Flexibility Market Operations And Dso Transition Manager/Senior Manager

At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all.

EY is a recognised leader in providing consulting services to top Power & Utilities companies around the globe. We are now building out our global Digital Grid team to help network utilities to manage their largest challenge to date – facilitating the energy transition. This is an exciting opportunity to join our team and be on the forefront of the digital grid revolution, working with leading network clients to prepare for a digital, decentralised and decarbonised future. As part of this sector task force, you will work with global companies combining your technical expertise, proven consulting skills and industry knowledge to help solve their most complex problems.  

Flexibility is a mechanism to change generation and consumption to bring benefits to the system, and currently it is used to defer reinforcements and allow generation customers to connect quickly and cheaply into congested areas. The area of flexibility is fast evolving and so the jobholder will be in a unique position to contribute to the development of commercial and market frameworks for flexibility and ancillary services offered to both Distribution System Operators (DSO) and Transmission System Operators (TSO).

As a Flexibility Market Operations & DSO Transition Manager in the team, you will build valued relationships with external clients and internal peers and support development of a portfolio of business by focusing on high impact opportunities.  Drawing on your skills and experience, you will create innovative commercial insights for clients, adapt methods and practices to fit operational team and cultural needs, and contribute to thought leadership.  Driving improvements in business processes, you will support Quality & Risk Management (Q&RM) and make sure that project teams understand and comply with our Q&RM guidelines. 

As a Flexibility Market Operations Manager, you will be responsible for developing and implementing flexibility products and strategies required for enabling a smarter, flexible, active electricity systems for both DSO and TSO. You will also support with developing business strategies and roadmaps for DSO transition. You will design key capabilities and requirements for effective DSOs transition. 

The successful candidate will lead the development of Flexibility Markets by coordinating new product development, manage the development of the markets forecasting capability within DSO/TSO and supporting the operation of efficient energy markets within wider electricity system market. This involves developing new flexibility products, relevant applications such as markets forecasting applications to meet the electricity system operational and development needs, supporting and taking ownership of commercial activities.

As a respected key professional, you will communicate effectively with EY senior managers, directors, partners, and work to build, manage and motivate high-performing teams, and coach and mentor junior consultants to build sustainable competencies. 

Key Responsibilities include:

The Manager role is responsible for working with our clients to lead and support the design and delivery Smart Grid programmes. The successful candidate will be:

• Developing a commercial route to market for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) to deliver active and reactive power services to the System Operator and constraint management to the System Operator.
• Work with Market Operations Senior Manager/Director to develop Flexibility Markets, services and products.
• Lead the design & implementation of current and future flexibility/ancillary services.
• Improve business processes through automation to increase efficiency and accuracy as well as ensuring a consistent application of methods, standards and good practice.
• Apply market & commercial expertise and lead analysis to drive flexibility/ancillary service procurement strategy to deliver consumer value.
• Support analysis of appropriate commercial flexibility/ancillary contracting solutions.
• Lead key commercial development activities, such as establishing new products and services regarding Distribution System Operator (DSO) markets and Transmission System Operator (TSO) markets.
• Maintaining relationships with existing and future clients. This involves generating and maintaining customer-oriented commercial material and participate or lead in their engagements.
• Assess the evolution of other energy markets across the UK, Europe & America and the impact on Flexibility Markets at transmission and distribution levels.
• Undertake analysis required to develop the DSO Flexible Services Strategy and contribute towards pricing, valuation and economic assessment of potential flexibility bids – e.g. what should DSO/TSO offer as compensation for a service from a DER customer/storage customer for proactive response.
• Pricing, valuation and economic assessment of potential flexibility bids – e.g. what should DSO/TSO offer as compensation for a service from a DER customer/storage customer for proactive response.
• Produce tender, procurement and legal documentation, supporting bidders, valuation of tenders, and managing contracts.
• Work with other internal/external stakeholders to develop enabling technology solutions and market platforms, such as Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) and Market Management Systems (MMS). 
• Develop market analytics capabilities such as market forecasting, models, and reporting.
• Engage and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Advising our clients on the delivery of digital grid programmes and projects. Examples of typical client engagements include:
  • Market Management Systems (MMS), business case and roadmap. 
  • Designing the business and solution architecture for implementing MMS in coordination with DERMS and Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS).
  • Understanding and translating business needs into effective functional & non-functional requirements.
  • Guiding the procurement and evaluation of MMS/ DERMS / ADMS products and services.
  • Navigating the organisational change process that comes with programmes of this scale.
• Identifying and pursuing business development opportunities.
• Generating thought leadership, PoVs and new digital grid insights to put into the market.
• Building relationships with key stakeholders, both with the client and internal to EY.
• Integrating into a high-performing, geographically dispersed team focused on winning in the market.
   

Knowledge and Skills Requirements:

• Deep understanding of different types of services which can be procured from DERs such as secure, sustain, dynamic, restore, STOR, EFR, Balancing Mechanism, Connect & Manage, N-3 Operational Tripping, demand turn up/down.
• Strong analytical, quantitative and commercial skills.
• Experience and knowledge of DSO/ESO markets needed to keep the system secure, electricity market arrangements and the transmission/distribution systems.
• Strong understanding of Energy Markets, specifically pricing and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience from developing energy or related products in energy markets, such as in the context of electricity retailers or aggregators and TSO ancillary services.
• Understanding of how conflict of services can occur between ESO and DSO procured services, which results in service nullification. How commercial/contractual arrangements can be put in place to address service conflicts.
• Ability to develop purchase pricing structures and strategies from first principles and market knowledge.
• Experience developing purchase pricing structures and strategies from first principles and market knowledge.
• Understanding of power systems engineering principles.
• Deep understanding of ESO ancillary service tenders/procurement process. 
• Deep understanding of DSO flexibility tenders/procurement process.
• Significant experience working on MMS projects within Power & Utilities.
• Substantial experience providing advisory services and possess core consulting skillsets.
• In depth knowledge of operational technology across one or multiple sectors (Water, Electricity and Gas) and familiarity with technology solutions in the market.
• Extensive, proven experience working with projects in the Power and Utilities sector, including with systems and applications such as:
  • Market Management System (MMS).
  • Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS).
  • Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS).
• International consulting experience with established business relationships would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in English language, with the ability to communicate both written and verbally at professional level – additional language skills would be appreciated. 
• Strong analytical, problem solving and critical thinking skills. 
• Ability to work under tight timelines for multiple project deliveries. 
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally to meet client needs. 

Education:

• BS/BA degree is essential (preferably, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or similar technical degree) from an accredited four-year college or university, or equivalent experience

What we offer

As part of this role, you'll work in a highly integrated, global team with the opportunity and tools to grow, develop and drive your career forward. Here, you can combine global opportunity with flexible working. The EY benefits package goes above and beyond too, focusing on your physical, emotional, financial and social well-being. Your recruiter can talk to you about the benefits available in your country. Here’s a snapshot of what we offer: 

• Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.

Please apply to this role only through the ‘Apply’ link (not through the local office). Your application will then be routed to the appropriate recruiting team. 

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