Head of Transactions

Great British Energy is looking for a Head of Transactions to join our Finance & Investments Team. This role will play a key part in contributing to projects, objectives, and wider organisational goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Build, lead and mentor a high-performing transactions team (transaction leads and commercial structuring leads), setting clear accountabilities, standards and ways of working.
• Own the end-to-end execution of GBE Local transactions from opportunity assessment through structuring, approval, negotiation, financial close and handover into delivery/operations.
• Develop and maintain a scalable toolkit of local deal structures and templates (e.g., corporate and public sector PPAs, sleeved/synthetic structures, energy services agreements, concessions, leases, development and asset JVs, revenue share and availability-style mechanisms).
• Lead commercial structuring: define and optimise revenue and income streams (including customer tariffs/charges, indexation, flexibility revenues, ancillary services, certificates/attributes where applicable, grants and public funding), and allocate risks appropriately.
• Lead and/or oversee negotiation of key commercial agreements (Heads of Terms, JV agreements, shareholder agreements, offtake/supply agreements, connection and route-to-market arrangements), working closely with internal counsel and external advisors.
• Coordinate due diligence across commercial, technical, financial, legal, regulatory, tax and ESG workstreams; ensure findings are translated into deal protections, pricing and executable conditions precedent.
• Partner with GBE Local origination and development teams to shape opportunities early (go-to-market, customer value proposition, partnering strategy, procurement approach) to maximise bankability and deliverability.
• Lead governance and approvals: prepare clear, decision-ready papers for internal committees and wider government approval processes as required; ensure robust compliance with delegated authorities and risk frameworks.
• Establish and manage external relationships with local authorities, public bodies, community energy organisations, end users, developers, investors, lenders and JV partners to enable a strong, repeatable pipeline of transactions.
• Support post-close value delivery by ensuring clear handover to delivery/portfolio teams and maintaining oversight of key commercial obligations, change control and stakeholder relationships through early operations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience delivering complex energy transactions and commercial structures in the UK with a strong understanding of local energy business models, routes to market, revenue mechanisms/income streams and risk allocation.
• Proven people leadership experience, including building and managing multi-disciplinary teams and developing talent (e.g., transaction managers/leads, structuring/commercial leads, analysts).
• Strong track record of developing and presenting clear approval papers and investment cases, translating complex issues into decision-ready recommendations for senior stakeholders and committees.
• Strong understanding of the local energy landscape, including public sector and community customer needs, procurement/commercial constraints, and partnering approaches with developers, investors and other JV counterparties.
• Strong commercial and financial capability, including interpreting and challenging financial models, assessing value drivers, and testing sensitivities around price, volume, availability, indexation and revenue stacking.
• Demonstrated ability to lead commercial negotiations and structure complex deals, including customer contracting (e.g., PPAs, energy services agreements), joint ventures/partnerships, co-investments and other risk-sharing arrangements.
• Strong understanding of transaction processes and governance, including due diligence, approvals, risk analysis, delegated authorities and negotiation of legal documentation.
• Ability to assess commercial, technical and financial information quickly and distil it into actionable deal decisions, term sheets and negotiation strategy.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience leading internal alignment and managing external counterparties and advisors through complex negotiations.
• Experience structuring and negotiating local customer energy contracts (e.g., public sector frameworks, community energy arrangements, private wire and energy services models) and understanding of procurement routes.
• Understanding of funding and approval environments relevant to publicly owned organisations, including public funding/grant integration and applicable government approval processes.
• Experience with flexibility and optimisation-led value streams (e.g., capacity/ancillary services, trading interfaces, tolling and availability-style structures) and how these can be incorporated into bankable deal structures.
• A strong understanding of sustainable procurement and ESG requirements and how they apply to local customer transactions and partnering models.

Personal Qualities

• Takes ownership, shows confidence in decision-making, and is willing to challenge constructively.
• Focuses on delivering meaningful outcomes and making a positive, lasting impact.
• Works collaboratively, valuing different perspectives and building inclusive relationships.
• Proactive and adaptable, with a curiosity to explore new ideas and improve ways of working.
• Resilient and resourceful in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in finance, economics, law, accounting, or a related STEM subject.
• A professional qualification such as CFA, ACA, CIMA, or ICAEW.