Head of Strategic Projects – Private Wire
Our client is a well-capitalised and rapidly growing renewable energy platform that is investing heavily in distributed energy solutions across the UK. The business has already established a strong position within the commercial and industrial energy market and is now expanding its ground-mounted solar offering, with a particular focus on private wire projects and long-term corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
To support this growth, they are seeking an experienced Head of Strategic Projects – Private Wire to lead the identification, development and delivery of strategic ground-mounted solar opportunities across the UK.
This is a senior leadership role combining project origination, technical development oversight, stakeholder management and commercial delivery. The successful individual will play a key role in building and progressing a significant pipeline of private wire projects with major industrial and commercial energy users.
The Role
Reporting directly to the Chief Commercial Officer, you will be responsible for identifying, assessing and progressing strategic ground-mounted private wire opportunities across the UK.
Working closely with internal technical, legal, grid, planning, finance and delivery teams, you will lead projects through the full development lifecycle, ensuring opportunities are technically robust, commercially viable and capable of progressing to financial close and construction.
Whilst customer engagement and commercial negotiations form part of the role, the primary focus is on successfully developing and delivering strategic renewable energy projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify, assess and progress new ground-mounted private wire opportunities across the UK.
- Lead projects from initial feasibility through development, financial close and handover into construction.
- Coordinate technical, planning, grid, engineering, legal and commercial workstreams.
- Assess project feasibility from both technical and commercial perspectives.
- Develop project programmes, manage development risks and ensure projects remain on programme.
- Work alongside commercial colleagues to structure private wire agreements and long-term corporate PPAs.
- Build and maintain relationships with landowners, developers, consultants, commercial customers and delivery partners.
- Support customer discussions by providing technical and development expertise throughout the project lifecycle.
- Coordinate internal development activities including grid strategy, planning, engineering and financial modelling.
- Support investment committee approvals and project governance.
- Develop relationships with developers, landowners, EPC contractors, ICPs, DNOs and technical advisers.
- Work closely with the Chief Commercial Officer in shaping the company's wider distributed energy strategy.
Candidate Profile
We're looking for someone who combines excellent project leadership with a strong technical understanding of UK ground-mounted solar development.
You will be comfortable leading complex renewable energy developments involving multiple stakeholders, whilst possessing sufficient commercial awareness to structure opportunities that are technically deliverable and financially attractive.
You will already possess an established network across developers, landowners, consultants, corporate energy users and renewable energy professionals, together with a proven ability to lead projects from inception through to delivery.
You are likely to have experience within:
- Ground-mounted solar development.
- Distributed energy.
- Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
- Renewable energy developers.
- Infrastructure or energy investment platforms.
- The renewable energy or infrastructure team of a major land agency or property consultancy, where you have advised on or developed renewable energy projects, negotiated with landowners and developers, and built strong relationships across the market.
You will ideally demonstrate:
- Significant experience developing front-of-the-meter or private wire solar projects.
- Strong understanding of UK planning, grid connection and project development processes.
- Experience developing private wire projects and supporting the negotiation of corporate PPAs and other energy supply structures.
- Strong technical understanding of renewable energy project development.
- Existing relationships with developers, landowners, commercial and industrial energy users and key industry stakeholders.
- Strong knowledge of electricity markets, routes to market and renewable energy commercial models.
- Excellent project leadership and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary development teams.
- Ability to coordinate internal specialists and external advisers through complex project lifecycles.
- Ability to operate comfortably within a fast-growing entrepreneurial business.
To apply reach out to David Blake at Climate17, david@climate17.com