Strategic Planning Officer - North West

National Energy System Operator Limited; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

26 days annual leave

Pension scheme

NESO Savings Plan

Flexible holidays

Birthday day off

Cycle to work

Private Medical Insurance

Critical Illness Insurance

Personal Accident Insurance

Job summary

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is recruiting a Strategic Planning Officer to support the North West RESP. The role focuses on stakeholder engagement, regional input, workshops, and delivering concise reports and slide packs to progress the RESP.

Based in the North West with some travel, the role offers flexible working arrangements and a competitive salary of £50,000 - £59,000, dependent on experience, plus core NESO benefits; visa requirements apply for non-UK candidates.

Qualifications

• Experience in and/or knowledge of the energy sector.
• Experience communicating with internal and external stakeholders at various levels.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Knowledge of energy project development and the ‘whole energy’ system with experience in at least one vector (gas/electricity networks, heat decarbonisation, hydrogen, transport decarisation).
• Experience of working with Local Authorities or energy distribution companies, ideally in the NorthWest.
• Ability to translate complex information into clear messaging for reports and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Support Strategic Leads and Regional Manager to represent RESP regionally and nationally.
• Engage with stakeholders to capture views and requirements for RESP.
• Design and deliver workshops and engagement activities with the North West RESP boards and groups.
• Contribute to RESP methodology implementation and development.
• Be the subject matter expert on North West energy systems and interfaces with NESO and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate work packages across national/regional hub teams.
• Produce clear reports and slide packs, communicating key messages effectively.
• Gather input from stakeholders to shape RESP under prescribed methodology.
• Develop new analytical approaches to problems and solutions for RESP.

Skills

Energy sector knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Interpersonal skills

Energy project development

Local Authorities experience

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Data awareness

Project management

Learning mindset

Job description

About the Role

In April 2025 the National Energy System Operator (NESO) took on the exciting new role of being the UK’s Regional Energy Strategic Planner. We are responsible for developing 11 Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) across nine English regions, plus Scotland and Wales. This role is based in the North West. https://www.neso.energy/what-we-do/strategic-planning/regional-energy-strategic-planning-resp

Our North West RESP team will work with other NESO teams and with organisations at a local level (‘local actors’), including local government and gas and electricity networks, in developing the RESP. The purpose of the Strategic Planning Officer is to support aspects of developing the North West RESP, as detailed in the Key Accountabilities below.

Key Accountabilities

This Strategic Officer role will be focused on supporting and gaining input from stakeholders in the nation or region. Having an understanding and lived experience of the North West will be key – as will having complementary energy expertise and experience to allow the North West team to reflect Great Britain’s diverse society, environment and energy planning needs. The role accountabilities will be dependent on the successful candidate’s experience, knowledge and interest. We need people that will contribute to or lead on the following accountabilities:

To support the Strategic Leads and Regional Manager to represent RESP at a regional and national level.

To engage with specific national and regional stakeholders within local government, gas and electricity networks, other local actors and whole energy system stakeholders to understand their views and requirements to ensure that RESP delivers value.

To support the Strategic Leads and Regional Manager in the design and delivery of workshops and engagement activity with the North West RESP Strategic Board, working groups and other national and regional stakeholders to progress the RESP.

To support the implementation for relevant parts of the RESP methodology in the North West and contribute to continuous development and consultation.

To be the subject matter expert in understanding specific aspects of NorthWest energy system and the interfaces with both internal NESO and external stakeholders.

To support definition and delivery of work packages; working in a matrix style structure to ensure co-ordination across other national/regional and hub RESP teams.

To produce and deliver clear, concise, short reports and slide packs in progressing the RESP. Ensure that the key messages are relevant, clear, and pitched appropriately for the audience.

To understand, engage and gain required and beneficial inputs from stakeholders in developing the RESP to the prescribed methodology; being able to clearly communicate and propose changes where needed to key assumptions.

To create new ways to analyse and present problems and potential solutions, sometimes building on the work and experience of others to quickly develop sufficient understanding of unfamiliar topics in developing the RESP.

This role will include a weekly team day in our regional office, based in central Manchester. Some travel will be expected (e.g., to NESO Warwick Office for team workshops or within the nation or region to meet with key stakeholders). We are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK by the start of employment. Visa sponsorship may not be available for this role and will be considered in line with business requirements.

About You

To deliver RESP requires a diverse team made up of individuals with a wide range of skills and knowledge which are unlikely to be present in a single individual. Key skills and experience we are looking for are:

Experience in and/or knowledge of the energy sector, experience of communicating with, internal and external stakeholders at a range of levels.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Knowledge of energy project development and the ‘whole energy’ system – with experience in at least one of the energy vectors (gas and/or electricity networks, heat decarbonisation, hydrogen, transport decarbonisation, etc).

Experience of working with or within Local Authorities and/or energy distribution companies, ideally in the NorthWest.

Ability to translate complex and technical information into easily understandable messaging for non-technical audiences, in both reports and presentations.

Knowledge and experience of strategic critical thinking with ability to consider strategic frameworks and concepts, and how changes to these will drive RESP design and implementation.

An awareness of data and systems used in energy planning.

Project management, coordination and planning skills to ensure that deadlines are met, governance is adhered to, stakeholders are effectively engaged and high quality process and outputs are achieved.

A curious mind with the ability to join the dots and a willingness to learn about new areas of work.

Training and development of the team will be a key priority as we set up RESP. Successful individuals may be asked to help train other team members and also have the opportunity to be trained on less familiar areas.

What You'll Get

A competitive salary of £50,000 - £59,000 dependent on experience and capability

As well as your base salary, NESO's core benefits are the essential perks and advantages that form part of your employee package.

• You will receive a bonus based on company performance
• 26 days annual leave as standard
• A competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.
• Annual Enrollment to NESO Savings Plan, when you save between £20- £500 a month from your take-home pay, we will pay a 50% matching contribution.
• Flexible Bank Holidays & Holiday Trading
• Additional Birthday Day Off
• Cycle to Work Scheme, Retail & Gym Discounts
• Private Medical Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance & Personal Accident Insurance

About Us

At the National Energy System Operator (NESO), we play a vital role in tackling climate change and securing Great Britain's energy future. We already operate the world's fastest decarbonising electricity system and are working towards our ambition to run it carbon-free for a short period this year - provided the market supplies electricity exclusively from renewable sources.

Alongside this, we provide expert advice to government on how to deliver a clean power system by 2030. In autumn 2024, the Electricity System Operator (ESO) transitioned to become NESO - an independent, expert public corporation with a whole-system view across electricity, gas, and hydrogen. NESO operates independently and transparently, always acting in the best interests of all energy users. Licensed and regulated by Ofgem, we make impartial decisions that balance sustainability, affordability and security.

Our organisation is fully independent from government, the regulator and all commercial interests, with a clear focus on system-wide benefit, long term thing and public value. The time to deliver is now. Join the energy transformation and help shape the future. Your energy. Our future. Together

More Information

This role closes at 23:59, on the day before date shown above, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

Research shows that some people may hesitate to apply unless they meet every single requirement. At NESO, we believe potential comes in many forms and we're committed to a fair, inclusive recruitment. 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. If this role sparks your interest but you're not sure you tick every box, we still want to hear from you. Process where everyone has the opportunity to show their talents. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds.

At the National Energy System Operator (NESO), we play a vital role in tackling climate change and securing Great Britains's energy future. We already operate the world's fastest decarbonising electricity system and are working towards our ambition to run it carbon-free for a short period this year - provided the market supplies electricity exclusively from renewable sources. Alongside this, we provide expert advice to government on how to deliver a clean power system by 2030. In autumn 2024, the Electricity System Operator (ESO) transitioned to become NESO - an independent, expert public corporation with a whole-system view across electricity, gas, and hydrogen. NESO operates independently and transparently, always actin in the best interests of all energy users. Licensed and regulated by Ofgem, we make impartial decisions that balance sustainability, affordability and security. Our organisation is fully independent from government, the regulator and all commercial interests, with a clear focus on system-wide benefit, long term thing and public value. The time to deliver is