Head of Field Operations Continuous Improvement

About us National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is the UK’s largest electricity distribution company. We bring energy to power possibilities for over 25 million customers through 8 million connections across South Wales, South West, West Midlands, and East Midlands.

About the role We are looking for a Head of Field Operations Continuous Improvement to lead and shape our improvement agenda across Field Operations. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving large-scale, multi‑year improvement through practical, hands‑on continuous improvement. You will play a key role in enhancing operational performance, reducing cost, and improving customer outcomes across our four DNO regions. You’ll translate complex strategic and regulatory priorities into clear, deliverable programmes of work, ensuring that change is not only implemented, but fully embedded into day‑to‑day operations. A core focus of the role is building a culture of continuous improvement, operational discipline, and accountability across a large, distributed workforce. Working closely with senior leaders, you will influence at the highest levels, align cross‑functional teams, and ensure improvement activity delivers measurable impact aligned to business and regulatory commitments.

We know flexibility matters, so this role offers a hybrid working approach, with the flexibility to be based at any of our sites across the East Midlands, West Midlands, South West or Wales, with travel as required.

What you will do:

• Provide strategic leadership for the Field Operations improvement portfolio, ensuring all activity aligns to long‑term priorities and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with the central Transformation team to shape the continuous improvement roadmap, including prioritisation, resourcing, governance and benefits tracking.
• Lead large‑scale operational and cultural change, embedding new ways of working consistently across regions.
• Oversee delivery of complex, multi‑disciplinary improvement programmes, ensuring strong governance, risk management and delivery assurance.
• Lead field‑based trials and pilots, defining clear scaling strategies to enable rapid and sustainable roll‑out.
• Act as a senior escalation point, removing barriers and maintaining cross‑functional alignment.
• Embed sustainable change, ensuring improvements transition effectively into business‑as‑usual operations.
• Drive strong stakeholder engagement across Field Operations and wider business teams, building ownership and accountability for outcomes.
• Establish robust performance and benefits measurement frameworks, using data and insight to track impact and inform decisions.
• Provide clear, senior‑level reporting on performance, risks and opportunities.
• Build, lead and develop a high‑performing team, strengthening capability and future succession.

About you You will be a proven improvement leader with a strong track record of delivering measurable impact in complex operational environments. You will bring:

• Significant experience leading large‑scale continuous improvement or transformation programmes, ideally across multi‑site or operational environments.
• Deep expertise in operational efficiency, performance improvement and cost optimisation methodologies.
• Strong leadership capability, with experience influencing senior stakeholders and geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven delivery experience using structured methodologies (e.g. Lean, Black Belt Six Sigma, Agile, Waterfall).
• Demonstrated success in embedding sustainable cultural and behavioural change across operational teams.
• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to turn data and insight into meaningful action.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build alignment across all levels.
• A track record of driving momentum, innovation and measurable results.
• A leadership style that reflects organisational values and fosters inclusion, collaboration and high performance.

Strongly preferred:

• Experience within regulated utilities (electricity, gas, water) or similarly complex field operations industries/environments.

What we can offer you A competitive salary of £80,000 - £95,000 - dependent on experience. Plus:

• Competitive annual performance bonus.
• Company car or car allowance of £6000.
• 28 days annual leave, plus eight statutory days.
• A generous contributory pension scheme - we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.
• Share save scheme.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Hybrid Working with two or three days per week at one of our sites.

Further information This role closes on 01 July 2026, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates - we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process. Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points‑based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points‑based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.