Director -Power Systems and Grid transformation at Systemiq

Company Description: Systemiq is a system-change company committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement by transforming markets and business models across five key systems: nature and food, materials and circularity, energy, urban areas, and sustainable finance.

As a certified B Corp, we combine strategic advisory with high-impact, on-the-ground work, partnering with business, finance, policymakers and civil society to deliver system change. With offices across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, we are dedicated exclusively to sustainability-focused work.

Director, Power Systems & Grid Transformation

Location: Amsterdam ( preferred), or London
Reports to: Eveline Speelman, Global Energy Platform Lead
Role type: Full-time

Role Overview

Systemiq is seeking a Director with deep expertise in power system transformation, with a particular focus on grids, system planning, flexibility, market design, utility transformation, and the integration of renewables at scale.

This role will help clients address some of the most critical bottlenecks in the energy transition: grid constraints, connection queues, system adequacy, flexibility markets, transmission and distribution investment, regulatory reform, and the changing role of utilities and system operators.

This is not a generalist energy transition role. We are looking for a senior strategy leader who understands how power systems actually work technically, commercially, and institutionally, and who can help clients unlock the grid, market, and system integration challenges now slowing the transition.

This is a senior leadership role combining:

• Deep power systems expertise
• Top-tier strategy problem solving
• Origination and senior client leadership
• Delivery of complex, multi-stakeholder programmes
• Team leadership and platform-building

You will work closely with Eveline Speelman and global partners to build Systemiq’s work on power system transformation, with a particular focus on grids, flexibility, market design, utilities, and system-level decarbonisation.

Key Responsibilities

Power Systems & Grid Transformation

• Lead work on power system transformation, including grid constraints, transmission and distribution investment, system planning, flexibility, renewables integration, and utility transformation.
• Advise clients on the strategic, regulatory, commercial, and institutional choices needed to accelerate power system decarbonisation.
• Translate technical power system challenges into clear strategic recommendations for senior decision-makers.
• Identify the practical barriers slowing power system transformation and shape interventions to overcome them.

Strategic Advisory

• Lead high-impact strategy engagements with corporates, governments, investors, utilities, system operators, and other energy system actors.
• Structure and solve complex, ambiguous problems and translate them into actionable recommendations.
• Advise senior stakeholders, including C-suite leaders and policymakers, on transition pathways, investment priorities, and market-shaping decisions.

Systems Change & Platform Leadership

• Shape and drive system-level interventions beyond individual projects, including coalitions, market-shaping initiatives, and public-private collaboration.
• Identify structural bottlenecks across policy, infrastructure, regulation, market design, and capital allocation.
• Work across sectors and stakeholders to unlock system-wide impact beyond project-level outcomes.
• Contribute to Systemiq’s broader Energy platform strategy and thought leadership.

Origination & Growth

• Identify, shape, and win new work across power systems, grids, utilities, flexibility, and energy transition topics.
• Build trusted relationships with senior clients, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to scaling Systemiq’s Energy platform globally.

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor high-performing teams.
• Coach and develop team members, building capability in power systems, analytical problem solving, and systems-level thinking.
• Contribute to a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven culture.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a high-calibre, strategy-led leader with deep power systems expertise and the ability to operate at the intersection of strategy, policy, regulation, infrastructure, and real-economy delivery.

Essential Experience

• Deep experience in power systems, ideally including transmission and distribution grids, system operation, power market design, flexibility, renewables integration, storage, demand response, or utility strategy
• Around 10 to 15+ years’ experience in strategy consulting or energy advisory
• Experience working with or advising utilities, TSOs, DSOs, regulators, energy ministries, market operators, developers, infrastructure investors, or major energy users.
• Strong understanding of how grid constraints, interconnection, flexibility, storage, demand response, market reform, and regulation affect decarbonisation pathways.
• Ability to translate technical power system issues into strategic choices for senior decision-makers.
• Proven track record leading strategy engagements, complex programmes, and senior client relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders, including C-suite leaders, policymakers, regulators, and investors.
• Experience combining advisory work with real-world implementation is strongly valued.

Core Capabilities

• Exceptional problem structuring and analytical rigour.
• Strong commercial judgement and experience in origination and growth.
• Ability to move between high-level strategy and practical implementation.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Systems thinker focused on practical, scalable, real-world outcomes.
• Ability to lead complex work across multiple stakeholders, sectors, and geographies.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in international energy systems, infrastructure investment, large-scale transition programmes, or power market reform.
• Experience with digital, AI, or advanced analytical tools that improve insight generation, modelling, or delivery efficiency.
• Experience building new areas of work, propositions, or client relationships.

Mindset

• Entrepreneurial and opportunity-driven.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and building new areas of work.
• Collaborative, low ego, and mission-driven.
• Pragmatic, intellectually rigorous, and focused on real-world impact.

Why This Role Matters

Power systems are now one of the central constraints in the energy transition. Renewables, electrification, storage, flexibility, industrial decarbonisation, and clean technology deployment all depend on power systems evolving faster than they are today.

This role sits at the centre of that challenge. It will help clients and partners address the grid, market, regulatory, and institutional barriers that determine whether economy-wide decarbonisation can happen at the pace required.

Diversity & Inclusion
At Systemiq, we absolutely believe diverse perspectives are essential to driving system change. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where people feel respected, supported and able to do their best work.

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