Market Development Lead - NESO

About the role

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

The NESO ‘Markets’ function designs and delivers a range of long-term and near real-time markets to balance and operate a secure, rapidly decarbonising GB electricity system, at lowest costs to consumers. These markets were worth over £3bn in the financial year ending March 2022, so represent a major investment signal to a wide range of electricity supply, demand and flexibility technologies.

Within Markets, the Flexibility and Electricity Markets Development team (FEMD) is part of the strategic engine – creating the vision for the markets which support a decarbonised energy system and designing the roadmap to get there.

The Balancing Services Market Development team, part of the Flexibility and Electricity Market Development team, focusses on the development of our balancing services markets, ensuring that they support the delivery of NESO’s flexibility strategy and ultimately the achievement of the Clean Power 2030 ambition.

This role can be based from Wokingham, Warwick or Glasgow, and we continue to offer hybrid working from office and home. We are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements.

As Market Development Lead, you will need to be aware of the interactions between electricity markets, investment policy and market participant commercial behaviour, so that you understand how to ensure that NESO markets are developed in a way which is beneficial for market participants, the electricity system as well as the end consumer. You will be supporting and leading on the delivery of some of projects focussed on enabling more flexibility in our balancing services markets as well as influencing the development of these markets to fit with NESO’s strategic goals.

You will be working closely with teams across NESO as well as liaising with external customers, requiring strong stakeholder management and communications skills. You will need to understand NESO’s markets, its systems, the current GB policy environment and the broader commercial environment.

We’re forging the path, and we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need visionary minds like yours to join us on this transformative journey. In this case, we’re looking for someone who:

• Understanding and awareness of the NESO’s balancing services markets and their role in helping operate the electricity system.
• Understanding and awareness of the role of flexibility in helping to achieve GB’s Clean Power 2030 target.
• Understanding of GB electricity market policy and design: this could be from a market participant’s perspective, for example via trading in GB power markets, or through experience in the regulatory or policy arena.
• Knowledge / understanding of key electricity policy instruments (e.g. the Clean Flexibility Roadmap) and understanding of economics of investment in GB electricity assets (generation, flexibility, DSR).
• Evidence of collaborative problem solving, using expert insight and your own analysis to propose considered, practicable solutions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication (i.e., report writing, slide packs, presentations)
• Ability to present complex issues to audiences with varying levels of familiarity in power systems and power markets.
• Strong interpersonal skills in influencing and working effectively internally across an organisation, gaining buy in to priorities and driving delivery through others.
• Ability to translate and communicate the strategic intent into clear actions.
• Proven ability to communicate clearly via reports, slide packs and giving presentations.

Research shows that some people may hesitate to apply unless they meet every requirement. At NESO, we believe potential comes in many forms and we’re committed to a fair, inclusive recruitment…