Station Director

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Job Purpose / Overview

This role has responsibility for the safe, efficient and reliable operation, maintenance and overall asset management strategy for Thorpe Marsh BESS Energy Park (1400MW BESS) and West Burton C BESS (500MW BESS) (the "Sites").

Contextual Information

Operating Environment

Fidra is to deploy a mixed insourcing/outsourcing model in respect of its operational strategy, developing its own asset management and commercial expertise to complement strategic partnerships with key suppliers.

The Station Director has overall accountability for the safe, sustainable and profitable operation and maintenance of the Fidra Sites including supporting these projects into commercial operations.

The Station Director will be responsible for the development of the organisational model and the recruitment of all site staff at the Sites.

The Station Director must have knowledge of the GB energy market environment in which the Sites operate to drive decisions to optimise business performance, monitor controllable costs and to initiate and implement cost effective long-term investment. Additionally, the Station Director should support investment decisions at the Sites including augmentation and duration expansion opportunities (such as Thorpe Marsh's 50MW expansion opportunity).

The Station Director must also develop and nurture relationships with external stakeholders including shareholders, project lenders / their advisers, contractors, local government officials, trade union representatives and other members of local communities whose support is essential in ensuring the site continues to deliver industry leading performance across key performance indicators.

The Station Director will have responsibility for the management of key contractor relationships including but not limited to the long-term service arrangements with Sungrow and H&MV.

Principal Accountabilities

• Ensure the highest level of safety standards and operational and environmental compliance are applied at all times.
• Leadership of the Sites working alongside the Executive Leadership Team to meet the business objectives and key performance indicators established by the Fidra Group Board.
• Design and implement the Organisational Model for operation and maintenance of the Sites including development and execution of a hiring plan working alongside the HR Director.
• Responsible for ensuring the safe operation of personnel and plant across the Sites, with full accountability for the development, implementation, maintenance, and regular review of all processes and procedures in alignment with best practices.
• Support the Fidra Construction Team to achieve commercial operations at the Sites including but not limited to the development and implementation of a handover plan and snagging lists and supporting the Construction Team's commissioning and compliance activities.
• Responsible for overseeing the annual performance and compliance tests to be undertaken by the key contractors in accordance with Fidra's legal and contractual obligations including under the Sungrow and H&MV long term service agreements, off-take contracts and the Capacity Market agreements.
• Recruit and lead a highly motivated, capable and innovative Site team. Developing and retaining talent while driving a performance management culture through focused staff engagement, competency development training and an open and transparent approach.
• Full accountability and responsibility for the design and delivery of the annual operating budget and business plan focussed on achieving operational excellence, delivering maintenance activities on schedule and budget, ensuring unplanned maintenance events are minimised.
• Lead, design and execute the long term asset management and engineering strategy for the Assets including the augmentation strategy effectively communicating/engaging all site employees to deliver these strategies.
• Lead the continuous improvement strategy for the sites working closely with the Executive Leadership Team in the design, formulation and delivery of these initiatives.
• Responsible for ensuring and demonstrating compliance with all statutory and contractual obligations affecting the sites through liaison with statutory authorities and procedures to ensure identification, mitigation and control of risk.
• Support the Growth and Strategy team to deliver expansion opportunities at the Sites.
• Responsible for the commercial management of contracts with key suppliers for outsourced operations, maintenance and other services.
• Accountable for the management of ongoing relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, customers and suppliers in order to identify and deliver added value solutions that benefit the business, including effective contract management, regulatory compliance, business development and commercial optimisation.

This list is not exhaustive:

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Excellent leadership attributes, with strong team and relationship building skills
• Previous operational experience on large scale transmission generation and/or storage assets
• A strong track-record in:
• managing and delivering complex business change involving multi-disciplined teams
• forming and/or developing teams and driving staff performance
• business and financial planning and management
• Proven ability to:
• manage a multi-disciplinary operations, engineering and maintenance team
• manage personal and interpersonal issues; and
• manage health, safety, environmental compliance
• Proven capability to manage and influence stakeholders at all levels of the business to gain support for and effectively deliver plans
• Strong networks within the industry including suppliers, consultants and others supporting the BESS sector
• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills

Desirable

• Previous leadership experience on large-scale transmission connected BESS.
• Working knowledge of Grid Compliance Process for BESS
• Working knowledge of ISO (or similar) certification process for operations

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Engineering Degree
• Minimum of 5 years' experience of Station Management
• Minimum Health and Safety accreditation NEBOSH Managing Safely

Desirable

• Post Graduate qualification in management or business
• Member of appropriate professional engineering institution and Chartered Engineer or equivalent
• BESS Maintenance and Operations Experience