Head of First Charge

First Bus; Leeds; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

First Charge is hiring a strategic Head of First Charge to lead the commercial growth of its UK EV charging network. The role involves directing direct customer engagement and partner-led channels, developing multi-site fleet agreements and scalable commercial propositions.

Reporting to the Investment Director – Energy, you will shape go-to-market strategy, drive network utilisation and build recurring demand across depots, partners and customers.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in commercially focused roles involving structured B2B deal execution, partner-led sales, and multi-stakeholder commercial delivery

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of multi-site EV charging agreements.
• Identify and convert commercial opportunities into contracted network utilisation.
• Manage the full commercial lifecycle, from opportunity identification and negotiation through to contract execution.
• Deliver against utilisation, contract coverage and wider commercial performance objectives.
• Develop pricing and commercial structures that balance customer requirements with commercial objectives.
• Develop and execute a commercial strategy combining targeted direct customer engagement with partner-led channels.
• Identify fleet customers whose operating models align with First Charge's network and available charging capacity.
• Develop partnerships across vehicle supply, electrification, leasing and finance, payments, managed services and public procurement.
• Embed First Charge within customer procurement, financing and operational processes.
• Ensure direct and partner channels consistently generate and convert high-quality commercial opportunities.
• Lead commercial relationships with key strategic partners, driving new opportunities and progressing deals.
• Act as a central point of coordination across customers, partners and internal stakeholders.
• Build effective commercial relationships that support sustainable demand and network growth.
• Develop and evolve pricing structures, multi-site agreements and customer-specific commercial propositions.
• Work with the Investment Director – Energy to develop scalable commercial offerings across direct and partner channels.
• Partner with Marketing to develop targeted go-to-market strategies, campaigns and messaging.
• Provide commercial insight to support customer targeting, positioning and channel effectiveness.
• Work closely with the Head of Product and Standards to ensure commercial propositions align with operational capability and customer requirements.
• Translate market and customer feedback into improvements across products, services and customer experience.
• Own key commercial metrics including network utilisation, contracted customers and direct and partner-generated pipeline.
• Identify opportunities to improve utilisation at underperforming locations and grow existing customer relationships.

Skills

Commercial Execution

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Dual-Channel Sales

Partner Leadership

Commercial Judgement

Structured Thinking

Operating Mindset

Multi-site EV charging networks

Job description

Location - Remote, with travel to our London office approximately once a fortnight, alongside travel to other First Charge locations and customer/partner sites as required.

First Charge is seeking a Head of First Charge to lead the commercial development and growth of its UK EV charging network.

With a growing network of strategically located depots and an established ecosystem of partners, First Charge is entering an exciting phase of growth, converting charging infrastructure into long-term, contracted utilisation across fleet customers.

Reporting to the Investment Director – Energy, you will lead the commercial approach across both direct customer engagement and partner-led channels, developing multi-site fleet agreements, strategic partnerships and scalable commercial propositions.

Working closely with Investment, Product, Operations and Marketing teams, you will help shape our go-to-market strategy, drive network utilisation and build sustainable, recurring demand.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Growth & Execution

• Lead the development and delivery of multi-site EV charging agreements.
• Identify and convert commercial opportunities into contracted network utilisation.
• Manage the full commercial lifecycle, from opportunity identification and negotiation through to contract execution.
• Deliver against utilisation, contract coverage and wider commercial performance objectives.
• Develop pricing and commercial structures that balance customer requirements with commercial objectives.

Direct & Partner-Led Growth

• Develop and execute a commercial strategy combining targeted direct customer engagement with partner-led channels.
• Identify fleet customers whose operating models align with First Charge's network and available charging capacity.
• Develop partnerships across vehicle supply, electrification, leasing and finance, payments, managed services and public procurement.
• Embed First Charge within customer procurement, financing and operational processes.
• Ensure direct and partner channels consistently generate and convert high-quality commercial opportunities.

Strategic Partnerships

• Lead commercial relationships with key strategic partners, driving new opportunities and progressing deals.
• Act as a central point of coordination across customers, partners and internal stakeholders.
• Build effective commercial relationships that support sustainable demand and network growth.

Commercial Proposition & Go-to-Market

• Develop and evolve pricing structures, multi-site agreements and customer-specific commercial propositions.
• Work with the Investment Director – Energy to develop scalable commercial offerings across direct and partner channels.
• Partner with Marketing to develop targeted go-to-market strategies, campaigns and messaging.
• Provide commercial insight to support customer targeting, positioning and channel effectiveness.

Product & Network Performance

• Work closely with the Head of Product and Standards to ensure commercial propositions align with operational capability and customer requirements.
• Translate market and customer feedback into improvements across products, services and customer experience.
• Own key commercial metrics including network utilisation, contracted customers and direct and partner-generated pipeline.
• Identify opportunities to improve utilisation at underperforming locations and grow existing customer relationships.

Skills/Experience

• Significant experience in commercially focused roles involving structured B2B deal execution, partner-led sales, and multi-stakeholder commercial delivery
• Experience in one or more of:
• fleet, leasing, or asset finance ecosystems
• energy, infrastructure, or EV charging markets
• logistics or operationally complex B2B environments
• Commercial Execution - demonstrated ability to originate and close structured B2B agreements
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - highly effective working across product, operations, finance, partnerships, and marketing to ensure commercial propositions are deliverable and aligned with execution
• Dual-Channel Sales Experience - experience operating across both direct sales and partner-enabled distribution models
• Partner Leadership - strong ability to influence and drive outcomes through external organisations
• Commercial Judgement - well-developed understanding of pricing, utilisation drivers, and contract dynamics
• Structured Thinking - ability to balance commercial rigour with delivery pace
• Operating Mindset - proven ability to execute in an environment where models evolve through application

Salary

Salary – competitive, plus up to 30% annual bonus