Head of Projects

National Grid; Bristol, Exeter, Bodmin, Redruth; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy provider in the UK is seeking a Head of Projects to manage the Primary distribution systems and Major Projects in the South West. The role requires exceptional leadership skills and experience in managing large projects, overseeing budgets, and ensuring compliance. This position offers a full-time opportunity with significant responsibilities to deliver to stakeholders and manage a large team. Candidates should be adaptable and innovative leaders committed to achieving results.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in the electricity or regulated industries.
• Experience managing large engineering or construction teams.
• Track record of managing large capital infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a team of Managers.
• Manage major capital projects from end to end.
• Deliver exceptional customer service in the Distribution Area.
• Drive a strong safety culture across all operations.
• Embed governance and compliance in all projects.

Skills

Exceptional people leadership skills

Financial management expertise

Ability to influence stakeholders

Strong project management skills

Job description

This range is provided by National Grid. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

Direct message the job poster from National Grid

Recruitment Business Partner at National Grid

Job Introduction

An exciting opportunity is available for a Head of Projects to manage the Primary distribution systems and Major Projects within our South West Electricity Distribution network area.

Reporting to the Major Projects Director you will take ownership of a significant portfolio of investment and regulated funding, managing projects and programmes end to end to ensure deliverables meet or exceed stakeholder expectations. This includes long‑term forward planning up to 10 years ahead, and overseeing all project phases from mobilisation, design, build, commission through to benefits realization.

Your responsibilities will also extend to certain operational programmes such as faults that will need to be developed, operated and maintained efficiently and in compliance with legislation, policies and standards.

As the Head of the Projects you will work closely with the PMO to influence and align project delivery practices and methodologies, ensuring best practice is embedded and role‑modelled within your region. Each region has a Major Projects capital spend exceeding 0.5 BN over the next five years, making this a high‑impact leadership role.

You’ll be an exceptional leader of people, leading a large team to maintain the 132 kV network and minimise customer minutes lost, whilst driving performance and delivering outstanding results for our customers and stakeholders.

You’ll be based in the South West of England, ensuring strong visibility and connection with your teams. Regular travel is needed to key Major Projects sites in Bristol, Weston‑super‑Mare, Exeter, Bodmin, and Redruth.

When severe weather strikes, you’ll play a vital role. This position requires flexibility to be available during unplanned events like storms or flooding, working alongside colleagues to deploy resources and restore power supplies—keeping customers connected across our licence areas.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a team of Managers and operational functions, fostering engagement and high performance.
• Set clear objectives, monitor performance, and control all Primary Distribution activities within the region.
• Deliver exceptional customer service, ensuring customers in the Distribution Area receive the highest level of service.
• Develop and manage budgets, coordinating Capital and Revenue plans and controlling expenditure effectively.
• Drive a strong safety culture, embedding best practices across all operations.
• Manage major capital projects/programmes from end to end, ensuring delivery against time, cost and quality targets.
• Design and implement a new operating model, overseeing sign‑off and successful execution.
• Embrace, implement and embed best practice governance and controls in partnership with the PMO.
• Translate strategic business plans into operational delivery plans, including making decisions on insourcing versus outsourcing.
• Oversee the full project lifecycle, from appointing project leaders to project closure.
• Define WBS and support schedule creation across all programme types.
• Track and report on project performance, including forecasting, baseline scheduling, resource loading, cost to complete, variance analysis and lessons learned.
• Ensure effective risk, issue, opportunity and engagement management throughout all programmes.
• Embed governance and compliance, including gating performance reporting insights.
• Monitor contractual compliance across all projects and champion best practice and consistency across the wider matrix organisation.

Ideal Candidate

• Exceptional people leadership skills, with experience managing large engineering or construction teams, both insourced and outsourced.
• Proven experience in the electricity, energy or other regulated industries, combined with the ability to influence stakeholders at a senior level in both matrix and non‑matrix environments including customers, partners and suppliers.
• Strong project, programme or portfolio leadership with a track record of managing contracts and planning large capital infrastructure projects. Ideally, you’ll also be confident in data analysis and using insights to drive decisions.
• Financial management expertise, including developing and managing budgets, coordinating capital and revenue plans.
• A change leader at heart – curious, adaptable, and always looking for innovative ways to help us achieve more.

Interviews are planned for w/c 15 Dec

About Us

We’re National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), the owner and operator behind the electricity distribution systems for the Midlands, the Southwest of England and South Wales. Serving communities of more than 8 million people, our expert teams deliver heat, light and power for homes and businesses.

National Grid employs over 29,000 people worldwide. We build an inclusive workplace, a place actively celebrate the cultures, personalities and preferences of our colleagues, who in turn help build the success of our business and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Our vision is to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future and we are doing this in a fast‑moving industry with an increasing focus on tackling climate change, exploring new energy sources that are renewable, low‑carbon and improve efficiency to meet demand.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full‑time

Job function

• Management, Engineering and Project Management
• Industries: Utilities, Electric Power Transmission, Control and Distribution, and Electric Power Generation