About us

National Grid is hiring a Program Director, Grid for Good. The position can be located in any of our offices in New England, Downstate NY and Upstate NY.

National Grid is an energy company operating in the UK and US. We deliver electricity and gas safely, reliably and efficiently to the customers and communities we serve – all while working towards a clean energy future. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry.

Every day people working at National Grid are changing the way the energy system works, looking for ways to do things better and in a way that delivers for our customers. It has never been a more exciting time to work in energy and we’re looking for people who are full of enthusiasm to help us build and run a greener, cleaner energy system for the future

Job Purpose

National Grid is part of the fabric of the communities we serve – we keep the lights on, we keep homes warm, we help economies to thrive. We are an operator, an employer, and a local supplier. We support our communities with the time and expertise of our people, and through or social impact programs.

Our approach to responsibility in our communities goes beyond safely maintaining the resilient energy systems society expects. It’s also about making sure our economic and social role in the community has the greatest possible positive impact.

That includes developing infrastructure and helping customers use energy more efficiently. It also means partnering with nonprofit organizations and encouraging our employees to support social, economic and environmental development. Grid for Good is National Grid’s Global Flagship Community Investment program. It connects young people with inspirational sessions designed to upskilling and improve their employability and prepare them for job opportunities in the energy industry.

The US Grid for Good Director will have a key role in the successful development and delivery of National Grids US social impact priorities from shaping skills and employability programs which create a pipeline of talent for the energy industry, meeting the needs of local communities for a fair transition and facilitating the sharing of internal and external best practice to drive the performance of National Grid as a responsible business. This role is an exciting opportunity for a candidate who is passionate about social causes and is energized about leveraging the power of National Grid to improve the world around us. The successful candidate will embody National Grid values to Do the Right Thing and Find a Better Way, and will have a relentless focus on delivery, be able to think creatively and have a strong focus on building and sustaining relationships.

Key Accountabilities

• Deliver and evolve our Grid for Good programs and associated workforce development commitments in partnership with the New York and New England business units.
• Design, develop and implement proactive strategies to ensure strong external and internal stakeholder relationships.
• Manage the approach to identifying, managing, and onboarding nonprofit partners including conducting geographical research as required.
• Incorporate lessons learned and work alongside leaders in the business to share best practices to drive a culture of continuous improvement.
• Oversee work with nonprofit partners to identify candidates aligned to Grid for Good’s target audience.
• Own and deliver the required training to nonprofit partners and candidates of the Grid for Good platform using a range of channels (e.g. virtual, hands on)
• Responsible for working closely with nonprofit partners to identify and develop individualized custom life goals to support the achievement of social mobility progression
• Responsible for leading and facilitating regular meetings with nonprofit partners and establishing the appropriate cadence for such meetings as the relationships and Grid for Good evolve.
• Manage local nonprofit, employee, beneficiary and retailer communications plan and delivery
• Accountable for the local day-to-day operations of the Grid for Good platform including, responding to queries promptly and accurately as they arise and providing support to the participants and nonprofit partners as needed
• Create, develop and facilitate workshops and volunteering opportunities supported by National Grid. Create resource management plan and deliver volunteer training to effectively deploy resources to where the need is
• Work alongside nonprofit partners to connect the needs represented by the partners to Grid for Good (and even broader National Grid ways to support the organization’s value for the community)
• Work closely with the Grid for Good technology team to upload and update journeys, recommend technical enhancements, facilitate and participate in User Acceptance Testing, compile and maintain data resources on the Grid for Good platform and act as the liaison between Grid for Good, nonprofit partners and candidates.
• Monitor utilization of the Grid for Good platform from the portfolio of nonprofit partners for insights and trends as appropriate
• Jointly accountable with the Business Units for delivery of local targets aligned to measures of success including those captured under Project C in New York and Grid for Good NE.
• Actively own issues and opportunities raised by nonprofit partners to improve the Grid for Good solution
• Responsible for oversight and tracking of spending of local budgets including gift cards, workshop and fundraising expenses and monetary or in-kind donations

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree desirable
• Experience of managing large complex projects
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal to a wide variety of stakeholders internal and external to National Grid
• Relationship management experience, including developing, managing, and delivering against stakeholder relationship strategies internally and externally.
• Existing relationships and experience of working within the workforce development/non-profit sector.
• Continuous improvement/ Performance Excellence experience a plus
• Actively demonstrates a desire to do work of this nature, including experience actively volunteering in community organizations (either with the company or independently)
• Ability to work with ambiguity, envision and manage change
• Strong EQ and relational skills, including patience, compassion and understanding
• Ability to work independently as well as being a strong team player
• Previous experience of new system implementation desirable
• Ability to manage KPIs and improvement plans
• Proactive, strategic, self-starter with the drive to make a meaningful difference.

More Information