About us

National Grid is at the heart of the UK energy network keeping people connected and society moving. We develop, own and maintain the physical infrastructure, such as pylons and cables needed to move the electricity generated from windfarms and power sources around the country. Every time a phone is plugged in, or a switch is turned on, we’ve played a part, connecting you to the electricity you need - and we’re leading the transformation towards a greener future, dreaming bigger to bring a more affordable energy future to everyone.

But it’s our people that provide our true superpower. They drive and sustain our growth, their unique differences only making us stronger. But it’s no small feat – and we need the best to join us in our mission. So, join us and power the future of energy.

About the role

This role is based within our Customer Connections Team. This is the department that connects customers — such as data centres, battery storage projects, offshore wind farms, transport networks and solar farms — to the electricity transmission network.

It’s a collaborative effort, and at any one time there are between 300-400 people working within the department. Their expertise includes: construction, project management, commercial, analytical, account management, communications, power system engineering and feasibility engineering.

The connections process is key to delivering the capacity needed for an efficient and renewable transmission network and we need to deliver an increasing number of highly complex and exciting new projects. In this role you would play a crucial role in enabling us to do this.

You will be a key member of our upcoming projects, working alongside experienced Project Managers in Engineering, Procurement, and Commercial functions. Your main responsibility will be to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of projects in a challenging construction environment, supporting Project Managers in achieving their time, quality, and cost objectives. You will gain valuable experience in commercial, contractual, and financial management throughout the project lifecycles. Your role will focus on delivering innovative design solutions that comply with National Grid's policies and procedures. Additionally, you will contribute to Project Quality Assurance, oversee contractor activities for compliance with safety and environmental regulations, and help maintain our Quality Management System.

Some of your key accountabilities will include:

Provide support throughout the investment process for projects, either independently for less complex ones or in collaboration with EPC Project Managers for more complex projects.
Drive customer and stakeholder satisfaction through proactive engagement, timely issue resolution, and effective recording of interactions in the CRM system.
Take ownership of customer feedback received through the Quality of Connections Incentive, ensuring appropriate actions are taken.
Assist Customer Account Managers by providing necessary information for timely customer offers in compliance with requirements.
Develop, approve, and deliver cost-effective, efficient, and safe solutions in accordance with Construction Design & Management (CDM) Regulations and Safety Health, Environmental, Sustainability, and Quality (SHESQ) considerations.
Conduct site and condition assessments, support consenting and registration processes, estimate costs, mitigate program risks, and foster innovation to enable successful implementation of solutions on-site.

*Please be aware this would be your permanent role that you would go into after the Graduate Scheme has finished.

Our Graduate Programme

As you’ll be joining our 18-month graduate programme, you’ll have a tailored development pathway to support you as you develop a wide range of leadership, business, and technical skills. You’ll attend in-person and virtual development sessions throughout your programme to equip you with the essential skills required, as you begin your career at National Grid. We’re committed to the personal development of our colleagues so as well as the support from your line manager as you navigate your new role, you’ll also have access to 121 coaching and a mentor, from a previous cohort to help you transition from campus to corporate life.

All graduates complete the core development programme to develop key skills such as how to make an impact, giving feedback and presentation skills. Aligned to this role is our Commercial pathway, where you’ll further develop commerciality skills and gain important insight of engineering and electricity to increase your understanding of our business and industry. Dependent upon your role you may complete a formal qualification such as (Chartered Institute of Professional Development) CIPD.

We believe in the importance of getting as much on-the-job experience as possible and to do this, you will complete three 6-month placements, across the UK, designed to deepen your understanding of your speciality but to also broaden your knowledge of our business. At the end of your 18-month programme you’ll return to your initial placement area to kickstart your superpowered career.

What you'll need to apply

You'll need to achieve a minimum 2:2 in a STEM degree discipline. It doesn’t matter when you graduated or if you are currently working towards your qualification. We just need you to be eager to apply your knowledge in a real-world setting.

Due to the amount of travel to our site locations, you’ll need to have a valid full UK Driving License.

Dependent on the mileage completed for business travel per year, you may be eligible for a company car (this would be this will be subject to BIK tax and if required there is no cash alternative). This means you will need to have a valid full UK Driving License prior to application. This will be verified at your assessment centre should you be successful. If there is minimal travel required, a company car will not be provided for the duration of your scheme.

You’ll need flexibility to travel within role and throughout your rotations as required.

To be eligible to apply for this role, candidates must be able to demonstrate that they will have the legal right to work in the UK for the duration of the graduate programme. If you do not currently have the right to work in the UK, or your visa is due to expire during the period of the graduate scheme, please indicate this in your application and we will consider your eligibility for visa sponsorship and whether it would be appropriate to take your application forward.

Location

This role is based in Chelmsford offering flexible hybrid working, where possible. You will be expected in this role to not only work in the above offices but to also travel regularly within your region (E.G. South East, East of England, the Midlands, the North East).

What you’ll get in return

We are proud to offer a graduate starting salary of £34,895.

Not only will you receive a tailored development programme to progress a superpowered career at National Grid, we also offer some great rewards and benefits too:

£2,000 bonus, once joined and started on programme 
26 days holiday 
£2,400 payment on successful completion of the programme 
Up to £200 per month accommodation allowance as you move around the business, and additional annual leave for when you move between placements plus assistance with moving personal belongings
Other benefits include pension and share-option schemes, Flexible Benefits, close mentorship and regular feedback & volunteering opportunities.

Applications & Deadline

We recruit on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close our vacancies once we have enough applications/based on volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as early as possible to ensure you obtain the place you want in the application process.

You can only apply for one graduate opportunity during this recruitment cycle. We kindly ask that you review all our graduate opportunities and apply for the one that aligns closest with your aspirations and interests.

Assessment centres will be held between then end of January and mid March in Eakring.

More Information

At National Grid, it’s our people that provide our true superpower. They drive and sustain our growth, their unique differences only making us stronger, so we pride ourselves on placing diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of who we are and what we do and are committed to building a workforce of the future which represents the communities we serve.

We welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office where and when needed.

All our offers are based on the right to work in the UK, qualifications, the innovation from creating diverse teams and perspectives, as well as business need.

Business Change and Project Management jobs

Graduate Associate EPC Project Manager, Electricity Transmission Customer Connections