Appointment details

National Energy System Operator - Non-Executive Director, People and Change

Summary

• Organisation: National Energy System Operator (NESO)
• Sponsor department: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Energy
• Skills: Change Management, Human Resources
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 30 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £35,000 per annum
• Length of term: 3 Years
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 16 November 2025

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   31 October 2025

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 16 November 2025

3. Sifting date

   21 November 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   12 December 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction from the Chair

Energy is the lifeblood of society and the economy. Great Britain’s increasingly complex energy system must be planned and operated in a way that considers the interactions across electricity, gas and other forms of energy.

Consideration must also be given to the interdependence with other sectors, such as water, transport, telecommunications and industry. Traditionally, the nation’s energy system has been split into the two core areas of gas and electricity, but faced with a need for fundamental transformation, the pace of change continuing to accelerate and a clear government ambition to reach ‘Clean Power’ by 2030, a single entity has been established with responsibilities across the whole energy system.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) was launched in October 2024; a new independent, government-owned body that is now translating policy into immediate strategy across the whole system. At NESO, we are bringing together activities required to deliver the plans, markets and operations of the energy system of today and the future. This builds on the legacy experience of the Electricity System Operator, where we had extensive expertise in balancing electricity supply and demand 24/7, while making sure the networks we operated and the markets we served were prepared for the future. Bringing the broader range of activities together in one organization encourages holistic thinking on the most cost-efficient and sustainable solutions to the needs of our customers, society and the economy.

As we continue to build the skills within NESO and enhance the organisation’s governance, we are seeking a new non-executive director (NED) to join the board. As well as playing a key role in driving the organisation’s overall mission, values, and strategic direction, this NED will specifically bring the “People mindset” to the board offering critical support and challenge on NESO’s planning and recommendations.

This is an exciting time to be at the heart of what is an unprecedented move to bring an independent, impartial voice to energy system planning and operations, and ultimately work towards optimal outcomes for energy consumers. If this opportunity excites you, and you have the skills and experience we are seeking, I would be delighted to hear from you.

Dr Paul Golby CBE FREng

Chair

National Energy System Operator

Appointment description

The Board

The Board is instrumental in setting the strategic direction for the National Energy System Operator (NESO) through its ongoing evolution and the broader transformation of the energy sector. While the Executive Committee manages daily operations, the Board's focus is on strategic oversight, including the formulation and execution of long-term business strategies, objectives, and plans.

The transition from the Electricity System Operator (ESO) to the National Energy System Operator (NESO) is one of significant and complex change for the organisation. As of October 1st, 2024, NESO is established as an independent expert organisation at the centre of the UKs energy system. NESO needs to be more broadly equipped, capable of providing advice and challenge across all strategic and operational issues, against the backdrop of a highly dynamic energy environment. The Board has an important role to support the organisation as it expands in its enhanced remit. 

With both electricity and gas network planning now under one roof, NESO has an expanded remit, sitting at the heart of the government’s clean power mission. This is a pivotal moment to augment the board of directors, bringing in fresh talent to support the organisation as it takes a holistic look not just across electricity and gas, but also hydrogen, renewable generation, storage and other emerging technologies such as carbon capture usage and storage.

With the Chair, Dr Paul Golby, in place there is now a need for further strengthen the Board with the core skills required as NESO embarks on the next chapter of its transformation.

Position Overview

The incoming Non-Executive Director (NED) will help with the continuing establishment of NESO as a new business and the development of its governance as an independent advisor to Government. They will help NESO navigate heightened political, industry, and public scrutiny, including by managing increased risks and ensuring robust assurance over new processes and systems.

This position will help bring strong people focus and change agenda to the Board. NESO has significantly expanded in size and scale to take on its new remit, with over 1000 new permanent colleagues joining over the last two years (+97% increase) and a revised leadership structure now in place. We are looking for an experienced NED from Human Resources or change management background. The ideal candidate will have helped steer an organisation through significant cultural and organisational change. The scale, speed and complexity of change experience they bring is more important than an immediate knowledge or background in the energy or utility sector. An individual from a different or more diverse sector background could help bring a wider perspective to the role.

It is anticipated that the successful individual will join the Board’s Remuneration Committee and potentially in due course take over as its Chair.

It is not essential that the NED has previous experience in Energy or Utilities, but a sector that has been subject to considerable change in a fast moving, perhaps regulated (e.g. Aviation, automotive and others), and high-profile environment.

The NED should build strong relationships with the Chair, fellow NEDs, and executive directors, fostering a culture of transparency and effective communication. Finally, the NED will be expected to support the organisation’s mission, values, and strategic direction, while ensuring that the organisation’s activities uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct and accountability.

Board Composition

The Board is composed of a dynamic mix and vibrant group of individuals, each bringing a wealth of experience and a commitment to excellence in governance and strategic oversight. Please see Appendix 1 for an overview of the current NESO Board of Directors.

Principal Accountabilities

The NED will have a number of key responsibilities in addition to the overview above:

• Strategic Oversight: Offer independent and informed perspectives on NESO operations, infusing the Board with external expertise and insights on governance, as well as boardroom best practices. Contribute to long-term business strategy, aligning with NESO’s mission amid significant change. Work closely with the Executive Committee to set strategic priorities, monitor industry trends, and adapt strategies to evolving market and regulatory landscapes. Emphasise innovation and sustainability in strategic planning.

• Strategic Evaluation: Assess significant strategic initiatives, leveraging their unique expertise to input into Board decision-making. Ensure that board decisions are informed by diverse perspectives and rigorous analysis, while remaining aligned with long-term organisational goals.

• Management Support: Act as a sounding board for the CEO, CFO and other Executive Directors, offering insights on complex issues and strategic dilemmas. Facilitate open communication and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

• Performance Accountability: As part of the Board, hold management accountable for the NESO's financial and operational performance, ensuring the achievement of business plans, stakeholder interests and regularly review performance metrics, financial reports, and operational updates to ensure that the organisation meets its strategic objectives. Provide constructive feedback and challenge management on performance and strategy execution.

• Governance and Compliance: Uphold the highest standards of governance and regulatory compliance, ensuring the NESO's strategies and operations align with legal and regulatory frameworks.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Represent NESO to key stakeholders, including regulators, industry bodies, and government entities, as needed. Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, advocate for the organisation’s interests, and ensure that stakeholder perspectives are considered in board deliberations. Promote transparency and trust in all stakeholder interactions.

The Candidate:

The candidate will be independently minded, possess integrity, and build a respectful relationship with other Board members. They should have the capacity to analyse complex information and share best practices when appropriate. Candidates must maintain independence and have no conflicts of interest, whilst committing to the highest ethical standards outlined in Seven Principles of Public Life – selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.

Person specification

Essential criteria

To ensure a well-rounded Board, we seek candidates who possess the following qualifications and experiences:

·       Knowledge: a clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of the National Energy Systems Operator, and the context within which it operates.

·       Experience: a strong track record of delivering significant organisational change and embedding positive organisational culture as a senior leader within the private, public or voluntary sectors. Knowledge of remuneration best practice would be beneficial.

·       Relationship building: ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, including with Ministers, Senior Government officials and external stakeholders including regulators and industry. 

·       Communication: strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenge and constructively challenge others in discussions with clarity and respect.

·       Judgement: effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations to support the delivery of the organisation's objectives. 

·       Collaboration: ability to work closely with the board and other key stakeholders, providing support, constructive challenge and assurance as appropriate.

Application and selection process

About this appointment

Some public appointments are made by the Prime Minister, or the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Others are made by Secretaries of State or other ministers and are of interest to the Prime Minister.

Public appointments made by or of interest to the Prime Minister

How to apply

For further information about the position and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service and how to apply, please submit your full application by email to: nesoapp@heidrick.com

You will need to submit an up to date CV and covering letter, and you will be asked to complete the mandatory diversity and conflicts of interest declaration form. 

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

• Paul Golby, NESO Chair
• Hannah Nixon, NESO Senior Independent Director
• Siobhán Duffy, Shareholder Representative Director

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact: nesoapp@heidrick.com

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of the Chair and Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.  

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

Please contact nesoapp@heidrick.com if you have any further questions. 

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact nesoapp@heidrick.com  if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

UK Government Investments and The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Heidrick & Struggles will use your data in line with our privacy policies attached:

UKGI Privacy Notice

DESNZ Privacy Policy 

Heidrick & Struggles Privacy Policy

Contact details

Please contact nesoapp@heidrick.com if you require any additional information