Reporting to the Director of Strategy & Development and as a member of the Extended Leadership Team (ELT), the Senior Strategy Manager will lead RECCo’s strategic direction, regulatory readiness and strategic change portfolio.
The role is responsible for the development, delivery and reporting of the RECCo Strategy, annual Forward Work Plan (FWP), Net Zero Strategy and delivery plans needed to respond to Ofgem’s Strategic Direction Statement. It combines strategic leadership, horizon scanning, stakeholder insight and delivery oversight to ensure RECCo remains compliant and effective, the REC evolves to support policy intentions, and REC Parties are helped to discharge new obligations placed upon them.
The role will identify trends in regulation, business models, technologies, smart data and digital services that may affect RECCo, the retail energy market and the arrangements governed through the REC. It will turn that insight into practical recommendations, policy positions, business cases and deliverable change.
Strategic leadership and delivery planning
- Serve as SRO for the development, delivery and reporting of the RECCo Strategy, annual FWP and related strategic delivery plans.
- Translate Ofgem’s Strategic Direction Statement, Code Manager Licence expectations and wider government policy priorities into strategic workstreams, business cases and implementation plans.
- Provide oversight of strategic projects from concept to implementation, working with Operations, Transformation, Service Providers and the Code Manager to deliver within agreed scope, budget, timescales and quality standards.
- Advise the Director of Strategy & Development, Executive Team and Board through clear recommendations, options papers and progress reporting.
Regulatory horizon scanning and REC evolution
- Lead a structured horizon scan of consultations, legislation, code and licence change, policy proposals and market developments affecting RECCo, the REC and REC Parties.
- Extend scanning beyond core energy regulation to include smart data, data sharing, consumer consent, interoperability, digital markets, cyber and resilience, competition, consumer protection and other relevant cross-sector regimes.
- Assess impacts on RECCo’s compliance obligations, service model, governance and strategic priorities, identifying where the REC may need to change through new requirements, standards, guidance, services or assurance arrangements.
- Develop evidence-based RECCo positions on consultations and policy developments, commissioning or interpreting research and analysis where required.
Stakeholder liaison, industry insight and influence
- Build trusted relationships with REC Parties, Service Providers, Ofgem, DESNZ, consumer bodies, third sector organisations, academic institutions and other industry stakeholders.
- Gather and synthesise intelligence on stakeholder priorities, operational challenges, consumer needs, emerging business models, technologies and policy risks.
- Lead engagement plans, workshops, roundtables and briefings so stakeholder insight informs strategy, policy positions and delivery plans.
- Represent RECCo externally, enhancing its reputation for independence, thought leadership, professionalism and practical subject matter expertise.
Evidence, compliance and consumer outcomes
- Design and lead strategic workstreams using robust qualitative and quantitative evidence, customer and party insight, market analysis, economic assessment and operational data.
- Produce concise analysis, Board papers, consultation responses and presentations that translate complex issues into actionable recommendations.
- Ensure RECCo remains compliant with obligations placed upon it through the REC, the Code Manager Licence and obligations linked to REC Parties’ licence conditions.
- Identify opportunities to reduce avoidable regulatory burden on REC Parties while protecting consumers, enabling competition and supporting innovation, affordability, fairness, accessibility, sustainability and data trust.
Smart data, innovation and continuous improvement
- Lead strategic thinking on smart data, energy data sharing, consumer consent, tariff data interoperability and wider data standardisation for the REC and retail market arrangements.
- Ensure RECCo strategy and policy support energy digitalisation principles, including transparency, interoperability, accessibility, security and proportionate governance.
- Identify strategic code changes and innovation initiatives that enable decarbonisation, flexibility services, new retail propositions and greater consumer participation.
- Challenge conventional thinking and improve systems, processes and decision-making across RECCo, service providers and the wider industry.
Leadership and delivery
- Act as an active member of the ELT and support the Director of Strategy & Development in executing ELT responsibilities.
- Take SRO responsibility for key strategic initiatives where appropriate, ensuring clear objectives, accountabilities, dependencies, risks and benefits.
- Support, coach or matrix-manage colleagues contributing to policy, regulation, stakeholder insight and strategic analysis workstreams, ensuring quality, coherence and pace.
