Optel Portfolio Engineer

We’re looking for a passionate Optel Portfolio Engineer to join our Asset Operations team!

We are looking for an experienced Portfolio Engineer to join our Commercial & Portfolio team, supporting a programme of critical asset investment across a complex operational infrastructure environment.

As a Optel Portfolio Engineer, you will take end-to-end ownership of a portfolio of investment projects during the critical early stages of their lifecycle, ensuring proposals are technically sound, commercially viable, appropriately governed, and ready to progress into development and delivery. Working collaboratively with engineering, commercial, finance, asset management, and project delivery teams, you will translate strategic priorities and asset needs into well-defined, investment-ready projects that deliver long-term value, operational performance, and safety outcomes. This is a highly visible role that combines technical expertise, commercial acumen, programme governance, and stakeholder management, offering the opportunity to influence key investment decisions and shape the future performance of essential infrastructure assets.

This is a variable based role which will require travel to other National Grid sites. We’re happy to discuss any additional flexibility in working patterns or requirements that you feel could help to make this job work for you!

What You'll Do

• Manage a portfolio of asset investment projects, progressing schemes from identification and justification through governance approval to handover for delivery.
• Develop and maintain robust investment proposals, ensuring scope, costs, risks, schedules, and dependencies are effectively managed and aligned to business objectives.
• Lead the preparation of business cases, investment documentation, and governance submissions, ensuring compliance with company standards and investment frameworks.
• Provide portfolio financial oversight, supporting budgeting, forecasting, investment reporting, and value-for-money decision making.
• Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders across engineering, project delivery, commercial, finance, operations, and safety teams to successfully progress investment projects.
• Monitor portfolio performance, risks, and data quality, providing clear reporting, recommendations, and assurance to senior leaders and governance forums.
•  Drive continuous improvement by enhancing portfolio management processes, governance, data quality, and the application of lessons learned across the investment lifecycle.

What You'll Have

• Degree, HND, or equivalent experience in Engineering, Asset Management, Project Management, Finance, or another relevant discipline.
• Experience managing portfolios of projects, capital investments, or complex engineering programmes.
• Strong understanding of project and investment lifecycles, governance processes, and business case development.
• Commercial awareness, including budget management, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret and manage complex data.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At National Grid, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person for our growing business in this role or another one.

What You'll Get

Up to £58,000 dependent on experience.

As well as your base salary, you will get an established market supplement of £4500, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance with on target being 15% (with a maximum of 30%) and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to several flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

Further Information

The closing date for this vacancy is Midnight 24 July 26, with interviews due to take place w/c 27 July 26 onwards. We encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

About us

Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. 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. To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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