Chief of Staff

Job Title: Chief of Staff (Band E)

Salary: £130,000 - £150,000

Location: Aberdeen/Edinburgh/Homeworking

Reporting to: CEO

Number of Roles Available: 1

Company Overview:

Join Great British Energy and be part of powering the UK’s Clean Energy Future.

At GBE, we’re not just building an energy company – we’re shaping the future of the UK’s energy landscape.

Our mission is clear:

- Drive clean energy deployment across the UK as a strategic developer, investor, and owner of renewable projects
- Deliver benefits for communities and taxpayers, ensuring the clean energy transition creates jobs, boosts local economies, and increases public ownership
- We focus on innovation, sustainability, and impact, working on projects that matter – from large-scale national renewable investments to empowering local and community energy initiatives.

Joining GBE means

- Purpose-driven work Be part of a national effort to accelerate the clean energy transition
- Career growth Opportunities to develop expertise in cutting-edge energy technologies and strategic investment
- Collaboration and flexibility Work with passionate professionals in a dynamic, forward-thinking environment

If you want to make a real difference and help power a greener, fairer future for the UK, GBE is the place for you.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

About the Role:

The Chief of Staff is a senior leadership role, accountable for increasing the CEO’s effectiveness and organisational impact, creating capacity for the CEO to focus on GBE’s most important strategic, commercial and external priorities.

Acting with delegated authority from the CEO, the post holder will act as a trusted adviser and senior extension of the CEO. They will bring significant energy and renewables sector experience, test the substance, strategic choices, trade-offs and organisational consequences of important papers, proposals and briefings before they reach the CEO, ensuring the analysis is robust, the implications are understood and the decision required is clear. Where material is not ready, they will provide clear feedback and return it for further work.

The Chief of Staff will maintain a clear view across GBE, helping the CEO focus on the areas where their attention will make the greatest difference. They will lead or sponsor the resolution of significant cross-cutting issues, clarifying ownership and securing collective action while preserving accountability with the relevant Executive Leadership Team member.

The role will also lead GBE’s senior relationship with the Sponsorship Team, supported by the Head of Executive Office.

The Chief of Staff will agree the outcomes and performance required from the Executive Office with the Head of Executive Office to ensure accountability and effectiveness of the function.

They will also line manage the Head of Shareholder Relations, who will lead political relationship-building across government and other political parties.

Key Responsibilities:

CEO Advice and Support: Act as a trusted adviser and senior extension of the CEO, providing sound judgement, candid advice and constructive challenge.

CEO Capacity and Prioritisation: Help the CEO focus their time and attention on the issues, decisions and relationships that matter most, resolving or redirecting matters within agreed delegated authority.

Strategic and Commercial Challenge: Use significant energy and renewables sector expertise to assess and challenge the strategic, commercial, investment and delivery implications of major proposals before they reach the CEO, determining whether they are ready for executive decision.

Quality of Advice: Challenge weak evidence, unclear choices, unresolved trade-offs or recommendations that are not ready for decision, requiring further work where needed.

Cross-organisational Priorities: Lead or sponsor the resolution of significant cross-cutting issues where ownership is unclear or collective delivery is at risk, while preserving the accountability of the relevant executive.

Enterprise Leadership: Maintain a clear view across GBE, advising the CEO where intervention, reprioritisation or a change in approach is required.

Sponsorship Relationship: Lead GBE’s senior strategic relationship with the Sponsorship Team, acting as the senior point of escalation and ensuring potential areas of concern are addressed early.

Representation and Influence: Represent the CEO in significant internal and external discussions where specifically delegated, securing agreed outcomes and escalating material matters appropriately.

Leadership and Governance: Work closely with the Chair, Company Secretary and Executive Leadership Team to support effective leadership, governance and collective decision-making.

Senior Leadership and Coordination: Provide leadership and oversight of the Head of Executive Office and Head of Shareholder Relations, ensuring the CEO receives effective, joined-up support. Maintain alignment across the Executive Office and shareholder relations functions, and hold both roles accountable for performance and delivery within their areas of accountability.

Essential:

- Significant senior experience in the energy or renewables sector, with the credibility and knowledge to assess strategic, commercial, investment and delivery proposals.
- Substantial experience operating at executive or equivalent enterprise leadership level, with authority to challenge senior leaders and influence decisions across organisational boundaries.
- Experience working closely with a CEO or equivalent senior leader in a complex organisation.
- Proven ability to review, challenge and improve high-level papers, proposals and recommendations before executive decision.
- Strong judgement and the confidence to provide constructive challenge to senior colleagues.
- Ability to absorb complex information quickly, distinguish what matters and translate it into clear advice and decisions.
- A strong track record of leading significant enterprise-wide priorities or interventions involving competing executive interests, material organisational risk and delivery through others.
- Strong relationship-building skills and experience managing important institutional or government-facing relationships.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience leading and developing senior colleagues or a high-performing team.
- Discretion, resilience and integrity when handling sensitive matters.

Desirable:

- Experience in a Chief of Staff, senior executive adviser or comparable role.
- Detailed knowledge of the UK energy policy, investment or regulatory environment.
- Experience working with government, an arm’s-length body, public corporation or government sponsorship team.
- Experience supporting a Board and Chair.
- Experience in a new, scaling or rapidly changing organisation.

What We Offer:

- Competitive base salary
- Performance-related bonus scheme
- Excellent pension scheme
- 4x salary life assurance
- Group income protection
- 38 days annual leave
- Flexible working arrangements
- Ongoing professional development and training
- Supportive, inclusive working environment

Equal Opportunities Statement:

GB Energy is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals. Recruitment decisions are made on merit, based on skills, experience and qualifications, and we are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates.

Research shows that some people are less likely to apply for a role unless they meet every requirement listed in the advert. We don't expect any candidate to tick every box. If you're excited about this opportunity and believe you can make a positive contribution, we'd love to hear from you. We value different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives, and we know that talent can be demonstrated in many ways. If you have most of the skills, experience or potential we're looking for, we encourage you to apply and let us decide together whether this role could be a great fit for you.

GBE has Disability Confident Committed status. This means that we have committed to making sure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible.

How to Apply:

For further information please contact:

- Ciara Lynn
- Lead Sourcing Specialist
- [email protected]
- [email protected]

Application Close Date: 27th October