Interim Head of Energy Strategic Development

Interim Head of Energy Strategic Development

Location: Blended between office and home (England and Wales). Time in office negotiable

Salary: £69,664, plus £3,520 London allowance if applicable.

Employment type: Fixed Term

Contract Duration: 12 months

We're looking for an Interim Head of Energy Strategic Development to join us for 12 months (with scope to be extended and made permanent following the outcome of our transformation programme).

Do you want to be part of shaping something truly significant? Are you a leader looking for your next opportunity? The Interim Head of Energy Strategic Development will be responsible for shaping a new and evolving team, while defining how we improve energy outcomes for households and small business consumers.

Citizens Advice is the statutory advocate and advice provider for energy consumers. We are a federated charity with approximately 235 Local Citizens Advice (LCA) offices across England and Wales.

Our statutory advice role includes providing people and small businesses with first tier advice through the consumer service and providing extra help to vulnerable energy consumers from case handling support to holistic debt advice. Citizens Advice also delivers non-statutory energy advice services, which are either coordinated by our national organisation or directly delivered by our local offices. In 2024 and following a successful consultation with LCAs, our network-wide energy advice strategy was agreed, outlining how we’ll transform our advice services to provide better support to our clients in a changing energy landscape.

We successfully launched our new Consumer Energy Debt Advice (CEDA) service in 2025 and will start delivering case handling support for consumers on heat networks once formal regulation takes effect in January. The energy market is transforming and the scope of our statutory advice and advocacy responsibilities should continue to evolve and expand.

This role requires someone with a strong track record of delivering transformational change in complex organisations. This role will be joining a dynamic team and requires exceptional stakeholder management skills. As the Head of Energy Strategic Development, you’ll have strategic oversight of and ensure compliance with funder obligations across an expanding advice and advocacy remit as well as the development and implementation of our network-wide energy advice strategy.

It will involve working with delivery teams across the national organisation and our federated network to ensure our multi-channel advice services evolve to provide people and small businesses with the best service we can, in ways that work for them. Working closely with our energy advocacy function, you’ll lead a team of specialists responsible for managing our relationships across the energy sector, from government departments, regulators, industry and charities and consumer groups.

Please provide details in your cover letter to succinctly evidence the following essential criteria.

• Energy Sector Knowledge and
  
  Experience:
  
  A deep and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the energy sector, ideally from an advisory perspective within the charity sector, government, industry, or regulation.
• Change Management and Transformation:
  Proven experience in leading strategic change projects and programmes, with a track record of delivering to time, quality, and budget, achieving planned service improvements.
• Stakeholder Management and
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Demonstrable experience of building and maintaining effective collaborative relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders, operational teams, and external partners.
• Team Leadership:
  Proven experience of effectively leading and managing teams, including remotely-based teams, utilising a range of communication and collaboration tools to foster a cohesive team culture, drive performance, and ensure consistent delivery.
• Organisational Fit:
  Understanding, or experience, of working within a membership-based organisation and/or a federated structure, or working within a regulated industry or one defined by statutory duties.

Citizens Advice offers…