Sector Specialist (Energy Solutions / Electrical)

Position

Sector Specialist (Energy Solutions / Electrical)

Reporting to

Sector Lead

Location

Chatham, Manchester or Elephant & Castle, London

Department

Business Development, UK Power Networks Services

Reference Number

76105

Employment Period

Permanent

CiP/Bonus Level

5%

Salary

£43,277 + car + benefits

Closing Date

05/02/2023

All applications will be reviewed after the closing date

We also provide the following additional benefits

Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%) Tenancy Loan Deposit scheme Tax efficient benefits: cycle to work scheme Season ticket loan Occupational Health support Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers products. Supplier discounts, such as O2, EE, Vauxhall cars, Universal tyres Discounted access to sports and social clubs Employee Assistance Programme.

JOB PURPOSE:

UK Power Networks Services (UKPN Services) are a separate directorate within UK Power Networks that operates outside the core regulated business, it employs 390 and has an annual turnover of £150m.

UKPN Services are experts in power distribution and distributed energy solutions, operating throughout the United Kingdom, providing asset management of high voltage electrical infrastructure of national significance and criticality – the scope of which includes design, build, finance, operate and maintain, notably in rail, aviation and defence.

UKPN Services are part of UK Power Networks, a Distribution Network Operator, who owns and maintains electricity cables and lines across London, the South-East and East of England, providing power to a quarter of the United Kingdom’s population, employing 6,000 people.

UK Power Networks are owned by the Cheung Kong Group, one of the largest investors in the United Kingdom, who employ 300,000 people across 52 countries, who embody proven expertise in running high-quality infrastructure companies. In the United Kingdom they deliver critical services through companies including Northumbrian Water, Northern Gas Networks, Wales & West Utilities, and telecommunications company, Three.

UKPN Services require an experienced professional to assume responsibility for seeking, developing and securing growth opportunities in identified market segments and / or geographical regions. The purpose of the role is to develop and promote multiple energy solutions to new and existing clients to optimise, integrate, and aggregate their existing and new electrical resources.

Our solutions include all aspects of electrical infrastructure with a strong focus on new and emerging technologies including Battery Storage, Microgrids, Electric Vehicle infrastructure, Virtual Power Plants (VPP), Demand Side Management, Distributed Generation including renewables, operation and maintenance, capital projects (including contestable connection works) and asset financing.

Our clients will seek benefit from lower costs, increase revenue streams, immunisation of supply, improved resilience and become more energy independent with a decreasing carbon profile.

The Sector Specialist will be responsible for all aspects of key account management including developing the market segment / regional analysis, creating the sales pipeline and leading client engagement from pre-sales, bidding, through to successful close and handover to the Delivery Team.

The Sector Specialist will work under the instruction of the Sector Lead and will interface with the various stakeholders as required. The role will require significant travel to meet with clients.

DIMENSIONS:

Payroll costs: £0

Staff: 0

NATURE AND SCOPE:

The Sector Specialist should be able to effectively lead teams both with and without direct line responsibility to achieve a high win conversion rate, by both number and value.

The individual will need to be self-motivated and able to work with minimum supervision. They must be a good communicator with excellent inter-personal skills and must represent UKPN Services’ company values with both internal and external stakeholders. They will also need to have good relationship skills and the ability to make a positive contribution to the successful delivery of targets.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Responsible for leading and acquiring sales growth through existing and new market segments, key accounts and accounts, ultimately becoming a market champion and thought leader in the markets assigned. Lead the development of comprehensive market segment analysis and implement action plans to develop and deliver growth. Provide the leadership for the identified segment Market Team. Work with the marketing team to develop and adapt sales collateral to explain UKPN Services’ value position to the owned market segments and / or geographical regions. Work with the Consulting Team to develop and improve the Solution Offerings to take to market. Develop a key account plan, captured into a Miller Heiman ‘Gold Sheet’ that articulates how target clients will be developed over time to provide an ever-increasing revenue line. Identify opportunities, create solutions and pitch to the clients unsolicited proposals in response to a business need. Develop and maintain a detailed sales pipeline for all identified single sales opportunities – unsolicited and advertised - with a minimum order intake value of £500k for key accounts and £50k for regional sales, to secure an annual order intake of at least £5 million. Actively pursue approved single sales opportunities (unsolicited and advertised) from prospect to close, manage both external and internal activities necessary to secure a win. Secure internal support to pursue the identified opportunities (Gate 0 and A approval). Understand and resolve complex technical, strategic and business issues – to arrive at an opportunity winning strategy and capture this into a Miller Heiman ‘Blue Sheet’ for opportunities with a value of £500k or above. Identify the win themes – features and benefits that shape a proposal being made to a client. Establish the price to win strategy. Develop collaborative business relationships (alliance, unincorporated joint venture, incorporated joint venture, special purpose vehicle) with strategic market players and customer relevant smart technology businesses to enhance the probability of a win. Lead the governance process for the submission of an offer (Gate B), negotiations and close of sales (Gate C). Attend and support the business development team’s successful participation in relevant conferences and trade shows, including making presentations and speaking at such events. Conduct detailed won/loss analysis for all prospects to improve competitive knowledge base, and routinely publish the data to the Head of Markets.

SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPEREINCE:

Making Decisions and problem solving:

Comfortable in making tough strategic decisions that have a significant business impact. Able to make decisions understanding the broader consequences they may have on internal and external stakeholders. Makes complex decisions promptly, sometimes with limited information. Remains focused and resilient in the face of uncertainty and obstacles. Takes a systematic proactive approach to defining and analysing problems and risks. Promotes a team culture to solve problems.

Leadership capability:

Takes ownership of setting the vision and strategy for capturing an opportunity. Role models the required values and leadership culture – ‘walks the talk’. Influences widely to gain support for decisions. Interacts in a way that fosters integrity, respect and confidence in their capability and competence.

Communication:

Communicates complex issues in a credible and influential manner. Effectively informs and influences significant internal and external stakeholders. Handles complex issues in an articulate and non-controversial manner. Effectively resolves client’s expectations with a pragmatic approach to realistic timescales, price and deliverables.

Building an effective project team:

Creates and leads a culture of open and constructive challenge. Ensures that the opportunity capture team understand performance and strive to continuously improve. Shares and brings in best practice from wider sources, businesses, and industries. Is able to adapt the capture team as an opportunity progresses through its lifecycle. Consciously manages the team development needs and succession planning.

Collaborative working:

Achieves ‘best for programme’ collaboration. Lobbies and influences to achieve positive outcomes for UKPN Services. Challenges in a respectful and constructive manner to achieve the most favourable outcomes. Seeks to enhance the reputation of UKPN Services. Promotes a culture where collaborative working is essential. Understand and works to the spirit of ISO44001 ‘Collaborative Business Relations Management Systems.

Managing Risk:

Sets the strategic direction to risk management policy, procedures, and process. Creates a culture of openness in relations to risk management to drive improvement. Instigates processes and practices to mitigate identified risks.

Efficiency / Continuous Improvement:

Leads and influences a culture of quality and efficiency improvement. Coaches the opportunity capture team to understand and contribute to the efficiency / continuous improvement strategy.

Customer Focus:

Leads and sets a customer focused culture.

Qualifications (Desirable):

Educated to degree standard or equivalent. Proposal Management qualification (APMP). Professional membership of an appropriate institute (APMP or CIM). Chartered Electrical Engineer.

Experience:

Demonstrable business development experience (3-5 years) in a business-to-business environment. A track record of leading high performance opportunity capture teams. Proven capability in delivering winning opportunities for complex product and service opportunities. A strong background in business development from opportunity identification through to project hand over at contract signature. Must be able to develop strategies to qualify opportunities, articulate win strategies, lead commercial discussions and specify solution designs. A practical understanding of the new and emerging energy technology market and the relevant market players. Have proven ability to manage complex, multi-work stream opportunities. Experience in feasibility studies and business case development. Solid understanding and implementation of internal governance procedures. Demonstrable experience presenting in open forums.

Please Note: Internal candidates are eligible to apply for internal positions once they have successfully completed any contractual probationary period.

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they fully understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and particularly where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

Employees need to be aware that for some craft and operational roles that work at height, or use fall arrest devices, there is an upper weight limit of 116Kg due to maximum safe working load of the safety equipment that is used.

If in doubt ask!

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.