Position Description
Appointment description
This is not a typical Chair role. This is an opportunity to shape a new national institution on behalf of the British people – a publicly owned energy company committed to serving the country.
We are seeking a Chair to lead a values-driven Board as Great British Energy enters its next phase of maturity. The successful candidate will join in autumn 2026, after the completion of GBE’s initial organisational set-up. The Chair will lead efforts to embed GBE as a lasting and dynamic pillar of the UK’s energy and economic landscape ensuring it delivers real value for the British people.
As Chair, you will provide strategic leadership to the Board, ensuring effective governance, oversight, and accountability during a pivotal period of growth and national significance. This role requires balancing the traditional responsibilities of a Chair with championing reshaping public ownership for the modern world.
The Opportunity
Great British Energy is over one year into its journey. We are recruiting a Chair to join the Board of Great British Energy at an exciting time for the company, following its initial ‘set up’ period. A key focus for GBE will be maturing its organisational capabilities as it moves out of this set-up phase, whilst continuing to deliver at pace in line with its mandate set by government.
Over the next five years, GBE will become a world-class energy institution, accelerating the delivery of clean energy generation while mobilising up to £15 billion of private investment alongside public capital. Through a strong focus on local and community energy, and by strengthening UK supply chains, GBE will help deliver thousands of skilled jobs and ensure the benefits of the energy transition flow back to communities and taxpayers across the UK. About the Role Public ownership with purpose will enable returns from these investments to be reinvested into further capacity, jobs and opportunity.
We are looking for an individual who is motivated by public service and committed to Great British Energy’s mission to accelerate clean power deployment to create good jobs, boost energy independence and secure the benefit of clean, secure homegrown energy for the UK.
Responsibilities
- Set Strategic Direction: Lead the Board in setting Great British Energy’s strategic direction, ensuring alignment with national energy policy and the company’s public purpose. Drive innovation in public ownership for a modern energy economy.
- Governance and Accountability: Provide strong oversight and support to the Chief Executive and executive team, holding them to account for delivery and performance. Ensure governance, risk management, and compliance meet the highest standards, balancing commercial discipline with accountability to the British public.
- National Representation: Act as GBE’s leading ambassador, representing the company at the highest levels across government, industry, and communities. Build trust and influence to position GBE as a cornerstone of the UK’s energy transition.
- Champion Public Value: Embed social responsibility at the heart of GBE’s decision making, ensuring community energy and public benefit are integral to commercial success.
- Shape Culture: Foster a purpose-driven culture that reflects GBE’s mission and values, embedding this ethos across the Board and Executive.
- Anchor in Aberdeen: Ensure GBE establishes itself as a proud Aberdeen-headquartered company, with a clear strategy to engage the city and its communities as part of its national role.