Strategic Development Analyst in Reading

Base Location: Reading or Portsmouth. You'll be expected to spend 50% of your working week in one of these locations.

Salary: £35,200 - £52,800 + performance-related bonus + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family.

Working Pattern: Permanent | Flexible First options available.

The way we use energy is changing. The engineering, environmental and economic challenges that we all face mean that society needs innovative solutions, like renewable energy, electric vehicles, heat networks, community energy and energy storage plus the systems to make these solutions deliverable. This change is altering the role of electrical networks, and at SSEN Distribution, the Whole System Development team are instrumental in building the strategic plans for our networks; looking at a 5‑year to 2050 horizon. The Whole System team drive our strategic network development helping consumers decarbonise and manage their energy bills. We make critical decisions, underpinned through stakeholder engagement, that positively impact the way our network operates in the future. This includes work on our LV networks to facilitate the connection of new Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) through developing innovative ways of working that can be translated into meaningful delivery pilots.

Responsibilities

• Drive targeted engagement with Local Authorities to support their Local Area Energy Plans.
• Engaging and influencing internal and external stakeholders across all levels; promoting whole system as a real source of benefits that can improve distribution networks and wider industry.
• Use stakeholder information and the DFES to understand the impact on the SSEN network, identify areas where asset capacity is forecast to be exceeded.
• Understand the potential impact of overloading assets, gather evidence to support the findings, review potential solutions and communicate recommendations to stakeholders via our Strategic Development Plans.
• Develop and own the Distribution Network Options Assessment (DNOA) methodology which ensures we are acting as a neutral market facilitator and providing transparent decisions on when to use flexibility.
• Work with System Planning and Flexibility teams to deliver associated DNOA Output Reports and provide associated communications to stakeholders.
• Develop, support and publish publicly available data for the Whole System Coordination Register and the Network Development Plans (NDP).
• Using stakeholder engagement records and specific projects undertaken by SSEN, capture and present all works where SSEN are driving Whole System activities.
• As part of the NDP, review overloaded assets identified by the modelling team, propose solutions to mitigate the overload and provide a written update to the NDP.

Qualifications

• Good understanding of how distribution networks work, how third parties interact and impact our network, and can take technical information and clearly communicate it to stakeholders that may have limited or no knowledge of our industry.
• Minimum HNC or STEM Degree or equivalent with relevant industry experience.
• Working knowledge of UK electricity networks and a good understanding of interactions with other utilities.
• Experience of managing stakeholder relationships, positively influencing stakeholders and engaging with them confidently.
• Accomplished communicator, both written and spoken, including the ability to present complex information to a range of informed and uninformed audiences.
• Excellent reporting capabilities for both internal and external purposes.

Flexible Benefits To Fit Your Life

• Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships.
• Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service.
• Interest‑free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme.
• Generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.

Equal Opportunity

SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.