Head of Converters , Operations and Maintenance - Britned

At National Grid, we're at the heart of the energy transition. Through our interconnectors, we're helping to deliver secure, affordable and sustainable electricity across borders, supporting millions of homes and businesses.

We're looking for an exceptional leader to join Brit Ned, the 1GW interconnector linking Great Britain and the Netherlands. As a 50:50 Joint Venture between National Grid and TenneT, Brit Ned operates as a standalone business with an outstanding record for safety, reliability and availability since entering service in 2011.

We're recruiting for a Head of Converter Operations & Maintenance
, within this role, you'll play a critical leadership role in ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient operation of our converter station assets across both the UK and the Netherlands. Leading highly skilled operational, maintenance, asset management and systems teams, you'll drive operational excellence while shaping the future performance and capability of one of Europe's most important energy infrastructure assets.

The role will be based onsite our interconnector at the Isle of Grain, so you must live a commutable distance of site to be considered.

Reporting to the Operations Director, you'll provide strategic, operational and people leadership across the Converter Operations & Maintenance function.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading a multi-disciplined team responsible for safety, operations, maintenance, asset management and systems activities.
• Delivering high standards of operational performance, compliance and asset reliability across the Brit Ned network.
• Ensuring robust asset health strategies and maintenance plans are in place to maximise long-term asset availability.
• Driving a culture of continuous improvement, operational excellence and learning across the business.
• Leading and motivating teams through change, setting clear direction and building a high-performance culture.
• Working closely with colleagues across National Grid Ventures, TenneT and external partners to share best practice and deliver business objectives.
• Overseeing system and cyber investment plans, ensuring compliance with NIS-R, NIS2, CER and Critical National Infrastructure requirements.
• Providing leadership during operational incidents and emergency response situations, undertaking command roles when required.
• Managing significant operational and maintenance budgets while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Building strong relationships with regulators, suppliers, contractors and Joint Venture stakeholders.

We're looking for a proven operational leader with the ability to inspire teams, influence stakeholders and make sound decisions in a technically complex environment.

You'll ideally have:

• Significant experience leading large, multi-disciplinary engineering or operational teams.

Minimum HNC or equivalent qualification in an engineering discipline.

• Strong experience operating within critical infrastructure, energy, utilities, transmission or industrial environments.
• A solid understanding of HVDC systems, high-voltage assets, substations and/or subsea cable systems.
• Experience managing high-value contracts, suppliers and strategic stakeholder relationships.
• Demonstrable success leading safety-first cultures and driving operational excellence.
• Strong commercial awareness and experience managing substantial operational budgets.
• Excellent leadership, coaching and people development skills.
• Proven capability in risk management, problem solving, decision-making and organisational leadership.
• The ability to influence at all levels across a complex stakeholder environment.

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