Sustainability - Energy Lead

Department: Services

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: London

Description

The Role
This is a critical and senior role within the team, responsible for enabling the sustainable growth of the global network while improving profit margins. The position leads category management for centre utilities across 3,500+ locations worldwide, covering an estimated GBP 70M in annual spend across 120+ countries.

The successful candidate will own the end-to-end process of supplying centres with utilities. This includes identifying the right suppliers, securing competitive market rates to manage costs, and ensuring sustainability targets are met. They will continuously review and optimize contracts, drive cost-reduction initiatives through technology, and establish clear reporting on centre-level consumption across both direct and indirect supply routes. Additionally, this role plays a key part in supplier management, handling escalations, ensuring service-level agreements are met, and resolving any issues related to service, delivery, or billing.

This role is also accountable for managing relationships with internal stakeholders, external partners, and the supplier network to drive collaboration, enhance commercial performance, and support strategic objectives.

With ambitious sustainability goals, including achieving Net Zero carbon emissions before 2040, this role will be instrumental in supporting key initiatives, such as transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 in alignment with RE100 guidelines.

What will you be doing?

• Develop and implement category management strategies to drive cost savings, efficiency, and value creation through innovative service and product delivery.
• Ensure cost recovery through customer payments, centre recharges, rebates, or other methods.
• Track and report savings targets and consumption data.
• Build strong supplier relationships to enhance quality, reliability, and innovation.
• Lead vendor selection, including RFPs and RFQs, and negotiate contracts to secure optimal terms.
• Oversee vendor performance, ensuring continuous improvement and value creation.
• Approve large or technical expenditures.
• Align strategies with stakeholder needs while maintaining a client-focused approach.
• Manage category risks, ensure compliance, and develop contingency plans.
• Monitor market trends to keep offerings competitive and aligned with client expectations.
• Lead renewable energy initiatives, working with landlords to improve energy provision, data access, and renewable usage.
• Oversee compliance with energy regulations and drive RE100 strategy execution, including on-site renewable energy and PPA solutions.
• Engage regional teams to implement sustainability initiatives and ensure effective energy procurement.
• Develop site audit action plans as needed.

Who are we looking for?

• Alignment with our company behaviours: Play To Win, Own Your Outcome, Solve It Together, Help Each Other Grow
• 10+ years in utilities, supply chain, procurement, or related fields, with expertise in category management and strategic decision-making.
• Strong understanding of market trends, pricing, supply/demand dynamics, and innovation to maintain competitive offerings.
• Proven ability to develop and implement cost-saving, efficient, and value-driven strategies.
• Experience in cost recovery methods such as customer payments, recharges, and rebates to ensure profitability.
• Skilled in supplier relationships, procurement, contract negotiation, and vendor performance optimization.
• Effective collaboration with stakeholders and proactive risk management.
• Expertise in renewable energy markets, energy reduction strategies, and built environment efficiencies.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive pay scales reviewed annually
• Discretionary annual company bonus
• Private healthcare and life cover
• Unlimited Holidays
• Hybrid working with a focus on connectivity, flexibility and bigger relationships as part of our workplace experience strategy
• Bespoke training programmes and our bespoke 'Instant Learning' portal
• Reward Gateway (discounts!)
• Wellbeing Centre
• Global Employee Assistance Programme
• Brilliant colleague recognition scheme, with quarterly and annual 'Let's Celebrate' awards (with great prizes!)
• Generous referral scheme
• Laptop / tech provided
• Early finish on a Friday!

At Incendium / The Instant Group, we prioritise our people and our clients. We are committed to fostering diversity, equality and inclusion, providing equal opportunities in all aspects of employment. Our goal is a workforce that truly reflects society and our customers, creating an environment where every employee feels respected and empowered. When hiring or promoting from within, we see diverse experiences from a variety of backgrounds and welcome all applications regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability status or any other dimensions of diversity. Should you need any reasonable adjustments made to this application process, please don't hesitate to let us know. We use AI to help us assess applications fairly and objectively.