Emergency Planning Support Officer

An opportunity is available for the position of an Emergency Planning Support Officer in either our Castle Donington or Lamby Way Control Centre. 

Reporting to the Emergency Planning Manager, the post-holder will be responsible for supporting the development, maintenance, planning and test exercises for system and / or civil emergencies within NGED and the UK Energy Industry. 

You will need English and Maths GCSE Grade C/Level 4 or above OR Functional Skills Level 2 or above to apply. 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.

As part of our hybrid working approach this role offers a mix of office and home working. Hybrid working can only be considered once your initial training is complete and subject to business need.
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.

24/7, 365 days a year, our Contact Centre team are here for our customers whether they are calling us to report a power cut or dangerous situation, to ask about a new supply or service alteration or when we are calling them to give updates during a power cut. The team here also manages our Priority Services register, which lists our most vulnerable customers.

Whether customers call or send us a message via social media, we work together to ensure they enjoy the best possible experience. And that’s because we’re dedicated to ensuring they get the best customer service possible, while also maintaining our industry leading reputation.
Main Responsibilities
Assist with contingency plans that are established to minimise the risk of high impact, low probability events, such as emergency system re-start, ESEC or demand control, severe weather events, communication failures, pandemics, terrorism or sabotage, and other events that could impact the performance or security of the NGED distribution network and / or its assets
Actively participate with stakeholders within DESNZ, the Government Resilience teams (Regional and local) and other Category 1 & 2 responders and / or interdependencies as detailed within the Civil Contingencies Act.
Assist in the production and review of Emergency planning related Company policy and the coordination of resources and assets required to ensure that policy can be met, and support business continuity plans to ensure strategies are embedded across the company.
Participate in NEWSAC activities, including calls and coordination where required.  This is the strategic coordination of DNO resources during an emergency event, including the movement of NGED staff.
Represent the Company and the team, both internally and externally. This may include resilience forums and working groups or across the NGED business.
Support in the facilitation of any contracts required with external providers.
Support the monitoring of potential weather, civil, network related incidents and / or business continuity threats.  Also support the investigation or reporting of an emergency declared incident and the implementation of proposed corrective actions.
Work to support the Emergency Planning and Control Centre teams in meeting their objectives in respect of Emergency Planning and Business Continuity

The Ideal Candidate
Experience or knowledge of Emergency Planning functions is desirable, with candidates able to demonstrate an understanding of reacting to, and dealing with, unplanned events that may have large impact, and the type of events that may cause risk to the operation of the electricity network. 
The candidate should be able to prioritise own work-load and demonstrate that they are flexible and accepting of changes to plans at short notice. 
There is a need for good written and verbal communication skills.  It will also be necessary to be conversant with Microsoft Office, producing documents and presentations. 
The role is based at one of the company Control Rooms but there will be a need to travel between Control Centres and other company depots, as well as to external meeting locations, so a full driving licence required for travel.
Preference the candidate is educated to Level 3 or higher, although individual consideration will be given to all applicants based on all merits.    

This is a full time position for 37 hours per week within normal company working hours, Mon - Fri.

There will be a requirement and expectation that the post-holder will be flexible at times in terms of hours worked and there may be a need to work outside of the normal business hours during emergency events.  

As the post you are applying for attracts a National Security Vetting clearance there are further eligibility requirements. To meet national security vetting requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years for Security Clearance (SC) prior to the date of application. You may still be considered if, for example:

you have been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
you were studying abroad
you were living overseas with parents

If you have any further queries relating to National Security Vetting, please email nged.recruitment@nationalgrid.co.uk
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 service
Competitive contributory pension scheme (we double match your contributions up to a maximum of 12%)
Annual Share Save plan
Contributory private healthcare scheme for you and your family
Support via our Employee Assistance Programme, including musculoskeletal and physiotherapy services
Free on-site parking at all our main sites

Things you need to know

As an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we celebrate individual difference and are actively bringing in more employees from diverse backgrounds to build on our inclusive culture. We anonymise all applications in our recruitment system so we can eliminate unconscious bias and be a workplace that reflects the community we serve. Hiring managers only have access to necessary information at interview stage. If you require additional support to complete your online application, please email nged.recruitment@nationalgrid.co.uk

Recruitment correspondence is usually sent by email, please check your email account including spam/junk folders regularly after the closing date.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should sufficient numbers of suitable applications be received, so it would be best to apply as soon as you can.