£35000 pa – 30 days pa
About the appointment
Introduction
The incoming Non-Executive Director (NED) will help in establishing the new NESO business and its Board.
The NED will help the business navigate heightened political, industry, and public scrutiny, including by managing increased risks and ensuring robust assurance over new processes and systems. The ability to handle complexity and ambiguity will be important given the fast-paced and changing environment. The NED must also have the ability to think and challenge strategically, whilst being comfortable exploring the critical details as and when appropriate.
This individual should build strong relationships with the Chair, fellow Non-Executive Directors, and Executive Directors, fostering a culture of transparency and effective communication.
Finally, the NED will be expected to support the organisation’s mission, values, and strategic direction, while ensuring that the organisation’s activities uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct and accountability.
Board Composition The Board is composed of a dynamic mix and vibrant group of individuals, each bringing a wealth of experience and a commitment to excellence in governance and strategic oversight. Please see Appendix 1 for an overview of the current NESO Board of Directors.
Introduction from the Chair
We are at a pivotal point in ensuring Britain’s energy system is secure and affordable as well as forging the path to a sustainable future for everyone across the country. Unparalleled change is needed across the whole system to transition away from fossil fuels and deliver clean, green affordable energy for all.
Traditionally, Britain’s energy system has been split into two areas – gas and electricity – but to deliver this transformation there needs to be co-ordination across the whole energy system, with one single entity responsible for translating policy into immediate strategy. The Government has, therefore, established the National Energy System Operator (NESO) in October 2024 as a new, independent, government-owned body with responsibilities across both electricity and gas systems, to drive progress towards net zero whilst maintaining energy security and minimising costs for consumers. This is a core part of the Milestones for Mission-Led Government that are designed to be reached by the end of this Parliament, notably to ‘Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower’.
NESO has been founded on some of the existing roles and capabilities of the electricity system operator, previously owned by National Grid, and some roles and capabilities of the National Gas system operator. It has, therefore, involved a transfer of ownership and transformation to create the new organisation, which means managing a major piece of Critical National Infrastructure and taking a whole system approach across electricity, gas and other emerging markets (such as hydrogen, and carbon capture, usage and storage).
As we enhance the governance of this new body, we are seeking a new non-executive member to join the Board. This person will be a key player in driving the organisation’s overall mission, values, and strategic direction, and will specifically bring experience in engineering design, standards and governance to support NESO as it establishes itself at the heart of the UK’s energy system. If you are excited by this opportunity, and have the skills and experience we are seeking, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Dr Paul Golby CBE
Chair, National Energy System Operator
Additional introductions
Terms of Appointment
Share Ownership and Dealing, and Conflict of Interest
As NESO is now in public ownership, a pre-requisite upon joining NESO is that the NED is required to divest any shares, securities or other financial instruments (which are directly managed or invested by the candidate), within the energy sector within 1 year from starting employment with NESO.
The candidate is also required to declare any conflict of interest that would impact this appointment, perceived or otherwise.
NB: due to NESO’s importance as part of the UK’s strategic National infrastructure Security, security clearance will be required by the post holder.
Appointment description
Principal Accountabilities
The NED will have a number of key responsibilities:
- Strategic Oversight: Offer independent and informed perspectives on NESO operations, infusing the Board with external expertise and insights on governance, as well as boardroom best practices. Contribute to long-term business strategy, aligning with NESO’s mission amid significant change. Work closely with the Executive Committee to set strategic priorities, monitor industry trends, and adapt strategies to evolving market and regulatory landscapes. Emphasise innovation and sustainability in strategic planning.
- Engineering design, standards and governance: provide strategic and technical advice, at board level, to management and broader stakeholders on what actions are required for the current energy system to meet zero carbon by 2030 and net-zero for the whole country by 2050.
- Strategic Evaluation: Assess significant strategic initiatives, leveraging their unique expertise to input into Board decision-making. Ensure that board decisions are informed by diverse perspectives and rigorous analysis, while remaining aligned with long-term organisational goals.
- Management Support: Act as a sounding board for the CEO, CFO and other Executive Directors, offering insights on complex issues and strategic dilemmas. Facilitate open communication and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
- Performance Accountability: As part of the Board, hold management accountable for the NESO’s financial and operational performance, ensuring the achievement of business plans and stakeholder interests. Regularly review performance metrics, financial reports, and operational updates to ensure that the organisation meets its strategic objectives. Provide constructive feedback and challenge management on performance and strategy execution.
- Governance and Compliance: Uphold the highest standards of governance and regulatory compliance, ensuring the NESO’s strategies and operations align with legal and regulatory frameworks.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Represent NESO to key stakeholders, including regulators, industry bodies, and government entities, as needed. Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, advocate for the organisation’s interests, and ensure that stakeholder perspectives are considered in board deliberations. Promote transparency and trust in all stakeholder interactions.
Organisation description
Overview of NESO
The UK’s 2023 Energy Act set the legislative framework for an independent system planner and operator to help accelerate Great Britain’s energy transition, leading to the establishment of the National Energy System Operator (NESO).
Launched on 1st October, 2024, NESO is taking a whole system approach, looking across natural gas, electricity and other forms of energy to fulfil our primary and secondary duties as described in the Energy Act. We are engaging participants in all parts of the energy ecosystem to deliver the plans, markets and operations of the energy system of today and the future. These participants as NESO’s customers and they include industry, communities, consumers and other stakeholder groups.
NESO is built on our previous experience as the Electricity System Operator (ESO). The ESO had extensive expertise in balancing electricity supply and demand 24/7, while making sure network operations and the markets were prepared for the future. The transition to NESO requires a significant expansion in our capabilities and we are transforming our organisation to meet this challenge.
NESO’s role in the energy system
NESO lies at the heart of the energy system as an independent, public corporation with responsibilities for planning and operations. This is the first time in Great Britain that one organisation is planning and operating the whole energy system.
Our impartiality and whole system perspective mean we can make recommendations that balance the needs of everyone across Great Britain, so that we all benefit from the growing number of options we have for cleaner, cheaper, more secure energy. We will enable solutions that are fair for all, so that – together – we can take collective action to make a lasting difference and inspire generations to come.
Forward plan
The transition from ESO to NESO is one of significant and complex change for the organisation. As we develop as an independent expert organisation at the centre of the UK’s energy system, NESO needs to be more broadly equipped, capable of providing advice and challenge across all strategic and operational issues, against the backdrop of a highly dynamic energy environment. The Board has an important role to support the organisation as it expands in its enhanced remit.
With both electricity and gas network planning now under one roof, NESO has an expanded remit, sitting at the heart of the government’s clean power mission. This is a pivotal moment to augment the board of directors, bringing in refreshed talent to support the organisation as it takes a holistic look not just across electricity and gas, but also hydrogen, renewable generation, storage and other emerging technologies such as carbon capture usage and storage.
With the Chair, Dr Paul Golby, in place there is now a need to further strengthen the Board with the core skills required as NESO embarks on the next chapter of its transformation.
Person specification
Essential criteria
The candidate will be independently minded, possess integrity, and build a respectful relationship with other Board members. They should have the capacity to analyse complex information and share best practices when appropriate.
To ensure a well-rounded Board, we seek candidates who possess the following qualifications and experiences:
- Relevant senior board experience: We expect candidates with a track record of shaping the strategic vision of an organisation and its development, ensuring high quality corporate governance, and setting positive organisational cultures.
- Strong Leadership: We value candidates with robust leadership experience, especially in complex and fast-paced organisations. Their strategic mindset and ability to navigate intricate business landscapes are crucial, while demonstrating the ability to challenge in an effective manner. Resilience to external scrutiny and political and/or institutional pressures will be needed.
- Engineering experience: the ideal candidate will demonstrate substantial and high-quality engineering leadership expertise, the ability to think on a systems basis and apply this knowledge across energy vectors. This may be from any of the engineering disciplines, but experience in electrical engineering in particular, will be highly relevant to NESO. The successful candidate will demonstrate a high degree of professional credibility in this field, likely gained through a Fellowship of a relevant body such as the Royal Academy of Engineering and / or Institution of Engineering and Technology.
- Sector experience: whilst the ideal candidate will bring deep knowledge of the UK energy market, broader large-scale infrastructure experience may also be relevant, including defence, transport, nuclear and other industrial markets. NESO is also open to candidates coming from the engineering, procurement and construction sectors, where they bring appropriate sector knowledge from one of these markets.
- Independence: Candidates must maintain independence and have no conflicts of interest.
- Stature and Confidence: The successful candidate will command the respect and confidence of the NESO Board and leadership and other stakeholders, including government, regulators and the industry. • Independent Thinking: We seek individuals with sound judgment, emotional intelligence, and the capacity to encourage and constructively challenge under scrutiny. An open and straightforward communication style is vital.
- Ethical Standards: Commitment to the adherence of the Seven Principles of Public Life – selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership