Group Project Development and Delivery Director

Job Description:

Group Project Development and Delivery Director 
Location: UK flexible 

 Who we are 

We’re not just talking about making a difference, we’re making it happen. We generate dispatchable, renewable power and create stable energy in an uncertain world. Building on our proud heritage, we have ambition to become the global leader in sustainable biomass and carbon removals.

You’ll be joining our teams of practical doers, future thinkers and business champions. We’re enabling a zero carbon, lower cost energy future for all, and working hard to decarbonise the planet for generations to come.

About the role
The Group Project Development and Delivery Director will oversee a multidisciplinary team responsible for developing and delivering projects that support the future growth of the Drax Group. This encompasses both greenfield and brownfield developments on existing operational assets as well as potential acquisition opportunities. Current projects include, but are not limited to, OCGT, BESS, CCS, and data centres.

This role will work in close collaboration with Business Development teams across the organization to help shape the future of sustainable biomass, carbon removals, and flexible generation businesses. The Director will share accountability for advancing strategic projects to final investment decision, ensuring comprehensive commercial, cost, and technical due diligence, as well as effective risk management processes.

In addition, the Director will be responsible for the overall delivery of capital projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget. The role involves leading a dedicated team consisting of innovation specialists, project engineers, and project managers, as well as coordinating with third-party owners’ engineers and principal contractors. The Director will also lead an innovation team focused on horizon scanning and evaluating emerging technologies aligned with Drax’s strategic objectives.

Key Accountabilities

As the Group Project Development and Delivery Director, you’ll: 

• Work closely with Business Development teams to ensure alignment with technical and budgetary requirements.
• Collaborate with Finance and M&A teams to structure projects that optimise returns against capital constraints.
• Direct diverse, multi-disciplined engineering and contracts resources, evaluating and valorising technology options.
• Ensure projects under consideration contribute effectively to Drax’s overall purpose and objectives.
• Act as Technical Authority, assessing innovative solutions and selecting those with the highest probability of success.
• Be accountable for engineering solutions and compliance to external standards through managed risk and system development.
• Oversee controls and statutory compliance (engineering and financial), including setting, monitoring, and managing budgets.
• Deliver complex, large-scale projects to time, schedule, quality, and cost targets.
• Influence and support key decisions made by Business Development, ensuring future-proofed options and alignment with business planning cycles.
• Provide technical expertise for contract negotiations (e.g., EPC, full contract/split scope contracting).
• Support project delivery with compliance across quality, timeliness, budget, permitting, and regulations (H&S/CDM/DEQ), including company standards (e.g., DMIs).
• Drive establishment of project risk registers and decision logs, ensuring regular review and challenge.
• Communicate and allocate project risks across the organisation in a timely and transparent manner.
• Manage relationships with third-party developers to ensure successful outcomes and protect Drax’s interests.

About you

In this Senior Leadership role, you’ll play a pivotal part in ensuring our engineering and project delivery functions are robust, effective and future-ready. 

• Extensive experience in developing greenfield and brownfield capital projects across the full development cycle.
• Proven experience managing multi-disciplinary, multi-site teams, including external joint venture partners.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams structuring projects to meet investment objectives.
• Strong understanding of the HR and organisational implications of project structures.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and team management capabilities.
• Skilled in influencing at senior levels and communicating complex technical and financial information to Executive and Board audiences.
• Experience in project engineering development from concept to handover.
• Ability to establish and communicate risk management strategies for major engineering projects.
• Degree-level qualification in a technical subject or equivalent professional experience within the energy sector.
• Proven track record of delivering capital projects, demonstrating autonomy and confidence in decision-making.
• Experience establishing and developing effective teams with a strong performance culture.
• Strong ability to work cross-functionally and support the establishment of effective project development and engineering teams.

Why Join Us

Join us and lead projects that genuinely make an impact. If you are a highly skilled, proactive professional who thrives in dynamic, fast-paced environments and wants to make a difference at a strategic level—we’d love to hear from you.