RESP Planning Manager - NESO

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

At NESO we are recruiting for the team to lead and develop our new Regional Energy Strategic Planning (RESP) role. It’s a great opportunity to join us as we set out to help decarbonise the UK in a local community-based way. The RESP will ensure energy networks are regionally coordinated across fuel vectors, geographies and with national energy plans. The purpose of this is to ensure more coordinated and efficient delivery of local infrastructure projects including housing and business, speed up the delivery of local decarbonisation plans and ensure that investment reflects local priorities.

We’re looking for someone to lead the RESP team in the creation and implementation of the East Midlands Regional Planning Capability. The RESP team need a wide range of knowledge and experience that are unlikely to be found in a single individual. The range of knowledge and experience we are looking for is:

• Significant experience of stakeholder engagement, in particular with local government.
• Experience of leading complex projects.
• Experience of energy planning especially at a Local Authority, Gas or Electricity Distribution network level.
• An appreciation of the different systems and data used in energy planning and the challenges that this can present.
• An understanding of the interactions between energy markets and asset investment and the economics that drive investment decisions across the energy landscape.
• Team leadership experience including working across other teams.

This role will initially be home based, and we expect the successful candidate to be based in the East Midlands region, moving to a regional office when one is set up. NESO will continue to offer hybrid working from office and home and we are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements.

Key Accountabilities

As we are setting up the RESP capabilities the immediate accountabilities of this role will change as we develop RESP from the enduring accountabilities:

• Lead on Regional Energy planning for the East Midlands region.
• For the region understand how local energy projects, trials and pilots interact with RESP and ensure new RESP processes are designed with local inputs at the heart.
• Build relationships with local stakeholders to understand their priorities for RESP and ensure these are reflected in the RESP design.
• Lead and recruit a small team of planners working on regional projects and RESP development.
• Support the Detailed Design process for RESP development.
• Support RESP process, system and data development.

Medium Term Responsibilities

• Lead on Regional Energy Strategic Planning for East Midlands region.
• Build a regional team and capability to enable RESP.
• Deliver a Regional Plan to support ED3 delivering on the objectives set out in the Detailed Design.
• Design regional governance of RESP as per Detailed Design.
• Deliver RESP regional stakeholder engagement activities as per Detailed Design.
• Work with stakeholders, regional and national, to resolve any planning conflicts for the region.
• Deliver an enduring, whole system RESP delivery approach for the region.

About You

We’re forging the path, and we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need visionary minds like yours to join us on this transformative journey. In this case, we’re looking for someone who:

• Is passionate about decarbonisation and delivering net-zero through working with local communities and energy networks.
• Can build strong and effective relationships with external and internal stakeholders that are maintained through periods of change and differences of opinion.
• Understands and is passionate about delivering an energy plan for the EM region that meets regional needs whilst working with other regions and the NESO central team to ensure regional consistency of approach.

About What You’ll Get

A competitive salary between £56,000 - £70,000 – dependent on experience and capability. As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus of up to 15% of your salary for stretch performance, 28 days annual leave as standard, and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.

As we work towards creating a cleaner, greener, and more affordable future for all, we also work towards creating a place for our teammates to belong, with professional and personal growth and positive well-being. Full support and career-development resources to expand your skills, enhance your expertise, and maximise your potential along your career journey. A diverse and inclusive community of belonging, where teammates are empowered to bring ideas to the table. Generous Total Rewards Plan – comprising of health, finance and wealth, work/life balance, and career benefits.

About Us

National Energy System Operator (NESO) has a key role to play in tackling climate change by transitioning GB’s electricity system to net zero. We already operate the fastest decarbonising electricity system in the world, with an ambition for zero carbon power operation by 2030 when there is sufficient renewable generation. We are also providing advice to the Government on achieving a decarbonised power system by 2030.

So, join the energy transformation and help shape the future. Your energy, our future, together.

About The National Energy System Operator (NESO)

In Autumn of 2024, the ESO transitioned to National Energy System Operator, or NESO for short. Previously denoted as the Future System Operator (or FSO), the new National Energy System Operator is the independent body responsible for planning Great Britain’s electricity and gas networks and operating the electricity system.

The ESO, including all of its existing roles, are now at the heart of the new National Energy System Operator. As NESO, we will build on our existing roles, capabilities, and ways of working significantly to create an organisation the energy system and its users’ need. Our new capabilities will enable us to look across vectors, including electricity, natural gas and hydrogen, and crucially consider the trade-offs between them.

The organisation is set up as a public corporation with its own Board of independent directors, with complete operational independence from government, the regulator and any and all commercial interest. As was the ESO, NESO will be licenced and regulated by Ofgem through price control agreements and obligated to identify optimal solutions to system operations and planning in the most sustainable, affordable and secure way for all.

The time to deliver is now. As part of our team, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in Great Britain – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

More Information

This role closes on 06/07/2025 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

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.