Social Value Lead

About the role

Help deliver lasting benefits for communities across England and Wales

At National Grid, we're investing billions to transform the energy system and connect power to homes and businesses across England and Wales.

As our Social Value Lead, you'll ensure that investment creates meaningful and lasting benefits for the communities that host our infrastructure. This is a unique opportunity to shape and lead the social value agenda across a portfolio of nationally significant projects within the Strategic Infrastructure business unit, helping to maximise jobs and skills creation, support local businesses, strengthen communities, and leave a positive legacy for generations to come. 

Working at the heart of one of the UK's largest infrastructure development programmes, you'll collaborate with project teams, supply chain partners, community organisations and senior stakeholders to deliver measurable social and economic outcomes. You'll champion innovative approaches, build strong partnerships, and embed social value into the way we plan, procure and deliver infrastructure. 

This is a highly influential role; offering the opportunity to drive change at scale and ensure our investment delivers benefits that extend far beyond the infrastructure itself. 

If you're passionate about creating positive impact, building stronger communities, working with supply chains and shaping how major infrastructure projects deliver value for society, this role offers a genuine opportunity to make a difference. 

Location: We welcome applications from across the UK. While this is a national role, we are particularly keen to hear from candidates based in, or with strong connections to, the regions where our proposed projects are being delivered, including the North of England, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, the Midlands and East of England

Travel across England and Wales will be required, including to National Grid sites and to the regions hosting infrastructure projects. 

What you'll be doing

Reporting to the Head of Socioeconomic and Community Benefit, you'll lead Strategic Infrastructure's approach to social value across one of the UK's largest infrastructure investment programmes.  

You'll set the strategic direction, governance and standards that embed social value across project teams and supply chain partners.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and delivery of Strategic Infrastructure's social value strategy and priorities.
• Acting as the senior subject matter expert for social value across the business.
• Overseeing Social Value Delivery Plans and driving consistent delivery across multiple projects.
• Commissioning and overseeing socio-economic research and social value analysis to identify regional priorities, partnership opportunities and high-impact community initiatives.
• Creating opportunities for local employment, skills development, education and supplier diversity.
• Building strong partnerships with local authorities, community organisations, supply chain partners and industry bodies.
• Collaborating with Responsible Business colleagues to align delivery with National Grid's wider sustainability commitments.

What you'll bring

We're looking for a strategic leader who can influence at senior levels, build strong partnerships and drive delivery through others.

You'll bring:

• Extensive experience in a senior social value, socio-economic impact, responsible business or community benefit role, supporting the delivery of major infrastructure or construction projects.
• Proven experience leading social value strategy at programme, portfolio, or organisational level, setting direction, establishing governance and influencing others to deliver impact.
• Strong knowledge of social value principles, frameworks, measurement and reporting, particularly within infrastructure, construction or related sectors.
• Experience operating within a complex organisation and highly regulated environment.
• A track record of influencing senior leaders, project teams, supply chain partners, and external stakeholders to embed social value into decision-making and delivery.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with experience developing trusted partnerships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience working with contractors and supply chain partners to maximise social value outcomes and deliver shared objectives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn insight into practical action and measurable impact.

What you'll get

• A competitive salary between £60,000 - £75,000 – dependent on capability.
• An annual performance bonus of up to 30% of your eligible earnings in the performance year.
• 28 days annual leave plus eight statutory days.
• The option to buy additional or sell holiday days.
• A generous contributory pension scheme - we will double-match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.
• Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions, course fees, books, exam fees and time off for study leave - so long as it's relevant to your role.
• Access to 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.
• Family care benefits including a back-up care service for when your usual care arrangements fall through (six paid days each year as standard with the option to purchase further days).
• Access to apps that support health, fitness and wellbeing.

About us

National Grid Strategic Infrastructure is a business unit created to propel our grid forward to deliver in 5 years, what has been achieved in the previous 30. By 2030 we aim to have 17 new major infrastructure projects live across England, Scotland and Wales.

Here at National Grid, we connect homes and businesses to power, making sure supply and demand match each other. We make sure the lights are on in schools, operating theatres, and sporting arenas; we’re thousands of people working on behalf of millions of people.

Our investment in Strategic Infrastructure via The Great Grid Upgrade will mean more home-grown power, greater energy security and a cleaner future.

Whatever your role, wherever you work with us, you’ll help us hit stretching targets and achieve our far-reaching goal: to secure, clean energy that supports our world far into the future. Here, you will be at the heart of energy.

More information

This role closes on 28 September 2026 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary. Interviews to be held week commencing 19 October 2026.

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