3430 - Head of Energy Networks

Job summary

Shape Wales’s Energy Future
This role sits within the Energy Division, part of the Economy, Energy and Transport Group—a high-profile, fast-moving team at the forefront of delivering Net Zero Wales and driving green growth. Our work is central to reducing emissions from power and heat, securing new renewable generation, and ensuring energy infrastructure supports prosperity and wellbeing across Wales.

Energy underpins economic success, and Welsh Government is leading the way with long-term energy planning to give clarity on future needs. This work helps network companies design and deliver a modern, integrated energy system for Wales.

Job description

As Lead for Network Liaison, you’ll represent Wales in UK-wide infrastructure planning, working closely with UK Government, delivery bodies, and partners to ensure Welsh priorities are embedded in national plans. You’ll coordinate across Welsh Government and delivery agents to shape decisions on network investment and design. This is a strategic role requiring strong knowledge of energy networks and how they are planned, designed, delivered and regulated.

If you want to influence major infrastructure decisions, work on high-impact projects, and help Wales transition to a low-carbon future, this is your opportunity to make a real difference.

Person specification

• Drive delivery of network plans that enable new demand and renewable generation in Wales, building strong relationships with senior leaders in network companies to keep plans aligned with Welsh Government priorities.
• Represent Wales in UK-wide forums, working with the National Energy System Operator to embed Welsh requirements and secure innovation funding.
• Lead the Welsh response to the Independent Advisory Group on Future Electricity Grid, delivering evidence to help people understand and get involved in new network proposals.
• Champion community engagement in low-carbon network delivery and integrate network plans with statutory planning. Collaborate with partners across Wales and the UK to develop new funding models for integrated energy systems that connect communities with renewables and retain benefits locally.
• Establish robust governance for projects, ensuring they are well-supported and successfully delivered.
• Provide trusted advice to Ministers and senior officials, lead external engagement, and share learning to build expertise across the Division.
• Line manage one person, promoting high performance, organisational values, and team motivation.
• Contribute to energy resilience planning and support the effective leadership of the energy delivery team.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical understanding of the energy system in Great Britain and how energy networks are designed and developed.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:2 stage processStage 1Application FormStage 2Interview

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : YmatebionYnni-EnergyResponses@gov.wales
• Email : YmatebionYnni-EnergyResponses@gov.wales

Recruitment team

• Email : Sharedservicehelpdesk@gov.wales

Further information

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales. Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk.