Operations Manager

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Job Purpose / Overview

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day operational performance of the Thorpe Marsh BESS asset.

The role is not responsible for construction delivery but is accountable for ensuring operational readiness ahead of Commercial Operation Date (COD), and for leading safe, reliable and commercially optimised operations post-COD.

The Station Director retains overall accountability for the site, including safety, compliance, financial performance and governance. The Operations Manager operates under this framework and is accountable for the execution and delivery of operational performance, availability and contractor integration.

The role ensures the asset operates safely, compliantly and at optimal commercial performance, while building and leading a high-performing operations team.

The Operations Manager provides operational leadership across all site functions and works in close coordination with the appointed HV Electrical Manager and SHEQ Manager.

Contextual Information

This role is a member of the site Leadership team and reports to the Station Director.

Principal Accountabilities

Operational Readiness (Pre-COD)

• Develop and implement the operational readiness plan for the BESS site.
• Establish site operating procedures, emergency response arrangements and operational governance frameworks in coordination with the HV and HSQE Managers. Ensure compliance with UK regulatory requirements, including interface with NationalGrid Electricity Transmission (NGET) and National Energy System Operator (NESO).
• Define and execute the Operational Acceptance and Asset Handover process, ensuring formal transfer of risk, warranty protection and performance baseline establishment.
• Oversee mobilisation of O&M contractors and long-term service agreement providers.
• Ensure SCADA/EMS systems are operationally fit for purpose and reporting requirements are defined.
• Support commissioning and energisation from an operational acceptance perspective.
• Define spare parts strategy and asset management processes.
• Develop operational budgets, workforce planning and lifecycle maintenance planning.
• Build performance monitoring frameworks and KPIs ahead of go-live.
• Establish the site operational risk register and business continuity framework, integrating inputs from HV and HSQE functions.

Post-COD Operations

• Take full operational leadership of the BESS asset following handover.
• Ensure safe, reliable and efficient site performance.
• Maximise asset availability and revenue performance in UK energy markets (e.g., ancillary services, capacity market, balancing services).
• Act as the primary operational coordination point with National Energy System Operator (NESO) for dispatch and market participation, and maintain effective operational interface with National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET)
• Monitor battery performance, degradation, and warranty compliance.
• Lead performance analysis and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage O&M contractors and OEM relationships, holding providers accountable to SLAs and contractual performance obligations.
• Provide operational oversight of HV activities, ensuring alignment with switching governance and compliance maintained by the HV Manager. Manage operational expenditure and site-level budgets.
• Lead incident investigations and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Responsible for maintaining site security, through management of security resource and contract personnel.

People Leadership & Team Management

• Build, lead and develop the site operations team (e.g., Shift Team Leaders & Site Technicians).
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, and competency requirements.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and workforce planning in collaboration with HR.
• Set individual objectives aligned to asset performance KPIs.
• Conduct performance reviews and support ongoing development planning.
• Establish a strong safety-first culture and visible leadership presence on site.
• Provide technical coaching and mentoring to develop in-house capability.
• Foster a collaborative working relationship between internal teams, contractors, and commercial stakeholders.
• Manage team rota planning, out-of-hours escalation processes, and on-call arrangements where applicable.

Health Safety & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture in line with UK statutory requirements.
• Ensure compliance with:
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Environmental permitting requirements (where applicable)
• Maintain site authorisation registers and competency frameworks.
• Ensure audit readiness at all times.

This list is not exhaustive:

Dimensions

• Direct reports - x13

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong knowledge of UK Grid Code and distribution code compliance.
• Strong understanding of HV systems and switching practices.
• Experience managing third-party O&M providers.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Strong HSE leadership capability.
• Structured decision-making under pressure.
• Incident command capability in high-consequence operational environments.
• Commercial awareness within UK energy markets.
• Ability to lead incident investigations using UK-recognised methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, TapRooT, root-cause analysis).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Engineering degree or equivalent technical qualification.
• Direct BESS operational experience.
• Experience with EMS/SCADA platforms.
• IOSH membership (GradIOSH or CMIOSH preferred).
• Demonstrable experience building or leading operational teams.
• Experience managing direct reports and contractor teams in a technical environment.
• Experience interfacing with NGET / NESO.
• Demonstrable experience in operational readiness / asset handover.
• Strong HSE leadership capability.

Desirable

• Post graduate management/leadership qualification.
• Chartered membership of a professional institution.
• Senior Authorised Person (SAP) experience.

Key Competencies

• Operational leadership
• People management and team development
• Contractor performance management
• Risk and compliance oversight
• Commercial awareness within UK energy markets
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Structured decision-making under pressure