Power & Utilities Projects - Director

Job description

The Team
 
Infrastructure Advisory Group (IAG), a part of KPMG Advisory in the UK, consists of over 300 professionals and is widely recognised as a leading independent business, financial and regulatory adviser in the infrastructure space. The group has won many awards, including Financial Advisor of the Year (Infrastructure Journal) for several years. The group has presence across the UK and is organised on a national basis, operating under a single national cost centre.
 
We provide in-depth advice on strategic, financial, regulatory and commercial issues driving investments in infrastructure across Transport, Power & Utilities, and Social Infrastructure in the UK and globally...
 
Power & Utilities (P&U) is the largest business area of the IAG and encompasses work for major clients in the sector, including all UK utilities as well as some of the largest energy and water companies in Europe and beyond. 

We provide in-depth strategic and technical advice on strategy and business planning and analysis, regulatory finance, corporate finance and corporate financial management, regulatory policy as well as in other areas to help our clients create value for both shareholders and customers. Our work combines elements of policy, finance, economic and strategy to assist our clients in structuring investments, securing financing, supporting regulatory regimes for the benefit of customers as well as maximising shareholder value. We work closely with other functions within KPMG to advise clients on mergers and acquisitions, valuations, tax, accounting, and due diligence. We are widely recognised by many industry stakeholders as market leaders influencing the future of the utilities sector.

Our P&U business is currently divided into 7 practices: Finance, Projects, Strategy, Regulation, Low Carbon, Transactions, and Benchmarking, and is continuously expanding with double digit growth over the last 10 years. As such we are looking for high quality candidates to support our growth and development of existing and new service lines, while building on the work already undertaken in the Group.
 
The Role 
 
We are looking for a Director with a Finance background to support the fast-growing Power & Utilities Projects team. 

The team specialises in advising clients on the delivery of large water and energy infrastructure – including new nuclear generation, onshore and offshore electricity networks, interconnectors, reservoirs and other major assets. We provide strategic and transaction advise on all aspects of an asset’s delivery, including commercial arrangements, financing structures, regulatory strategy and engagement, and procurement processes – both for individual assets and new delivery programmes.

Our clients, include companies, developers, bidders and regulators. Some of the projects we have advised on include Hinkley Point C, Thames Tideway Tunnel, multiple Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) projects, Offshore Transmission Owners (OFTO), Special Infrastructure Projects Regime (SIPR), Cap and Floor Interconnectors, Competitively Appointed Transmission Owners (CATOs), new nuclear projects (NNPs) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). 
 
Services provided by the P&U Projects team include:
• All aspects of commercial and financial advice on major infrastructure projects;
• Raising of finance (development capital, equity and debt); 
• Financial modelling and scenarios analysis; 
• Design of bespoke delivery models—this includes funding models, financing strategy and structures, Government or third party support packages, and State aid / UK subsidy control approval strategy and applications;
• Strategic and policy advise to major developers, bidders and other stakeholders, including government bodies and regulators on delivering utilities infrastructure and in particular large projects;
• Market analysis and benchmarking of sector and key players including supply chain and technology;
• Business case preparation for various stakeholder approvals and grant applications; and
• Other advisory services such as sector analysis, etc
 
The candidate should have a very good understanding of the utilities and energy sectors in the UK, with a special focus on large infrastructure and major projects. The candidate should also have a good track record of working in financial advisory, including leading a team, and both winning and delivering advisory services, supported by a proven reputation in the sector.

The role also involves bringing together different advisory services to identify opportunities, developing and maintaining strong relationships with key players in the sector while working closely with other parts of KPMG Deal Advisory, to originate and structure our combined utilities infrastructure offering.

Roles & Responsibilities 

As a senior member of the Projects team within Power & Utilities the individual will be responsible for:
 
• Leading commercial, procurement, regulatory and financial advice on large and complex projects;
• Leading client engagements on a day-to-day basis;
• Managing our advice on engagements typically involving several different; workstreams and specialist teams; 
• Producing, reviewing and overseeing development of high quality client outputs; 
• Operating at the C suite and board level with developers, investors and regulators;
• Pro-actively keeping up to date with deal advisory thinking on a global level;
• Building enduring client relationships and becoming the go to person for our clients on structuring and financing major projects;
• Maintaining a good technical understanding of the key sectors in P&U;
• Developing sector specific market intelligence;
• Contributing to the management of Infrastructure Power & Utilities business as part of the senior management leadership group;
• Identifying and recruiting talent;
• Coaching and mentoring other staff;
• Being a role model for less experienced staff and for the firm's values;
• Providing senior leadership to people providing financial advice on projects;
• Ensuring KPMG's quality and risk management procedures are completed to the appropriate standard;
• Performance management, coaching and mentoring of team members;
• Being a role model for staff and for the firm's values; and
• Any other duties commensurate with the senior nature of the role.
 
Business development activities will include:
• Developing and maintaining business relationships with investors, companies and developers, regulators and other stakeholders involved in major projects in the Power & Utilities sector; 
• Working closely with colleagues across IAG, Power & Utilities team and other parts of KPMG Deal Advisory; 
• Targeting key stakeholders in-line with our strategy and developing a pipeline of opportunities to support the growth of the utilities infrastructure business as well as wider P&U team; 
• Building a strong external and internal network to promote our services and the value provided;
• Leading on development of thought leadership and speaking engagements; and 
• Pro-actively promoting our services.
 
The Person
 
We are looking for a person who can work at pace and manage multiple complex engagements, often on demanding timescales. They should have proven experience of advising on projects in utilities and other infrastructure sectors with strong skills in client relationship management and a track record of delivering high quality outputs and securing further work. The person is expected to have relevant experience and proficiency to lead particular business areas and initiatives. 
 
Skills, Qualifications & Experience 
 
• Expertise in providing financial advice, in particular on project finance transactions. This includes experience advising on financing structures and financing terms for infrastructure projects (for example PF2);
• In depth knowledge and experience of working on major projects; 
• Understanding of key value drivers in projects including policy, regulation, financing, investments, markets; 
• Good understanding of alternative funding models (CfD, RAB, PPA, etc)
• Experience in financial analysis using core techniques and methodologies in project finance and corporate finance;
• A good understanding of scenario modelling and quantification of financial risk and impacts on financial viability with skills to implement it in practice;
• Understanding of core credit rating agency methodologies for projects, understanding of typical financial structures and financing solutions in the sector; 
• Experience of investment appraisal, development/build of financial models and analysis of hurdle rates;
• Good understanding of construction contract terms and conditions (for example NEC4)
• A track record of working in professional services, including leading a team, and both winning and delivering advisory services;
• Being comfortable managing staff and stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines including economics, finance, legal, and engineering;
• Understanding of key value drivers in infrastructure projects including policy, regulatory and market framework, financing, delivery, operations etc;
• Assured and experienced in a client and market facing role;
• A go get attitude and a will to succeed, with experience of opening up opportunities;
• Being an independent thinker with the ability to identify and solve problems;
• Strong presentation and communications skills;
• Skills successfully to develop and manage client relationships; and
• Strong commercial awareness.