LCT Planning Assistant in Preston

SP Electricity North West manages and invests in the power network that supplies electricity to the 2.4m homes and businesses across the North West. Our 2,400 colleagues manage the 13,000km of overhead lines, 44,000km of underground cables and thousands of electricity substations to keep power flowing and supporting green growth. We’re one of six distribution network operators in the UK and are regulated by Ofgem. We’re proud that in December 2024 we were named Utility of the Year by Utility Week magazine who said we punched above our weight and used innovation to solve some of the industry’s most difficult challenges. Come and be part of our team and make a difference.

As the Low Carbon Technology planning assistant you will assess the initial applications that we receive from customers for the connection of LCT and carry out the initial desktop study to see if further work is required before it can be approved. You will work closely with the customer care coordinators to ensure that we proactively communicate with our customers and delivery partners to ensure the delivery of their work to a high standard in as short a timeframe as possible.

• Responsible for approving the connection of Low Carbon Technologies to our network in line with the ENA process.
• This will include doing the initial desktop study to assess whether the existing supply is suitable for the connection of LCT.
• Utilise GIS cable records and the national grid database to check if properties on looped supplies are able to connect under the new policy in EPD 283.
• Use GIS cable records to measure the distance from the substation and identify if a network study is required.
• Assessment of applications to ensure that they meet the minimum criteria and returning these to customers with clear communication where required.
• Work with the team to identify new ways of working with regards to Low Carbon Technologies.
• Be proactive in delivering a first class service to all customers ensuring that they receive an excellent experience at each touch point.
• Promote a seamless customer journey throughout the team to maximise CSAT performance.
• Maintain an understanding of the Design Principles in accordance with current Electricity North West licence conditions, policy and standards.
• Supporting the design team in meeting the service level agreements in responding to applications for LCT.
• Responsible for the timely notification of any service level agreement failure to the Design and Triage Manager, completion of failure documentation where required.
• Responsible for efficient management of workloads and prioritising customer demands with team support.
• Ensure all data for Ofgem is accurately recorded for the purposes of meeting regulatory requirements.

What you’ll need:

• Proven experience in delivering excellent customer service.
• An appreciation of underground and overhead network.
• Self‑driven with the proven ability to work in a demanding role.
• Experience of working within a highly regulated environment.
• Have exceptional communication skills both written and verbal.
• Commercial awareness.
• Be proficient in use of SAP, SAP Portal & MS Office specifically Outlook and Excel.

The successful candidate must, at the start of employment have permission to work in the UK without sponsorship.

What we’re offering:

• An annual bonus scheme.
• 25 days annual leave increasing with length of service.
• Private Healthcare.
• An employee rewards portal offering discounts on several well‑known brands.
• A market‑leading contributory pension scheme.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Opportunity for professional development through our L&D function.