Construction Director (Heat Networks)

Chronos Energy are looking to recruit a Construction Director (Heat Networks), who will lead a growing portfolio of major infrastructure projects, including energy centres, heat networks and customer connections.

The projects you will work on primarily comprise of building energy centres, buried networks in the city highways, and customer connections. The project delivery department consists of a small PMO function for overall project support and pre-construction development alongside 3 delivery specialism teams for Buried Networks, Energy Centres and On Plot Customer Connections. Leading a team of 11 direct reports and a further 7 indirect reports, good leadership experience will ensure that project delivery is focused, controlled and consistent with our expectations.

Main Purpose of role

The Construction Director is responsible for the safe, efficient and successful delivery of all capital investment, construction and project delivery activities across the region.

As a member of the Management Team, the Construction Director provides strategic leadership for the regional capital programme, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget and in accordance with approved business cases, governance requirements and customer commitments.

The role is accountable for establishing and maintaining a high-performing construction and project delivery function capable of delivering a diverse portfolio of generation projects, network infrastructure, customer connections, asset replacement programmes and other capital investments that support the growth and performance of the business.

Working alongside the Regional Director, teams in Commercial, Engineering, Development and Operations, the Construction Director ensures that projects are successfully developed, delivered, commissioned and transferred into operation.

The role acts as the senior escalation point for project delivery, programme, cost and resource forecasts, contractor, health and safety, commercial and construction-related matters within the region.

Key Responsibilities / Duties

Construction and Capital Delivery

• Lead delivery of the capital investment programme.
• Maintain accountability for construction and project delivery performance across programme, cost, safety, quality and risk measures.
• Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with approved business cases, investment decisions and governance requirements.
• Provide executive oversight of projects throughout their lifecycle from design to mobilisation through commissioning, handover and close-out.
• Sponsor and govern the region’s largest and most strategically significant projects.
• Ensure delivery programmes support the wider commercial, customer and operational objectives of the region.
• Ensure projects work within their business plan budgets, manage the contingency allocation and forecast cashflow requirements as well as resource plans.

Health, Safety and Construction Assurance

• Provide visible leadership on health, safety and environmental performance.
• Promote a culture where safety is prioritised above programme and commercial pressures.
• Ensure compliance with CDM requirements and relevant statutory obligations.
• Proactively manage risk to the business, to project delivery and to operational assets.
• Maintain effective contractor assurance, construction governance and quality management arrangements.
• Ensure lessons learned are captured and embedded across future delivery programmes.

Programme and Portfolio Leadership

• Develop and maintain the regional construction strategy.
• Establish portfolio priorities, resource requirements and delivery plans to support regional objectives.
• Lead construction delivery across generation, buried networks, customer connections and future capital investment activities.
• Ensure effective governance, project controls and assurance arrangements are applied across all projects.
• Monitor portfolio performance, intervene when delivery risks emerge and lead recovery plans where required.

Leadership of the Delivery Organisation

• Lead the project delivery function within the Bristol Region.
• Set clear expectations, objectives and performance standards for project delivery teams.
• Develop organisational capability, talent and succession within the delivery organisation.
• Create a culture focused on safety, accountability, collaboration and performance.
• Ensure resources are aligned with portfolio priorities and future workload requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in project delivery processes, controls and performance.

Commercial and Financial Accountability

• Own the overall financial performance of the regional capital programme.
• Ensure effective forecasting, budget management and reporting arrangements are maintained.
• Work with Commercial colleagues to develop procurement and contracting strategies and to ensure that project budgets are aligned to business plan requirements. Oversee significant commercial decisions, variations, claims and commitments within delegated authority. Ensure delivery activities represent value for money and support achievement of business objectives.
• Ensure contractual conditions are executed correctly and lead contractual dispute escalations.

Stakeholder and Supply Chain Leadership

• Develop strategic relationships with key contractors, consultants and delivery partners.
• Act as the senior regional representative for construction and programme delivery matters.
• Support Business Development activities as required, prioritising Customers, Stakeholders and advocates for the heat network.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with the Council, partners, developers, customers and other key stakeholders.
• Represent the company at project boards, governance forums and senior stakeholder meetings.
• Provide confidence to shareholders, investors and strategic partners regarding project delivery performance.

Operational Readiness and Asset Handover

• Ensure projects are developed and delivered with operational requirements fully incorporated.
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Operations, as a peer reporting separately to the Regional Director, to ensure effective commissioning, adoption and asset handover.
• Ensure operational readiness requirements are embedded throughout project delivery.
• Support a safe and efficient transition of assets from construction into operation.
• Promote feedback and learning between Operations and Construction to improve future project outcomes.

Knowledge and Skills

• Significant experience leading major construction, infrastructure, utility, energy, district heating, process plant, energy centre or complex urban construction projects.
• Strong working knowledge of CDM Regulations, construction risk management, contractor assurance and client-side construction governance.
• Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary project teams in complex construction environments.
• Proven experience with Planning conditions and working with Local Authority Stakeholders to enable the delivery of projects.
• Strong capability in project governance, programme control, commercial oversight, procurement strategy, contract administration and senior reporting.
• Strong commercial awareness, including change control, claims exposure, procurement constraints and commercial risk.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to present complex project matters clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Ability to make clear decisions under pressure and provide structured recommendations where safety, cost, time, quality and stakeholder pressures compete.
• Experience with district heating, energy centres, M&E plant, thermal storage or modular energy centre construction.
• Familiarity with NEC, JCT, EPC or similar construction contract environments.
• Experience working in constrained urban construction sites with multiple third-party interfaces.
• Experience supporting wider business initiatives such as new project development, delivery model improvement.
• Familiarity or experience of buried utilities will be advantageous.

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