An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Customer Relationship Manager within the Strategic Customer Relationship Management team based at Castle Donington or Birmingham.The role involves supporting the development and delivery of exceptional customer engagement for customers who are connecting to our National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) networks across England and Wales. You will develop and maintain long-term relationships with customers in key segments including electricity generators, demand users (e.g. data centres and housing developers), and other networks (including independent network operators). Additionally, you will partner with customers to achieve their business objectives and collaborate with internal stakeholders to address challenges and drive necessary improvements in process and capabilities.Success in this role will enhance our sector leadership, influence, and reputation. It will also improve the visibility of connection applications, help with system planning through horizon scanning for emerging trends, and enable the delivery of an ambitious connections strategy in support of Net Zero outcomes.The successful candidate will have the chance to make an impact across NGED, the National Grid Group, and the wider energy sector. You should be passionate about providing an excellent customer experience for connecting customers, ambitious to contribute to the UK's shift to Net Zero carbon, experienced in leading change, and skilled in stakeholder management.A degree level education is essential for this role also a full UK driving license.Evidence of your qualifications will be required prior to appointment.Depending on experience, you may initially be appointed at a lower salary until all relevant courses and training are complete.The role offers hybrid working with extensive travel between NGED’s licence areas, primarily in the East and West Midlands, but also to the South West, South Wales, and London. Flexible working arrangements will be considered.About UsWe’re National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), the owner and operator behind the electricity distribution systems for the Midlands, the Southwest of England and South Wales. Serving communities of more than 8 million people, our expert teams deliver heat, light and power for homes and businesses.National Grid employs over 29,000 people worldwide. We are building an inclusive workplace, a place to actively celebrate the cultures, personalities and preferences of our colleagues – who in turn help to build the success of our business and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Our vision is to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future and we are doing this in a fast-moving industry with an increasing focus on tackling climate change, exploring new energy sources that are renewable, low carbon, and improve efficiency to meet demand.Main ResponsibilitiesDevelop and deliver customer relationship management for current and future customer segments:Develop and implement customer engagement plans that define how we will build relationships and develop strategic partnerships with our key customers (generators, demand and storage) for specific customer segments (e.g. IDNOs, ICPs and Housing Developers). Through building strong and lasting partnerships with key customers, develop intelligence and insights to be utilised in improving the customer experience, whilst driving value for internal processes and capabilities.Serve as the critical link of communication between key customers/segments and internal teams, effectively prioritising initiatives through the balancing of customer needs with internal resources and capabilities.Develop in-depth knowledge of customers’ businesses to understand their strategic objectives, and leverage knowledge of NGED to determine how best deliver the best customer outcomes. Effectively manage multiple customer/customer segmentation plans, keeping these on track and communicating to customers to clearly manage expectations.Develop a strong network of stakeholder relationships to drive the change and deliver excellent customer experience:Identify the interfaces across NGED business unit teams, Functions, the Executive and Group that will play a key role in delivering solutions to our strategic customers that address their needs/challenges. Establish ways of working and processes to collaborate effectively and deliver the right outcomes for customers and our business and develop strong, influential relationships with them.Work with colleagues to ensure effective co-ordination of stakeholder engagement to maximise our impact, influence, and lobbying on driving change for our customers. Effectively balance the delivery of excellent customer experience with NGED commercial interests:Understand customer requirements and deliver fit-for-purpose solutions that balance customer needs and National Grid’s commercial interests. Develop systems and standard approaches for the team, leading to a strong commercial position that aligns robust commercial contracts with technical delivery capabilities.Develop opportunities, innovation, future insight and risk management:Drive out opportunities based on customer insight, market developments, technological advancements, and trends in the energy distribution, to anticipate and define customer excellence for NGED customers.Regularly benchmark NGED’s offering against competitors and aim to deliver best practice customer experiences.Assess emerging trends or innovation that are tangentially applicable to the challenges, risks and opportunities. Identify and prioritise future opportunities for customers based on the external landscape, financial business cases, ambitions and capabilities. Work across the business and functions to develop and deliver them. Address risks associated with customer plans including regulatory policy and market change, commercials impacts etc. and propose mitigation strategies.Implement means of tracking and measuring success of customer engagement and relationship management through utilising key performance indicators aligned to NGED’s strategic objectives and incentive measures.The Ideal CandidateThe role holder will be confident in external settings, adept at building deep stakeholder relationships, including at senior levels, able to roll up their sleeves to understand complex customer needs, a crisp communicator, and an advocate for change.They will be passionate about enhancing the customer experience and ambitious to play a key role in the UK’s shift to net zero carbon. They will be committed to reforming the customer connections experience, engaging and enabling colleagues, and influencing stakeholders so we become a market leader. This requires skills in stakeholder engagement, influencing and networks across different audiences. They will be experienced in assessing opportunities and risks and engaging key players to build a shared new future, driven by curiosity and ambition. An innovative thinker and clear communicator with the ability to gain buy in and alliance for successful delivery. This will mean they are resilient, results driven and future focused, able to assess the best options, and de-risk work.Operates Strategically Thinks strategically, using critical thinking to solve complex problems and plan for the future.Join the dots quickly and understands the bigger picture.Influences strategically at all levels of the organisation, across the group and externally with key stakeholders. Leads and Influence Change Communicates a compelling business case to the whole organisation to gain buy in for change. Adapts change plans/influencing strategies to the organisation’s political realities and constraints.Proactively looks forward anticipating customer demands and changing markets.Actively seeks out and acts upon external insights and benchmarks. Collaborating and Influencing Builds and leverages a network of relationships that are important to the organisation and its stakeholders. Works across matrix teams, developing internal and external ecosystem teams to deliver high performance.Commercial Acumen Clearly demonstrates commercial return from strategies delivered.Demonstrates commercial acumen in the management of multi-disciplined activities. Project management Prioritises effectively; recognises interdependences between projects and identifies and mitigates risks.Focuses on delivering outcomes with measurable benefits for stakeholders.Builds and works within complex coalitions of actors, and coordinates across varied stakeholder groups.Driving ResultsSets high goals for the team that are ambitious but achievable.Identifies and acts on new opportunities that enable performance targets to be exceeded.Knowledge of the connections market, policies, stakeholders, networks and the energy system is desirableNational Grid Electricity Distribution is committed to safeguarding the interests of the Company, colleagues and customers. This role is subject to a satisfactory Barring Service, (DBS) check, depending on the role different levels of screening and vetting are required. Some roles require a triannual check.#LI-CL2 #LI-HYBRID About The CompanyJoining the UK’s leading electricity distribution business means plenty of career opportunities and well-deserved recognition. We reward hard work and encourage ambition. So, as well as a competitive salary, you will also benefit from:26 days paid leave plus 8 bank holidays, up to 28 days with continuous serviceCompetitive contributory pension scheme (we double match your contributions up to a maximum of 12%)Annual Share Save planContributory private healthcare scheme for you and your familySupport via our Employee Assistance Programme, including musculoskeletal and physiotherapy servicesFree on-site parking at all our main sitesThings you need to knowAs an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we celebrate individu
