Commercial Solar Manager (FTC)

Job Description

At OVO, we are on a mission to solve one of humanity's biggest challenges, the climate crisis. And we know it takes all of us to change the world. That's why we need diverse people from all abilities, gender identities, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, life experiences and backgrounds to join us.

Teamworking for the planet

Everything we do here spins around Plan Zero. So, naturally, the team you'll be joining plays a gigantic role in making that happen. Here's how:

This role sits in a fast paced and autonomous corporate venture called OVO Solar & Heating, whose remit is to re-establish and grow OVO's renewables business. The business was launched in March 2025 on a highly innovative Franchising business model, and within 4 months outpaced OVO's best ever monthly solar sales. By the end of 2027, the unit is expected to be one of the largest solar & heat pump installation companies in the UK.

This role in a nutshell

We're looking for an experienced, high-energy Commercial Manager to accelerate the success of our national solar and heating franchise network. Your goal is to help our franchisees identify, pitch, and win B2B solar and heating projects.

You'll define and deliver BD strategies and work closely with our franchisees - building their local pipelines, crafting BD strategies, and supporting bids and pitches, whilst building up their capabilities. Ultimately, your success will be measured in the volume and value of sales you have co-authored.

Your key outcomes will be

Commercial BD Strategy and Delivery

• Localised Growth Plans: Partner with each franchisee to build a commercial BD plan tailored to their specific territory, local economy, and experience.
• Campaign Development: Design and launch targeted BD campaigns (e.g., targeting local industrial parks, agricultural hubs, or property developers).
• Private Sector Bid Support: Support franchisees in identifying and winning private commercial contracts, including creating high-impact pitch decks and joining key sales meetings.
• Public Sector Bid Support: identify strategic opportunities and support franchisees to collaboratively build high-quality technical and commercial bids.

Commercial Partnerships

• New Partners: Collaborate closely with OVO's Partnerships Lead to identify, vet, and manage high-impact commercial partners that align with strategic growth objectives.
• Value Proposition: Continuously refine and optimise our partnership value proposition, ensuring the offering is commercially competitive and meets the needs of key stakeholders.

Franchisee Enablement

• Capability Building: Move franchisees from "supported" to "independent" by building their capability to pitch and bid effectively.
• Knowledge Bank: Create and maintain a "Bid-in-a-Box"-a centralized library of templates, case studies, PSQ responses, and technical PDFs that make bidding fast and scalable.
• Review & Audit: Act as the final "expert eye" on franchisee-led bids to ensure quality and brand consistency.

You'll be successful in this role at OVO if you are...

• Strong communicator - you can write a technical tender response that wins over a procurement board, and a pitch deck that excites a commercial business owner.
• Entrepreneurial spirit - You enjoy the "scrappy" nature of a franchise model. You're happy to jump on a call to help a franchisee close a £70k project one day, and support a £1.2m council bid the next.
• Strategic navigator - review opportunities and focus on the highest impact. You have the judgement to prioritise high-likelihood wins over "busy work."
• Pragmatic, resourceful and fast-moving - happy to operate in an ambiguous startup-style environment and make judgement calls
• Proven experience in bid management & BD - you have a track record of winning pitches, bids and tenders primarily in the private sector and possibly in the public sector.
• Commercial storyteller - you have the writing capability to turn technical solar and heat specifications into a compelling value proposition. You can create pitch decks that land with private-sector decision-makers.
• Strategic relationship builder - you have experience in "pre-tender" engagement. You know how to identify and influence key stakeholders in commercial organisations. An existing network is a big plus.
• Capability builder - You've built "knowledge banks" or "bid-in-a-box" templates before. You know how to centralise case studies, compliance docs, and technical PDFs to make the bidding process scalable.

Let's talk about what's in it for you

We'll pay you between £55,000 and £60,000, depending on your specific skills and experience.

We keep our pay ranges broad on purpose to give us, and you, flexibility to match your experience to our zero carbon mission.

You'll be eligible for an on-target bonus of 15%. We have one OVO bonus plan that focuses on the collective performance of our people to deliver our Plan Zero goal.

We also offer plenty of green benefits and progressive policies to help you feel like you belong at OVO...and there's flex pay. We'll give you 9% Flex Pay on top of your salary - 4% of this is auto enrolled into your pension, and the remaining 5% is yours to do what you like with. You can use this to buy from our extensive range of flexible benefits, including our green benefits which we've put at the heart of our offering, add to your pension or even take it as cash.

Here's a taster of what's on offer:

For starters, you'll get 34 days of holiday (including bank holidays).

For your health
With benefits like a healthcare cash plan or private medical insurance depending on your career level, critical illness cover, life assurance, health assessments, and more

For your wellbeing
With gym membership, travel insurance, workplace ISA, will writing services, dental insurance, and more

For your lifestyle
With extra holiday buying, discount dining, home & tech loans, and supporting your favourite charities with give-as-you-earn donations

For your home
Get up to £400 towards any OVO Energy plan, plus great discounts on solar, smart thermostats and EV chargers

For your commute
Nab a great deal on ultra-low emission car leasing, plus our cycle to work scheme and public transport season ticket loans

Want to hear about our full range of flexible benefits and progressive people policies? Our People Team can tell you everything you need to know.

For your Belonging

To find better ways to support our people, we need to listen to each other's experiences and find ways to build a truly inclusive and diverse workplace. As part of this, we have 8 Belonging Networks at OVO. Led by our people, for our people - so when you join OVO, you can play a part - big or small - with any of the Networks. It's up to you.

Oh, and one last thing...

We'd be thrilled if you tick off all our boxes, yet we also believe it's just as important we tick off all of yours. And if you think you have most of what we're looking for but not every single thing, go ahead and hit apply. We'd still love to hear from you!

If you have any additional requirements, there's a space to let us know on the application form; we want to make the process as easy and comfortable for you as possible.