Commercial Projects Lead - Distribution

National Grid; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) seeks a Commercial Projects Lead – Distribution to manage a portfolio of network interventions across the East Midlands. The role blends technical knowledge with strong commercial and stakeholder engagement, ensuring safe, compliant delivery and value for money.

You will coordinate with delivery partners, use data to drive decisions, and align with operations, procurement and supply chain teams.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in transformation and continuous improvement within project or commercial environments.
• Experience in regulated industries or ability to learn quickly.
• Knowledge of health and safety legislation (CDM, ESQCR, Electricity at Work) is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Champion a strong safety culture and minimise harm to the public and partners.
• Ensure interventions comply with legal and regulatory standards.
• Support delivery of the commercial projects programme on schedule and baselines.
• Balance proactive and reactive interventions across the portfolio.
• Contribute to delivering projects within budget and drive value for money.
• Monitor supplier performance and quality against contractual requirements.
• Deliver excellent customer outcomes with minimal disruption.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with delivery partners and internal stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively with senior leaders and key stakeholders.

Skills

Project management

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory knowledge

Education

C&G Level 3 / NVQ Level 3

Job description

We’re looking for a Commercial Projects Lead – Distribution to join our team and be based within within the East Midlands, reporting to a Commercial Projects Manager – Distribution.

In this role, you’ll support the successful delivery of a diverse portfolio of network interventions, helping to balance value for money for consumers with maintaining a safe, compliant, and resilient network.

You’ll work closely with our supply chain delivery partners to lead key network projects across NGED licence areas. This is a dynamic role where you’ll manage both proactive and reactive interventions, ensuring delivery against safety, time, cost, and quality expectations while driving innovation and continuous improvement.

Strong collaboration is central to success in this role. You’ll engage with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, with a focus on data integrity, effective change management, and close alignment with operational, commercial, procurement, and supply chain teams.

We know flexibility matters, and so this role offers a hybrid working approach—a mix of home and office working.

Main Responsibilities

• Champion a strong safety culture, minimising harm to the public, colleagues, and delivery partners
• Ensure all interventions comply with relevant legal and regulatory standards
• Support the delivery of the commercial projects programme in line with agreed schedules and baselines
• Balance proactive and reactive interventions across the portfolio
• Contribute to delivering projects within budget, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and value for money
• Monitor quality through inspections and manage supplier performance in line with contractual requirements
• Deliver excellent customer outcomes, minimising disruption and customer minutes lost
• Build and maintain strong relationships with delivery partners, embedding NGED values and ways of working
• Communicate effectively with senior leaders and key stakeholders

Ideal Candidate

We’re looking for an experienced project management or commercial professional who brings a strong mix of technical knowledge, commercial awareness, and stakeholder engagement skills.

You will:

• Have a proven track record of delivering transformation and continuous improvement within project or commercial environment
• Ideally have experience working in a regulated industry, or the ability to quickly build this knowledge
• Hold a C&G Level 3 / NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent), ideally in electrical, construction, project management, or a utilities-related discipline
• Have a strong understanding of current Health & Safety legislation, including:

  • Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM)

  • Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations (ESQCR)

  • Electricity at Work Regulations

  • NERSWA Supervision qualification (desirable, not essential)

• Be highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities concurrently to a high standard
• Demonstrate strong commercial and financial acumen, including an understanding of cost control and value for money
• Be a confident negotiator with the credibility to influence internal stakeholders and external delivery partners
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships across a wide stakeholder network
• Communicate clearly and effectively at all levels, including with senior leaders
• Be customer-focused, acting as a first point of resolution for enquiries and complaints
• Show self-awareness, resilience, and a proactive approach to learning, feedback, and continuous improvement
• Hold Full UK driving licence #LI-SC1 #LI-HYBRID

About Us

We’re National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), the owner and operator behind the electricity distribution systems for the Midlands, the Southwest of England and South Wales. Serving communities of more than 8 million people, our expert teams deliver heat, light and power for homes and businesses.

National Grid employs over 29,000 people worldwide. We are building an inclusive workplace, a place to actively celebrate the cultures, personalities and preferences of our colleagues – who in turn help to build the success of our business and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Our vision is to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future and we are doing this in a fast-moving industry with an increasing focus on tackling climate change, exploring new energy sources that are renewable, low carbon, and improve efficiency to meet demand.