Community Renewables Manager
Younity is a joint venture between Octopus Energy and Midcounties Co-operative and we’re on a mission to ensure community energy plays a key role in the renewable energy revolution, and we need more people to make this vision a reality.
Hybrid with office locations in Warwick and London
Deadline to apply: 25/10/2024
Community energy is typically renewable wind, solar or hydropower produced at a local level by communities, with profits returning and benefiting community initiatives. Younity’s aim is to be the ethical supplier of choice for community energy groups to partner with, whilst inspiring and facilitating the growth of the community energy movement.
Learn more about community energy
Job Summary
The role holder will be a relationship manager, working closely with Community Energy Groups to encourage collaboration and innovation to help support the growth of much needed renewable energy, whilst feeding into marketing activities to create exposure for the community energy space.
Responsible for negotiating and managing Power Purchase Agreements to offtake the power the community owned renewable generators produce, offering market access and fair pricing to groups. The role holder will lead business development activity to develop new partnerships, grow Younity’s renewables portfolio and provide a solution led approach to the challenges facing the community energy sector, which will result in product development and project management opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
The post holder shall:
-
Engage and lead relationship activity with community energy groups, holding regular meetings with key stakeholders to enhance collaboration and innovation in the renewables sector
-
Input and support the team to drive change and growth for the community energy sector, and to deliver meaningful insight to both parent companies; Octopus Energy and Midcounties Co-operative
-
Keeping abreast of developing and emerging business models within the community energy sector (i.e. storage and corporate PPAs) and ensuring our approach is adapted as required, with project and product management undertaken when relevant
-
Demonstrate a structured and targeted approach to business development, identifying key prospective new business Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) sites and partnerships
-
Develop wider partnerships and collaborations to elevate community-owned renewables growth
-
Highlight and promote opportunities for Younity to assist community energy groups via financial assistance – grants (Powering Communities Fund) and loans (Community Energy Kickstart)
-
Feed into Younity’s marketing activity to increase awareness of community energy and inspire new audiences to become active in this space
-
To attend relevant networking events and represent and promote Younity and the community energy sector on internal and external platforms.
-
Manage and maintain a comprehensive database of community energy opportunities to assure visibility of potential to the business and ensuring the effective monitoring of PPA renewal timeframes for prospective sites.
-
Feeding back community energy challenges and themes to the Younity team to support new innovations and product developments.
-
Maintain a good understanding of energy industry specific, legal, political and regulatory developments, client sector and competitor trends.
-
Operate in accordance with company policies, procedures, governance processes, and regulatory frameworks. In addition to ensuring that all commercial and financial controls are observed.
-
Provide reports and period activity in line with agreed format
-
Take an active role to develop cross trading relationships and opportunities within both Octopus Energy and Midcounties Co-operative.
Candidate Profile
-
Knowledge of the UK power markets and market drivers including supply and demand fundamentals.
-
Passionate about renewable energy, sustainability and supporting communities with a self-starting attitude and own ideas to make the role their own.
-
Ability to demonstrate commercial relationship management and business development success.
-
Experience in managing and influencing a wide range of differing stakeholders with proven ability to adopt a range of influencing strategies
-
Relevant academic or vocational qualifications or equivalent or experience obtained within a commercial setting.
-
Knowledge and experience of the renewable energy sector with a strong desire to achieve results.