from traditional forms of generation to one dominated by intermittent renewables
• Undertake condition monitoring and inspection of gas and electricity infrastructure to ensure network companies are appropriately managing the health of their assets
• Work with government and industry to develop resilience standards for energy infrastructure and promote climate adaption for networks in the future energy system
• Lead on enabling the digitisation of the energy industry, ensuring that the right data is captured, made available, and used to modernise the way networks are developed and operated, and how consumers interact digitally with energy system to enable consumer flexibility
• Lead on ensuring the sector is undertaking adequate research and development, and drive sector innovation to deploy the most advanced technological solutions in the development, maintenance and operation of the future power system

Director of major projects:

• Lead the major infrastructure build programme for Ofgem
• Develop and deliver appropriate regulatory frameworks to attract the investment needed for a net zero power system by 2035 across onshore and offshore networks, interconnection (including multi-purpose interconnectors) and low carbon generation (including new nuclear, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage)
• Hold network companies and other delivery agencies to account for delivery of projects to time and budget
• Influence and collaborate with government and industry to put in place key enablers beyond regulation such as planning reform and supply chain management
• Engage with rating agencies and investors to ensure investment occurs at an efficient cost of capital with a sensible apportionment of risks between consumers and other parties
• Engage with wider stakeholders (including MPs and campaign groups) to build the case for infrastructure, and consider effective mitigations where possible
• Support and influence wider government reforms such as to wholesale and retail markets