Head of Nuclear Strategy Full Time NEW

We’re so much more than an energy company. We’re a family of brands revolutionising how we power the planet. We’re energisers. One team of 21,000 colleagues that’s energising a greener, fairer future by creating an energy system that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels, whilst living our powerful commitment to igniting positive change in our communities. Here, you can find more purpose, more passion, and more potential. That’s why working here is #MoreThanACareer. We do energy differently – we do it all. We make it, store it, move it, sell it, and mend it. 

Centrica Power is a leading energy infrastructure company in the UK and Irish market with energy assets across conventional and flexible generation, renewable energy and energy storage. Nuclear is a key pillar of our ambition in the power sector and driver of our plan to invest c£3bn over the next five years. Our ambition builds on our existing investment in the current UK operating fleet, our 15% stake in Sizewell C and partnership with X-Energy.

The Head of Nuclear Strategy is key in leading delivery of our ambitions – in particular maximising the prospect of X-Energy being successfully deployed and beyond that, building a sustained growth runway in the nuclear sector. This role is critical to ensure we are viewed as a credible and more prominent player within the sector and a key outcome is that wider stakeholders (including our investors) recognise the significant value and growth opportunities. The X-Energy project at Hartlepool represents a sizeable 1GW multi-billion opportunity with the potential of a wider fleet role out in the UK and beyond – this is a game changing opportunity for the Group and the role we play in the energy system.

The role is expected to lead across a range of internal projects with peers and present with credibility to senior executives and prepare board level materials to drive progress on our nuclear ambitions.

Key accountabilities:

Strategy Delivery

• Work directly with the Nuclear Power Strategy Director to bring together our views on market opportunities, which we are going to target and what it means in terms of capabilities
• Be responsible for bringing actionable clarity to a complex external market – and landing a strategy clearly understood across the Group
• Establish a forward pipeline of growth opportunities for Nuclear within the Power business – categorised in terms of priority with milestones and plan for delivery (working with appropriate colleagues).

Subject Matter Expertise

• Provide subject matter expertise on development of government support frameworks which balance investibilty and Government policy ambitions
• Draw effective links between project development, DEVEX milestones, debt and equity financing and wider nuclear policy drivers.

Strategic Market scanning

• Takes a broad perspective on opportunities and development across the rapidly changing nuclear sector (domestic and international)
• Undertake assessments of key technology and market opportunities, and assess how Centrica can create a value and growth focused pipeline
• Be actively connected in the external market so perspectives are well developed – ability to manage key external relationships and engage at a senior level across the sector, representing Centrica credibly as a partner of choice.

Cross Group and External Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop solid relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to drive value from our existing assets and identify/ move forward new opportunities for the Group
• Build our external network across the nuclear eco-system including with key stakeholders such as DESNZ, NWF and GBN.

Governance & Reporting

• Establish and Implement a Robust and Action Orientated Governance process for our nuclear activity
• Provide regular cadence of updates within Power and key internal stakeholders on key developments globally in the nuclear industry (peers, finance, policy etc) with implications and actionable insights for Centrica
• Lead development of a lean and actionable MI so we can track in one place our overall nuclear position – from a financial, strategic and capability perspective.

Leadership

• Drive a strategic and commercial mindset for the development of our nuclear pipeline anchored in a breadth of understanding across nuclear development, commercial, financing and Government policy and decision making
• Contribute to the leadership of Centrica Power and the wider Group, promoting a strong safety, governance and performance culture
• Provide thought leadership on market evolution, policy developments and competitive positioning.

The Person:

• Significant experience in the energy infrastructure industry with strong nuclear power experience across the full value chain – with sufficient technical understanding of the asset class to be credible with key internal and external stakeholders
• Strong understanding of finance with the ability to read models, understand debt finance and credit rating dynamics
• Excellent regulatory finance knowledge and ability to understand how precedent business model frameworks work
• Experience of working in a large corporate or organisation in terms of getting things done, effective governance cadence, supporting investment committee decisions
• Governmental experience and knowledge of how decisions get made and how to bring pace and momentum
• The role is not directly technical in an engineering sense but it would be an advantage if broadly familiar with how nuclear plants are constructed (key phases in lifecycle, learnings from global experience etc)
• Experience in Project Management, able to establish a plan and making sure milestones are met. Be familiar with how this is done effectively in virtual teams across the business
• Be an excellent communicator with clarity and purpose to a senior audience to frame high value decisions
• Able to operate as a senior external representative, enhancing Centrica Power’s profile and credibility in the market.

Why should you apply?  

We’re not a perfect place – but we’re a people place. Our priority is supporting all of the different realities our people face. Life is about so much more than work. We get it. That’s why we’ve designed our total rewards to give you the flexibility to choose what you need, when you need it, making sure that you and your family are supported not only financially, but physically and emotionally too. Visit the link below to discover why we’re a great place to work and what being part of more means for you. 

https://www.morethanacareer.energy/centrica

If you’re full of energy, fired up about sustainability, and ready to craft not only a better tomorrow, but a better you, then come and find your purpose in a team where your voice matters, your growth is non-negotiable, and your ambitions are our priority.

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