Senior Engineer - Electricity Transmission & Distribution

Join Ofgem as a Senior Engineer - Electricity Transmission & Distribution and help shape the future of the UK’s electricity networks. As the energy sector transitions to Net Zero, this is an excellent opportunity to apply your engineering expertise to projects that deliver real impact for consumers, industry, and the environment.

Based in the Engineering and Technology Directorate, you will be part of a team that provides high-quality, independent technical advice across Ofgem. Your work will support the regulation of electricity transmission and distribution networks, ensuring they are safe, secure, innovative, and deliver value for money. You will lead engineering analysis and provide expert input into a wide range of policy and regulatory areas. This includes supporting the delivery of electricity price controls such as reopeners and RIIO3, assessing innovation projects, and advising on technical aspects of network codes and derogations. You will also contribute to the development of transmission and distribution policy, helping to ensure that Ofgem’s decisions are grounded in robust engineering principles.

We are looking for someone with relevant experience in electricity transmission or distribution, network or system operations, system design and planning, or related areas such as smart grids, asset management, and network innovation. You will have a strong track record of delivering complex projects to tight deadlines and be confident in both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Familiarity with the principles of economic regulation and the ability to apply engineering judgement in a regulatory context are essential. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are key, including the ability to explain technical issues clearly to non-technical audiences. You will also be comfortable working across teams and engaging with external stakeholders such as network companies, government departments and industry bodies.

This is an excellent opportunity to apply your engineering skills to some of the most important challenges facing the UK energy system, and to help shape a smarter, greener, and more resilient future.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for high quality and timely engineering analysis of options and recommendations to policy teams.
• Lead on policy areas directly managed by the Engineering & Technology Directorate, such as technical codes & derogations.
• Providing support in the delivery of the electricity price controls such as reopeners or RIIO3 and network regulation more generally.
• Engaging with the network companies to find better ways of developing our networks – e.g. the deployment of innovation.
• Providing support in the delivery of our strategic innovation competitions.
• Providing the technical support necessary to consider and decide on changes to or derogations from network codes.
• Assisting in the development of key areas of transmission and distribution policy.
• Lead the delivery of key work streams and potentially manage staff input into the relevant areas of work.
• Present policy and recommendations to senior management.
• Act as a representative for Ofgem at external meetings, conferences and events explaining Ofgem’s position on particular issues.
• Taking responsibility for drafting public documents or parts of documents.

Key Stakeholder Relationships

• Internal: Other members of the team, legal and policy teams, and other Ofgem colleagues as required.
• External: External industry and government counterparts, such as licensees, NESO, DESNZ, UKRI, HSE.

Person specification

ESSENTIAL:

• Relevant experience in one or several of the following areas: Electricity Transmission or Distribution, network or system operations, system design and planning, network codes, smart grids and network innovation, asset management, performance and quality of service issues.
• Educated to degree level in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent industry experience.
• Chartered Engineer (or in the process of gaining registration).
• Expertise in both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Ability to deliver key projects to challenging timescales.
• Familiarity with key concepts of economic regulation.
• Excellent communication/interpersonal skills including the ability to explain technical issues to non-technical people.

DESIRABLE:

• Demonstrable grasp of one of our key areas of work: policy development, economic principles, regulatory cost assessment, either through academic qualifications or previous posts.
• Project Management experience and skills.

Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.