Head of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) (Hybrid, Glasgow/London/Flexible UK office)

Are you passionate about energy storage and excited by the opportunity to build something from the ground up? Varda Advisory is seeking an exceptional individual to lead our Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) technical advisory practice. Joining Varda Advisory will provide an opportunity to help build a specialist advisory business from an early stage, with meaningful influence over its direction and growth.

About Varda Advisory

Varda Advisory is a specialist UK renewable energy consultancy founded in 2026 by a team of industry experts with a shared track record of delivering high-impact technical advice on some of the world’s most prominent renewable energy transactions. We specialise in technical due diligence (TDD) across offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems (BESS), drawing on decades of hands‑on experience advising assets throughout the full project lifecycle. Our team is trusted by investors, lenders, developers, and asset owners to provide clear, pragmatic, and commercially focused insights that support confident decision-making during renewable energy transactions.

As a growing and inclusive business, we are committed to creating an environment where talented people from all backgrounds can thrive. Varda Advisory is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of background.

The Role

This is a leadership position responsible for building and scaling Varda Advisory’s BESS capability from the ground up. You will serve as our recognised technical authority on energy storage, lead high-impact client engagements, shape our service offering, and help grow a team of BESS specialists in line with our pragmatic approach to technical due diligence across M&A, debt and insurance advisory.

The role spans the full BESS project lifecycle, from development-stage feasibility through construction, commissioning, and operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Help to grow and lead Varda’s BESS practice: Help evolve the service offering, strategic roadmap and go-to-market approach for the firm’s BESS advisory capability.
• Lead BESS technical due diligence: Deliver lender- and investor-grade technical due diligence for acquisitions, project finance and refinancing mandates.
• Act as senior technical advisor: Advise clients across development, construction, commissioning and operations, including technology selection, system design, safety, degradation, contracts and revenue assumptions.
• Deliver OE and LTA mandates: Lead Owner’s Engineer (OE) and Lender’s Technical Advisor (LTA) scopes, including design reviews, construction monitoring, factory visits and performance testing oversight.
• Develop client relationships: Build trusted relationships with developers, investors, lenders, fund managers, OEMs and other key participants in the UK, European and international BESS markets.
• Lead proposals and commercial scopes: Prepare and oversee proposals, scopes of work, fee estimates and commercial responses for BESS advisory mandates.
• Provide market and technical insight: Track BESS market trends, technology developments, regulation, grid services and revenue models to keep Varda’s advice current and commercially relevant.
• Build and mentor the team: Recruit, develop and support a high-performing team of BESS consultants and engineers, while maintaining strong QA/QC standards.
• Collaborate across technologies: Work with Varda’s wind, solar and broader due diligence teams to deliver integrated multi-technology advisory mandates.

Qualifications & Experience

The following qualifications and experience will help you succeed in this role:

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Energy Engineering or a closely related discipline; a master’s degree is preferred.
• Significant energy sector experience, including at least five years focused on BESS in a technical consulting, OEM, developer or owner’s engineer capacity.
• Proven track record delivering BESS technical due diligence, Owner’s Engineer and/or Lender’s Technical Advisor assignments for lenders, investors or developers.
• Strong technical knowledge of grid‑scale BESS technologies, system design, safety, degradation, contracts, grid connection, revenue models and market mechanisms.
• Experience in project finance, M&A or other transaction‑led environments, with the ability to produce investor‑ and lender-facing reports.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience scoping, pricing and delivering consulting engagements and managing senior client relationships.
• Additional relevant experience in areas such as hybrid projects, insurance advisory, construction or operational BESS delivery, team mentoring, additional languages or industry standards development would be beneficial.

Personal Qualities

• Entrepreneurial mindset: Comfortable building a practice area within a growing, founder‑led consultancy.
• Client focus: Committed to delivering commercially relevant, high quality technical advice.
• Autonomous and self‑motivated: Able to manage your own workload, priorities, and client relationships with minimal oversight.
• Collaborative: A team player who thrives in a flat, informal structure and enjoys knowledge sharing across disciplines.
• Commercially astute: Understands the interplay between technical risk and investment decisions.

Why Join Varda Advisory

• The opportunity to help build a specialist advisory business from an early stage, with meaningful influence over its direction and growth.
• A competitive salary and bonus, benchmarked against leading independent renewable energy consultancies.
• Ability to participate in the company’s long‑term incentive plan.
• Direct exposure to complex, high‑value renewable energy transactions across the UK, Europe, and international markets.
• A senior‑level environment that values rigour, independence, sound judgement, and advice that clients can act on.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements, supported by an entrepreneurial and collaborative culture.
• The chance to shape the future of Varda Advisory’s BESS offering as part of a focused renewables platform.
• Ability to integrate with PEAK Wind and its global platform.

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