Head of Energy Delivery - Forestry and Land Scotland

About Forestry and Land Scotland

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is a national organisation with a powerful mission: to look after Scotland’s national forests and land for the benefit of all, now and for the future. Managing 9% of Scotland’s land area, FLS plays a vital role in the country’s environmental, social, and economic wellbeing. It supplies 40% of Scotland’s timber, supports the green energy transition as the UK’s largest onshore wind estate, welcomes 10 million visitors annually, and leads on conservation and restoration of iconic landscapes.

With a commercial income of approximately £140 million per year, supplemented by Scottish Government grants, FLS is on a journey to become fully financially sustainable within three years. Our Commercial Development Directorate is central to achieving this and driving innovation across energy, estates, and visitor services.

The Opportunity

FLS is seeking an experienced and visionary Head of Energy Delivery to lead a rapidly expanding portfolio of renewable energy and electricity infrastructure projects across Scotland’s national forests and land. This is a high-profile, commercially focused leadership role within our Senior Management Team and Commercial Development Directorate.

You will set and deliver strategy for energy development, grow and diversify our renewable energy portfolio, and ensure projects deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits while safeguarding public land. The role involves leading complex commercial negotiations, managing stakeholder relationships, and overseeing integration of energy projects into sensitive landscapes.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Provide visible and inspiring leadership and build strong networks and relationships across the whole organisation and with partners by influencing beyond the sphere of your directly managed team.
• Bring together national and regional aspirations and plans, ensuring our teams are capturing opportunities, delivering a quality service and making an impact in a coordinated way.
• Champion and ensure a robust approach to project and programme management of renewables and energy infrastructure projects.
• Lead for FLS in complex commercial negotiations and in ensuring Best Value through commercial partnerships.
• Ensure the effective mitigation and integration of energy projects into sensitive environments and working forests.

Strategy

• As an FLS Senior Management Team Member and Member of Commercial Development Leadership Team you will set and lead the delivery of strategy associated with our work in the energy sector leading to benefits being realised, innovation and a step change in our commercial performance.
• Ensure the delivery of an efficient and effective energy sector focused operation and service whilst consistently getting a good deal for FLS and improving standards and securing compliance.

Collaboration and innovation

• Role model visible & inspirational leadership, collaborative working and partnering with and influencing other senior leaders in FLS and across Government and with Ministers to ensure join up between functions and organisations.
• Collaborate in the identification and development of commercial opportunities and actively seek opportunities for other organisations to work with or for us, ensuring efficient and effective use of resources, knowledge, skills and experience.
• Bring forward business process improvements and harness data and digital technology to improve performance.

Delivery

• Oversee an expanding portfolio of renewable energy projects from a land manager perspective, including in relation to wind farm repowering.
• Substantially grow the size and diversity of the renewable energy project portfolio and the management of stakeholders and the establishment of strong commercial partnerships for this purpose.
• Progress, deliver and ensure success in relation to ways of increasing community owned energy.
• Influence, integrate and mitigate an expanding programme of electricity network upgrade and enhancement projects.
• Ensure professional leadership, clear guidance and support to a dispersed team of staff and an oversight of associated workforce planning.
• Oversee high level relationships with stakeholders and use these to develop better ways of working and the resolution of complex cases which safeguard and unlock value.

Success Profile

Experience – Essential

• Inspirational leadership and management of large and dispersed teams.
• Programme and project management of energy infrastructure delivery.
• Track record of changing, improving and growing a successful commercial operation.
• Developing strategy and managing organisational performance.
• Delivering results through a multi-site matrix management structure in a large organisation.
• Influencing and persuading professional and lay audiences.

Experience – Desirable

• Renewable energy or energy infrastructure industry experience.
• Large scale estate management experience, requiring balancing of multiple objectives.
• Political awareness and experience of working within or with Government

Technical – Essential

• Renewable energy or energy infrastructure industry experience.
• Large scale estate management experience, requiring balancing of multiple objectives.
• Political awareness and experience of working within or with Government

Technical – Desirable

• Knowledge of forestry.
• Leadership or management qualifications.

Behaviours

• Leadership (lead criteria)
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving

Additional Information

• Regular travel across Scotland is required (driving licence not essential).
• We believe it’s important to create an inclusive and supportive work culture and we welcome applications from everyone, regardless of background.
• If successful, you’ll be entitled to a wide range of benefits, details of which can be found here.

How to Apply

Applications should be made by way of sending a covering letter addressing the criteria in the success profile and a CV to applications@fwbltd.com before 12:00 on Monday 5 January.

For further information or a confidential discussion, interested candidates should contact Kirsten Hendry at applications@fwbltd.com or call the Edinburgh office on +44 131 539 7087.