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Asia Pacific delivered investment and regulatory signals in the same month. Together, they show a region moving from announcement to energisation.&nbsp;
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<h3>Malaysia.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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The Energy Commission reported that Data Centers took a record 9.3% of Peninsular Malaysia's electricity in the second week of August, against an average of about 7% this year. Hot weather lifted cooling demand. The Commission projects up to 31% by 2035 and has identified a gas-fired capacity gap of around 9GW by 2032. Officials said current demand sits within planning assumptions.&nbsp;
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MBSB Research notes that Tenaga Nasional had 61 secured projects representing 8.35GW of maximum demand by June. Of these, 42 projects totalling 5.65GW were connected, yet actual load was only 1.26GW. That gap points to substantial load still to ramp. On 8 September, Firmus named OpenAI as anchor customer for two Malaysian AI factory sites, taking its contracted capacity above 900MW.&nbsp;
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<h3>Singapore.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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On 21 August the government provisionally allocated 200MW under DC-CFA2 to Digital Realty, Equinix, Keppel Data Centres and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, at 50MW each. All sites sit on Jurong Island. Each operator has committed to more than 50% green energy, and the sites require Green Mark Platinum certification and liquid cooling. Talent development is part of the assessment criteria. EDB and IMDA will review the need for another call in 18 to 24 months.&nbsp;
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<h3>Thailand.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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Officials announced a pause on 49 Data Centers under construction and an approvals hold on 117 more while national standards are drafted. The government cannot compel the 49 projects to stop, so the pause relies on voluntary cooperation. Thailand has 35 facilities in operation. A framework covering size, electricity use and location is expected by mid-October.&nbsp;
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<h3>What this means for talent.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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The next phase needs people who can connect, commission and operate sites. Demand is rising for grid connection engineers, battery storage specialists, commissioning managers, liquid cooling engineers and compliance leads. Each market is moving at a different pace, with Johor, Jurong Island and Bangkok on different timelines. We advise clients to build hiring plans around approval and energisation milestones in each market. Regional mobility between markets will help fill the gaps.&nbsp;
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Hiring for Data Center and power projects in Asia Pacific?&nbsp;Speak to our <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/clients/sectors/critical-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Critical Infrastructure team.</a>
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Sources: Energy Commission Malaysia via Reuters and Media Selangor; MBSB Research via TNGlobal; Firmus; Singapore EDB and IMDA; Bloomberg via DCD; The Edge Malaysia.
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Asia Pacific's Data Center Boom Meets the Grid

<h3>What Qualifications Do You Need to Work on a BESS Center Project?&nbsp;</h3>
Battery energy storage (BESS) projects are growing across the United States, and Nashville is seeing demand for skilled people to install and maintain them. If you are wondering whether your background fits, here is a practical look at what employers typically look for.&nbsp;
A note first: requirements vary by role and by project, and our recruiters will confirm what applies. This guide covers the common ground.&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>A trade or technical background Most installation roles draw on an electrical, mechanical, millwright or maintenance background. That might be an apprenticeship, a technical school program or several years working in industrial maintenance. Formal credentials help, but hands-on experience with electrical or mechanical equipment is what most hiring managers value.</li>
<li>Safety training Safety comes first on any large construction or installation site. OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training is widely recognized and often expected. Familiarity with lockout/tagout procedures and site safety practices is a strong advantage.</li>
<li>Role-specific licenses and certifications Some roles call for specific credentials. Electrical roles may require an electrical license or journeyman status, depending on the work. Material handling may call for forklift or equipment operation certificates, and rigging experience is useful where heavy equipment is positioned. If you are unsure whether yours apply, register and we will talk it through.</li>
<li>Practical skills &bull; Reading drawings, schematics and installation instructions&nbsp; &bull; Torquing, aligning and assembling mechanical components&nbsp; &bull; Terminating and labelling electrical connections&nbsp; &bull; Fault finding and basic testing&nbsp; &bull; Working accurately to a schedule and documenting your work</li>
<li>The right working style Installation teams are multi-disciplinary and move quickly. Reliability, clear communication and a willingness to learn from colleagues matter as much as any certificate.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Just starting out?&nbsp;
If you have recently completed a technical program or have around a year of field experience, you may still be a good fit. Prior experience with electrical or mechanical equipment is a plus, and we would rather hear from you than have you rule yourself out.&nbsp;
Next step&nbsp;
We are building a talent network in Nashville for upcoming BESS installation projects, with installation work starting in mid-November and further opportunities to follow. Register your interest and upload your CV <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/candidates/bess-opportunities-nashville?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=fn">here</a>.&nbsp;

 A practical guide to the skills, training and certifications that help you get started on a battery energy storage project in Nashville.

What Qualifications Do You Need to Work on a BESS Center Project? | Spencer Ogden

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September's headlines showed Data Center ambition at a new scale. They also showed tighter expectations on how that capacity is built and powered. Three themes stand out.&nbsp;
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<h3>Ambition is rising.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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Bloomberg reported that Microsoft plans to take its capacity from about 12GW to more than 38GW by 2032, with roughly a third of that AI-specific. Microsoft has not confirmed the figure. The European Union wants to triple its Data Center capacity over the next five to seven years. Reuters reports EU capacity is expected to reach 28GW by 2030, against 12GW last year. Google scheduled the launch of a prototype satellite carrying four TPUs on 1 October, the first flight test for Project Suncatcher. Google cites near-constant solar energy as the attraction of orbit, which shows how central power has become to compute planning.&nbsp;
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<h3>Transparency is becoming standard.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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The European Commission proposed an energy and water rating scheme for sites above 500kW, with first labels expected in 2027. California's governor signed seven bills on 21 September covering water and electricity reporting and cost allocation. Texas expects its grid audit to be filed by 10 December. Scotland now requires Environmental Impact Assessments for Data Centers above 50MW. Each jurisdiction is asking operators to evidence power, water and community impact at the outset.&nbsp;
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<h3>Power sourcing is widening.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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Google signed a 22-year power purchase agreement with Fortum to extend Finland's Loviisa nuclear plant. The US Department of Energy closed a loan of up to $1.9bn for the 615MW Duane Arnold restart in Iowa, with a Google PPA behind it. Singapore expects more than half of its newly allocated capacity to run on green energy.&nbsp;
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<h3>What this means for talent.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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Delivery now draws on engineering depth and regulatory fluency together. The skills in demand include power systems, nuclear operations, battery storage, environmental assessment and regulatory affairs. These skills are in demand across borders, so workforce plans need a global view. We advise clients to decide early where permanent expertise should sit and where project-based specialists add capacity. Teams that do this before approvals land will move first.
Planning a Data Center or power project? Speak to our <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/clients/sectors/critical-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Critical Infrastructure team.</a>
Sources: Bloomberg via Data Center Dynamics; Reuters; European Commission; Space.com; Governor of California; ERCOT; Scottish Government; DOE; Singapore EDB and IMDA.&nbsp;
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Data Center Ambition Is Scaling. So Is Accountability. 

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In EMEA, September's news centred on how Data Centers connect to energy systems, and how they are protected once connected.&nbsp;
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<h3>The EU moves toward ratings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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On 21 September, the European Commission proposed a common rating scheme for Data Centers above 500kW. Operators would disclose energy and water efficiency, water stress and any services they can offer the local energy system, such as waste heat reuse. The scheme sets no limits and does not require total power disclosure, but the Commission says it could precede mandatory minimum standards. Parliament and Council have two months to scrutinise it, and the first labels are expected in 2027.&nbsp;
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<h3>Scotland tightens planning.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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On 17 August, ministers directed councils to notify them within seven days of any application above 50MW. On 16 September a further direction made Environmental Impact Assessments mandatory above 50MW. Smaller sites remain case by case.&nbsp;
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Ireland tests flexibility.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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The regulator has proposed interruptible gas connections for large users. Its analysis found that 17 planned Data Centers would have the peak gas demand of six 500MW gas turbines. Network modelling shows a possible shortfall of up to 18% in a severe 1-in-50 winter. Facilities could reduce load, shift workloads or switch to backup fuel. The regulator has since clarified that it is considering a network tariff discount, not a discounted gas price.&nbsp;
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Finland pairs investment with supply.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Google committed at least &euro;13bn (about $15bn) across 2027 and 2028 for Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. A 22-year agreement with Fortum supports the Loviisa nuclear plant's life extension, and a 94MW battery system near Kajaani is due in late 2027.&nbsp;
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<h3>Resilience is now a design question.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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In mid-September, AWS confirmed it cannot restore data hosted exclusively in one of its three UAE availability zones, following physical damage in March. The other two zones are still being recovered. The episode shows why recovery engineering and physical site resilience now sit alongside efficiency in project briefs.&nbsp;
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<h3>What this means for talent.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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Environmental assessment, gas and electricity network engineering, flexible load design, nuclear life extension and resilience engineering are all in demand. We advise clients to map these skills against their approval timelines, and to decide where permanent expertise should sit and where specialist contractors add capacity.
Building in EMEA? Speak to our <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/clients/sectors/critical-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Critical Infrastructure team.</a>
Sources: European Commission via Reuters; Scottish Government; Brodies LLP; Irish Times; Commission for Regulation of Utilities; Data Center Dynamics; Google; AWS status updates via Techzine and InfoQ.&nbsp;
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Europe and the Middle East: Rules, Resilience and Power Supply

<h3 dir="ltr">The People Behind the AI Boom</h3>
The AI boom needs power, land and capital. It also needs people, and there aren&rsquo;t enough of them. Our recent LinkedIn poll asked data center professionals which area of their operation has the biggest talent gap. Of 27 votes, 63% said the gap is roughly even everywhere. 30% pointed to power and cooling systems, 7% to facilities and physical infrastructure, and nobody chose IT operations. It is a small sample, but it matches what the industry data shows: the shortage is not confined to one team.
<h3 dir="ltr">What does the data say?</h3>
DCD Intelligence&rsquo;s 2026 workforce survey found that more than two-thirds of data center developers and operators are staffed below what their operations require. Nearly a third are running at under 80% of demand. The survey describes staffing as stretched thin across all sectors, with shortages most acute in facilities and physical infrastructure, power and cooling systems, and IT operations. The report warns that these gaps risk reduced performance and increased downtime.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why is the gap so hard to close?</h3>
Recruitment is the main constraint. Nearly half of survey respondents named a lack of technical knowledge in prospective hires as the biggest barrier to entry. Low awareness of the industry as a career option also came up.
Our poll fits this picture. If the gap sat in one discipline, operators could target one hiring programme. A gap that most respondents describe as even across their site points to a pipeline problem, not a role problem.
<h3 dir="ltr">Where are operators finding people?</h3>
Operators are looking to adjacent sectors. The survey shows growing cross-hiring from technical infrastructure and utilities, with telecoms in third place. Fluid dynamics and power expertise are the biggest drivers of workforce expansion, and respondents are sourcing those skills from power and water utilities and from oil and gas. Many are also expanding internships, apprenticeships and university programmes to build their own supply.
<h3 dir="ltr">What separates the operators pulling ahead?</h3>
The DCD report puts the root cause down to a lack of structure in recruitment and training. Gaps in staffing, onboarding, training and upskilling all trace back to the absence of deliberate systems for building and sustaining talent. Its conclusion is that the organisations best placed to benefit from the sector&rsquo;s growth are those that treat workforce development as core infrastructure, with structured training, standardised onboarding and upskilling on AI and other new technologies.
We see the same pattern across our Critical Infrastructure work. Operators who plan their workforce alongside their build roadmap, and who recruit across sector boundaries rather than waiting for a perfect CV, fill roles faster and keep them longer. For experienced hires, that means starting conversations with skilled professionals in utilities, telecoms and oil and gas before a vacancy goes live.
<h3 dir="ltr">What does the poll tell us?</h3>
The 63% who said the gap is even everywhere are describing a whole-site problem, and a whole-site problem needs a plan that covers the whole site. The shortage will not resolve through one-off hiring pushes. It needs a sustained approach to sourcing, training and retention.
If you are scoping a new campus, expanding an existing site, or unsure where your next hiring bottleneck will land, speak to our <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/clients/sectors/critical-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Critical Infrastructure team.</a>

DCD Intelligence finds two thirds of data center operators are understaffed. See what our poll revealed about where the talent gap sits and how operators are responding.

Why Is Data Center Growth Outpacing Talent?

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North America's September news shows regulators and financiers focusing on one question: where the power will come from, and who will pay for it.&nbsp;
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<h3>Texas puts the queue under review.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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On 3 August, Governor Greg Abbott directed regulators to audit data center projects seeking grid access. ERCOT paused its Batch Zero process and the energisation of new large-load Data Centers. About 300 projects of 75MW or more are in scope, and ERCOT will also run community impact reviews for sites of 25MW and above. The wider queue stands at roughly 474GW, about 90% of its Data Centers and more than five times the record peak demand. Experts expect a substantial share to be speculative or duplicated. ERCOT intends to file its reports by 10 December. The Governor has also directed the state environmental agency to pause Data Center permits until the audit concludes.&nbsp;
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<h3>California moves on cost allocation and disclosure.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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On 21 September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed seven bills. Several direct regulators to set separate tariffs for large Data Center loads so that residential ratepayers do not carry the cost of new generation and grid upgrades. Others require water-use disclosure before approval and remove Data Centers' eligibility for blanket environmental review exemptions, while offering fast-track approval to facilities that meet state energy and water standards.&nbsp;
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<h3>Nuclear restart gains financing.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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On 8 September, the US Department of Energy closed a loan of up to $1.9bn to NextEra Energy for the 615MW Duane Arnold restart in Iowa. Google has a 25-year power purchase agreement for the output. NextEra targets restart no later than the first quarter of 2029, subject to Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals. The project is expected to support thousands of construction and refurbishment jobs and more than 400 permanent roles. DOE says its loan programme has now financed three nuclear plant restarts.&nbsp;
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<h3>What this means for talent.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
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Projects that can evidence a power plan will clear review fastest. Demand is rising for interconnection and transmission engineers, nuclear licensing and operations specialists, tariff and regulatory analysts, and environmental permitting leads. We advise clients to align workforce plans with approval milestones, using permanent hires for long programmes and contract specialists to flex capacity at peaks.
Planning a project in the Americas? Speak to our <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/clients/sectors/critical-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Critical Infrastructure team.</a>
Sources: ERCOT; Utility Dive; Houston Public Media; Data Center Dynamics; Governor of California; Mayer Brown; US Department of Energy; NextEra Energy; Utility Dive.
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In the Americas, Data Center Growth Now Starts with a Power Plan

Anyone can send you CVs. Not everyone can tell you why your hiring strategy might be wrong before you've noticed it yourself. Here's how to tell the difference in a single conversation.
We put the question to our network directly: what matters most in a recruiting partner? From 53 votes, the result was decisive. 56% said knowing your business, more than double every other answer combined. Proactively advising followed at 22%, tracking long-term fit at 13%, and pushing back on unrealistic briefs came in lowest at just 7%.
That last figure is the most revealing one. Pushing back on a brief is one of the clearest tests of whether you're working with an advisor or an order-taker, and yet it ranked lowest. That's less likely to mean it matters least, and more likely to mean most people have simply never experienced a recruiter do it.
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Do they ask about your business before they ask about the role?</h3>
A recruiter wants the job spec. An advisor wants to understand your project pipeline, your market position, and where you're likely to be exposed in twelve months, because that context changes what "the right hire" actually looks like. Our poll confirms this is what clients value most by a wide margin, and it's the foundation everything else below depends on.
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Do they push back on your brief?</h3>
If every requirement you give gets accepted without question, you're not getting expertise, you're getting order-taking. An advisor will tell you when a role is unfillable as written, when your timeline is unrealistic, or when the market has moved since you last hired for this position. Only 7% of you ranked this as the top priority, which likely says more about how rarely it happens than how much it matters.
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Do they bring you information you didn't ask for?</h3>
A recruiter waits for requisitions. An advisor flags a competitor's hiring pattern, a market rate shift, or a looming skills shortage before it becomes your problem, not after. This came in second in our poll at 22%, a meaningful signal that proactive insight is valued once clients have actually experienced it.
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Do they measure success by the placement, or by what happens next?</h3>
Anyone can celebrate a signed offer. An advisor is still checking in three, six, twelve months later, because a placement that doesn't stick isn't actually a result. 13% of you ranked this highest, suggesting long-term fit matters, but is often overshadowed by more immediate concerns.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why this distinction matters</h3>
None of this makes recruiting itself less valuable. It's a legitimate, necessary function. But critical infrastructure and power hiring increasingly needs more than execution. It needs a partner who understands the market well enough to shape the strategy, not just fill the seats. Our poll result suggests most clients already know this instinctively, even if the specific behaviours of advisory partnership, like pushing back on a flawed brief, are still rare enough that people don't immediately think to rank them highly.
Spencer Ogden is built to operate as that kind of partner across critical infrastructure and power. Get in touch to discuss what advisory-led hiring could look like for your business.
See how the full vote played out, and vote in our next poll, by following Spencer Ogden on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/spencerogden">LinkedIn</a>

What actually separates a recruiter from an advisor?

Most talent partnerships start the same way: a signed agreement, a warm introduction call, and then a slow drift into "send us your requirements when you have them." That's not a partnership. That's a vendor on standby.
The first 90 days should look different, and it's usually where you find out which of those two you actually have.
We asked our network directly: what matters most in the first 90 days with a talent partner? From 47 votes, the answer was overwhelming. 68% said understanding your business, more than three times every other option combined. Fast candidate delivery followed at 21%, with long-term check-ins at 9% and proactive market insight barely registering at 2%.
That result is worth sitting with, because it cuts directly against how most partnerships are actually structured.
<h3 dir="ltr">Weeks 1&ndash;2: understanding, not selling</h3>
A genuine partner spends this time learning your business, not pitching their process. What roles are hardest to fill and why? What's driven past hires to fail, slow, or leave? Where does your current process create friction for hiring managers or candidates? If none of this comes up before the first requisition lands, that's a signal worth noting. Our poll result confirms this is exactly what clients value most, and yet it's the stage most partnerships rush past fastest.
<h3 dir="ltr">Weeks 3&ndash;6: proof, not promises</h3>
This is where a partner should be actively working live roles, not just building rapport. You should see real candidate quality, real market feedback, and real transparency when something isn't working, not silence until a shortlist magically appears.
<h3 dir="ltr">Weeks 7&ndash;12: a rhythm, not a reset</h3>
By this point, a partner should be proactively flagging market shifts relevant to your hiring, not waiting for you to ask. Regular check-ins should focus on what's working and what needs to change, not just open requisitions. Interestingly, this is the area our poll respondents ranked lowest, at just 9% for long-term check-ins and 2% for proactive market insight. That doesn't mean these matter less. It likely means most clients have never actually experienced them, and can't yet picture what they're worth.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why this rarely happens</h3>
Most of the market is built around transactions, not relationships. It's easier to fill a role and move on than to build the muscle of continual, structured improvement with a client over time. Understanding the business first takes longer, and it's harder to bill for. Fast delivery is easy to sell. Understanding is not, even though your own votes say it's what actually matters most.
<h3 dir="ltr">What this means for how you evaluate a partner</h3>
The first 90 days are the clearest window you'll get into how a partner actually operates, before the relationship settles into habit. A partner worth keeping treats those months as the foundation for continual improvement, not a formality before business as usual sets in. And based on what 68% of you just told us, understanding your business isn't a nice-to-have step before the real work starts. It is the real work.
Spencer Ogden's approach is built around that continual improvement, not a phrase we use once at kickoff, but how we operate through every stage of a partnership. Get in touch to discuss what a genuine talent partnership should look like for your business.

What should the first 90 days with a talent partner actually look like?

Three developments this week, taken together, paint a picture of the volatility European energy operators are now planning workforce strategy against. The EU's long-promised blueprint on electricity grid integration has been delayed again, with a senior European Commission official now pointing to an agreement only toward the end of 2026 or early 2027. EDF has confirmed a second consecutive year of declining first-half profitability, its H1 2026 EBITDA down 8.7% to &euro;14.1 billion, hit by falling power prices and heatwave-reduced hydropower output, even as August's record heat forced the temporary shutdown of three nuclear reactors and reduced output at others. And RWE is holding its 2030 coal exit commitment in North Rhine-Westphalia, even as the German government's own review of the phase-out's security-of-supply implications, due this year, remains the deciding factor in whether RWE's remaining lignite plants get pulled into reserve rather than switched off on schedule.
We put a direct question to our network: what's creating the biggest workforce planning headache right now? The options were delayed EU policy timelines, climate-driven disruption, phase-out uncertainty, or all three at once. The result was unambiguous. From 36 votes, 75% said all three at once, dwarfing every individual factor. Phase-out uncertainty took 13%, with delayed EU policy timelines and climate-driven disruption tied at 5% each.
That result matters, because it confirms something a transactional view of the market tends to miss: these aren't three separate stories competing for attention. They're one compounding problem, and the market already knows it.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why policy delay is a workforce problem, not just a policy problem</h3>
The EU's grid integration blueprint slipping toward early 2027 isn't simply a Brussels timeline issue. It's a direct input into hiring decisions across every organisation planning grid-related workforce capacity. Should teams be resourced against the framework's original timeline, or against a 2027 reality that's now more likely? Committing headcount, contractor pipelines, or leadership hires against a moving regulatory target is exactly the kind of decision that punishes anyone staffing reactively. A six-month slip in EU policy can translate into a much longer misalignment between workforce planning and the framework it's meant to serve.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why climate disruption breaks the recruitment cycle's usual assumptions</h3>
EDF's situation illustrates a different kind of pressure entirely. Standard recruitment cycles are built around planned, forecastable need: a project timeline, a retirement, a known expansion. Heatwave-driven reactor shutdowns and reduced hydropower output don't work that way. They create sudden, unplanned capacity gaps in exactly the operational and technical roles that take the longest to backfill properly, at the precise moment operational pressure is highest. An organisation that only starts thinking about this kind of contingency workforce capacity once the heatwave hits has already lost the time it needed to respond well.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why phase-out timelines make long-term planning genuinely difficult</h3>
RWE's position captures the third pressure. The company is publicly committed to its 2030 coal exit, but the German government's own review, the one that determines whether RWE's remaining lignite plants are held in reserve rather than decommissioned on schedule, is still pending. That's not a hypothetical policy debate. It's a live variable sitting directly on top of workforce decisions: decommissioning teams, redeployment planning, and long-term skills strategy all depend on knowing which timeline is actually going to hold. Planning workforce strategy against a phase-out date that could still move is a materially different exercise than planning against a fixed one.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why this needs an advisor, not a transactional recruiter</h3>
None of these three pressures resolves on its own, and none of them can be planned around in isolation. A transactional recruitment relationship isn't built to help a client think through this kind of compounding volatility; it responds once a role is defined and a requisition lands. An advisory relationship works differently. It means tracking EU policy timelines, climate-driven operational risk, and political phase-out uncertainty as closely as the client is, and surfacing what that means for workforce planning before the client has to ask.
Our poll result reinforces exactly this point. When 75% of respondents say the real difficulty is all three pressures landing simultaneously, that's a clear signal that clients don't need a partner who solves one problem well. They need one who can hold all three in view at once, and help plan against a landscape that's shifting on every front at the same time.
This is the advisory positioning Spencer Ogden is building toward deliberately: helping clients plan workforce strategy against genuine uncertainty, rather than reacting to it after the fact.&nbsp;
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<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/contact-us">Talk to one of our consultants</a> about building a workforce strategy that holds up against policy delay, climate disruption, and phase-out uncertainty, all at once, not just when one of them lands on your desk.&nbsp;
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When Policy Slips and the Climate Doesn't Wait, Clients Need an Advisor, Not Just a Requisition Filled

Across EMEA, there are more mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers than there are Data Center roles waiting for them. Most hiring managers in Frankfurt, Milan or Dublin would find that hard to believe (and they would be right to) because those engineers are not in their market.
Our Q3 2026 Bottleneck Report identifies 3,964 MEP engineers across EMEA against 3,087 live postings. On the face of it, that is a market in balance. Underneath it, 61% of those engineers work in the Gulf and North Africa, and only 27% of the roles do.
That single mismatch is the MEP engineer shortage in Europe. The people exist, but they might be three time zones from the programme that needs them.
<h3 dir="ltr">Same score as the US, different problem</h3>
We score EMEA at 79 out of 100 for MEP scarcity. The US edition of this report scores the same. The causes have almost nothing in common.
In the US, the market is short of engineers outright, and pay has not moved to reflect it. In EMEA, supply and demand balance at a regional level and then come apart geographically. Across the Gulf and North Africa, there are 0.33 adverts for every identified engineer. Across the rest of EMEA, there is one advert per engineer. Hiring is roughly three times harder on one side of that line than the other.
MEP matters here for the same reason it matters everywhere. It accounts for around 60% of Data Center build cost, and it carries the longest lead items on the programme. Unlike a role that appears at one stage, it runs across design, construction, commissioning and operations. There is no way to sequence around it.
<h3 dir="ltr">Where it is worst</h3>
Italy is the tightest market in the report at 89 out of 100, with 131 live adverts against 70 identified engineers. Germany follows at 84, led by Frankfurt, with 160 adverts against 105 engineers.
The UK scores 81 and carries the largest volume of demand anywhere in the region: 1,034 live adverts, 273 of them in London, with Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol and Birmingham behind it. Ireland scores 80 across the Dublin and Cork corridor. Spain sits at 79.
At the other end, the UAE holds the largest single pool in EMEA, 1,281 engineers against 383 adverts, and scores 62. Saudi Arabia scores 59 with 712 engineers against 196 adverts.
<h3 dir="ltr">Pay is already high, and it is not working</h3>
UK employers are not underpaying. Advertised MEP salaries average &pound;66,300 against a weighted benchmark of &pound;51,400, a premium of 29%. The benchmark is a <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2025">composite of ten ONS SOC 2020 codes from ASHE 2025 provisional data</a>, weighted by UK posting mix.
A 29% premium over a general engineering median sounds decisive until you notice who else is bidding. Healthcare infrastructure, life sciences, decarbonisation and retrofit programmes, logistics and defence are all recruiting the same discipline from the same pool. Data Centers are not paying above the market for MEP. They are paying the market, and so is everyone else.
We expect that premium to widen through Q4 2026 and into 2027, particularly for chartered engineers with Data Center experience. CIBSE or IET status already commands a premium of 15 to 25%.
<h3 dir="ltr">The search term problem</h3>
There is one cause of the shortage that costs nothing to fix.
Only 53% of EMEA MEP demand is advertised as MEP. Another 22% goes out as building services. More again goes out under local terms: Technische Geb&auml;udeausr&uuml;stung, usually shortened to TGA, in Germany; g&eacute;nie climatique in France; installatietechniek in the Netherlands.
Search a single term, and you see a fraction of the market. The same applies to job titles after handover, where the same discipline is often titled as critical facilities or building engineering. Our dataset identified 265 MEP-capable engineers at Equinix alone through critical facilities job titles.
This is the highest-return change available to most employers in the region, and it is a wording change.
<h3 dir="ltr">Recruiting from the Gulf</h3>
The second approach follows directly from the distribution gap. Where Europe has one advert per engineer, the Gulf has 0.33, so the same search runs in the opposite direction.
The pool is concentrated in a small number of large integrated facilities providers: 117 engineers at Imdaad, 111 at Emrill, 99 at Ejadah and 57 at Farnek, alongside the major Saudi contractors. Job titles are consistent across those businesses, which makes mapping quicker than it is in Europe, where demand is fragmented across 1,285 distinct employers with varied titling conventions.
Two things decide whether this works. Separate construction-stage experience from operations and maintenance experience at shortlist, because they are not interchangeable. And handle relocation, visa and family logistics in the first conversation rather than at offer stage. This is a workforce that has already relocated internationally, often more than once, and they will ask.
<h3 dir="ltr">Treat MEP as a programme, not a package</h3>
The third approach is a planning change rather than a sourcing one.
Most operators hire MEP four separate times: once for design, once for construction, once for commissioning and once for operations. Each campaign competes with the last, often for the same people, and the operations hire tends to start after handover when it should have started well before it.
Mapping the full four-stage requirement before the first vacancy opens avoids that. Retention has to be planned at the same time, not afterwards. Median tenure across EMEA MEP is 2.38 years, shorter than the 2.80 years we recorded for US MEP engineers.
Lachlan Muir, Principal Consultant, Data Centre PMO at Spencer Ogden, puts it this way.
"The operators getting this right are not finding more MEP engineers than everyone else. They have stopped hiring the discipline four separate times and started planning it once, across the whole programme."
<h3 dir="ltr">Who is hiring</h3>
Engineering consultancies dominate the advertising. Arcadis leads with 123 active adverts over twelve months, followed by WSP UK and Ireland at 74, Equinix at 49, Mace at 48, Stantec at 44 and Mott MacDonald at 41.
Volume has been steady rather than spiking, averaging 245 adverts a month across the past year. Recruitment agencies and job boards account for only 7.5% of adverts, which means most of this demand is being handled directly.
<h3 dir="ltr">Read the full report</h3>
The Q3 2026 Bottleneck Report scores ten EMEA countries and maps where the engineers sit against where the roles are. It sets out the three approaches above with the data behind each one.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/insights/the-bottleneck-report/q3-2026-bottleneck-report?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bottleneck_q3_2026&amp;utm_content=launchblogEMEA">Read the Q3 2026 Bottleneck Report: EMEA</a>
If you want a market map before your next MEP vacancy opens,<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/contact-us"> talk to our EMEA Infrastructure desk</a>.

EMEA has 3,964 MEP engineers and 3,087 live roles, but 61% of the engineers are in the Gulf. Our Q3 Bottleneck Report scores ten countries.

Europe's MEP Engineer Shortage Is a Distribution Problem

Most Americas Data Center programmes are not held up by capital, land or permits. They are held up by one discipline, and this quarter that discipline is MEP.
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing work accounts for roughly 60% of what a Data Center costs to build. It also sits directly on the critical path. Integrated systems testing cannot begin until mechanical, electrical and controls systems are complete, so a vacant MEP role can easily derail a date.
Our Q3 2026 Bottleneck Report scores the Americas MEP market at 79 out of 100 for scarcity. 35 of the 37 states we analysed came back High or above. 4 have already crossed into Critical.
<h3 dir="ltr">How tight the Americas market is</h3>
There are 2,718 live Americas postings for MEP engineers and 1,539 identified engineers to fill them. That works out at 0.57 available candidates per open role.
Demand is not slowing to meet supply either. Employers posted an average of 226 new MEP adverts a month across the period we measured. One in five of those postings has now been live for more than 90 days, and 15.5% have been live for more than six months.
The role itself is unusually broad, which is part of why it is hard to fill from a single talent pool. Build-side roles account for 34% of postings: managers, superintendents, coordinators and estimators. Operate-side roles account for another 32%, mostly critical facilities and building engineers. Specialist discipline engineering makes up 14%. Those are three different hiring markets wearing the same job title.
What that looks like from a desk is fairly consistent, says Tom Nevill, Associate Director, Digital Infrastructure at Spencer Ogden.
"The brief we get is rarely 'find us an MEP engineer'. It is 'integrated testing starts in nine weeks'. Programmes that hold their dates call early, not late."
<h3 dir="ltr">Pay has stopped being the signal</h3>
In previous editions of this report, scarcity and pay moved together. A tight market advertised a premium, and you could read the shortage off the salary data.
That relationship has broken this quarter. Advertised US MEP salaries average $130,000 against a benchmark of $127,000. That is a premium of 2.6%. Contractor day rates tell the same story at $566 against a $552 benchmark.
The state-level picture is stranger still. Minnesota advertises the highest salary in the dataset at $138,712 while sitting mid-table on scarcity. Illinois, one of the tightest large markets in the country, advertises below benchmark at $107,523. California, Ohio, Virginia and Texas all cluster within $6,000 of each other despite holding very different supply positions.
If you are benchmarking your offer against what the market advertises, you are benchmarking against a number that has not caught up yet.
<h3 dir="ltr">Where it is worst</h3>
Four states are already in the Critical band: Michigan at 82, New Mexico at 81, Indiana at 80 and California at 80.
Below them sit the states most people expect to see at the top. Virginia scores 79. Texas also scores 79 and carries the largest single volume of demand in the country at 449 postings. Ohio scores 77 and North Carolina 76.
Indiana is worth a closer look, because it shows what a small market under pressure looks like: 53 postings chasing 13 identified engineers.
<h3 dir="ltr">Half the workforce already works out of state</h3>
Almost half of the MEP engineers we identified, 48.1%, work for an employer based outside their home state. That is a workforce that already travels for the right programme.
Northern Virginia is the strongest pull in the dataset by some distance, drawing engineers from California, Texas and Georgia. Georgia is the clearest net exporter in the country, with 72.7% of its identified engineers working for employers elsewhere. Colorado is the only sizeable market where supply roughly matches demand.
For anyone hiring, that cuts both ways. Your local market is smaller than the state-level numbers suggest, and your reach is wider.
<h3 dir="ltr">What is working</h3>
Three approaches are separating the programmes holding their dates from the ones slipping.
Recruit build-side leadership from adjacent sectors.&nbsp;
Pharmaceutical, semiconductor, hospital and cleanroom construction all run MEP density and tolerance standards that match or exceed Data Center requirements. Onboarding takes about a quarter, and it opens a pool that is not already being fished by every other operator in your state.
Build the operate-side pipeline before practical completion.&nbsp;
Critical facilities hiring works best when it starts around six months before handover, drawing on commercial and healthcare facilities management. Median tenure in this group is 2.8 years, and chief and lead engineers move for career structure and licensing progression rather than base salary. Leading with money misses what they are buying.
Compete on process speed rather than rate.&nbsp;
With only 2.6% of premium available, speed is the lever you have left. That means two interview stages, a decision-maker in the first conversation and the package approved internally before the requisition opens.
<h3 dir="ltr">What we expect in Q4 2026</h3>
We think wage correction starts next quarter. A market cannot hold 0.57 candidates per opening and 226 new postings a month on a 2.6% premium indefinitely.
Illinois and Indiana are the most likely to correct first, Illinois because it is advertising below benchmark in a tight market and Indiana because of the sheer ratio. Ohio, Virginia and Texas all look likely to cross into Critical scarcity within two quarters.
One more signal worth watching. Stantec's MEP postings average 270 days live. When an engineering consultancy of that size cannot close a role inside nine months, the problem is structural rather than local.
<h3 dir="ltr">Read the full report</h3>
The Q3 2026 Bottleneck Report scores all 37 states, maps candidate movement between them and sets out the three approaches above in full, with the market data behind each one.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/insights/the-bottleneck-report/q3-2026-bottleneck-report?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bottleneck_q3_2026&amp;utm_content=launchblogUS">Read the Q3 2026 Bottleneck Report: Americas</a>
If you want your own programme benchmarked against the data,<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/contact-us"> talk to our Americas Infrastructure desk</a>.

Americas Data Center programmes have 0.57 available MEP engineers per open role, and pay has barely moved. Our Q3 Bottleneck Report scores 37 states.

The MEP Engineer Shortage Slowing Americas Data Center Builds

Neocloud operator Axe Compute has signed agreements with Duos Technologies for up to 55MW of new AI data center capacity across multiple US locations, representing more than $500 million in expected aggregate payments. The expansion builds on an existing 10MW deployment at Duos' facility in Georgia, and includes nonbinding term sheets for Axe Compute to take a 49% equity stake in the project entities, still subject to definitive documentation and closing conditions, giving the neocloud operator direct ownership exposure to the buildings and power infrastructure, not just capacity it leases.
It's a modular, edge-focused deal, and it's worth paying attention to for what it reveals about how compute capacity is now being scaled.
We put this question to our network directly: when scaling modular capacity across multiple sites at once, what matters most? The options were fast mobilisation, consistent standards, local market knowledge, or fast deal scaling.
<h3 dir="ltr">What the market actually thinks matters</h3>
The result was decisive. 68% said consistent standards matter most when scaling modular capacity across multiple sites simultaneously, more than double every other answer combined. Fast mobilisation followed at 23%, with local market knowledge and fast deal scaling barely registering.
That result cuts against an easy assumption. The instinct when a deal like this lands is to focus on speed, how fast can teams be mobilised across several sites at once. Our poll suggests the market has already moved past that instinct. Speed without consistency doesn't scale. A team that can mobilise fast at one site but delivers a different technical standard at another isn't solving the actual problem this kind of deal creates.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why this isn't a single mega-site build</h3>
This is rapid, simultaneous deployment across multiple US locations, and deals of this shape don't succeed on capital alone. They succeed on the ability to mobilise skilled contract teams across several sites at once, without sacrificing technical consistency. That's a materially different demand profile than a single, large-scale project timeline, and it's exactly the constraint our poll respondents identified.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why contract workforce solutions are the real story here</h3>
For too long, contract workforce solutions have been treated as the fallback option, the resource used when permanent hiring can't move fast enough. Deals like Axe Compute-Duos flip that logic. The organisations that can stand up multi-site contract capability on demand, and hold that capability to a consistent standard across every site, are the ones positioned to win this next wave of modular, edge-driven compute expansion.
Spencer Ogden's contract solutions capability is built for exactly this kind of simultaneous, multi-site mobilisation, not as a stopgap, but as the core capability that lets clients say yes to deals like this one.

Axe Compute and Duos Technologies signed a $500M, 55MW multi-site deal. Our poll reveals what actually matters when scaling modular capacity across locations.

A $500 Million Signal: Contract Capability Is Now the Growth Engine, Not the Fallback

Zoom out far enough and a single story emerges from this month's headlines: data center growth is no longer a regional phenomenon; it's a genuinely global one, and every region is being shaped by the same three forces at once.
The first is scale. Europe is on track for 20% capacity growth this year to 13GW. Asia Pacific's asset values are projected to exceed $950 billion by 2030. Italy's grid connection requests alone have grown almost a hundredfold in five years, from 1GW to over 95GW. Wherever you look, the growth curve is steep, and the capital commitments are enormous.
The second is power innovation, and it's happening everywhere at once, not just in one market. In Texas, Fermi America and Blue Origin are combining gas turbines with small modular nuclear reactors. In international waters, Optimal Transit has unveiled Kraaken, a floating AI data center concept that generates its own power from ocean thermal energy while producing 30 million litres of fresh water daily through desalination. Across Europe, Ireland is deploying ultracapacitor systems for grid resilience while Denmark is reusing waste heat to power greenhouses. The common thread is that operators everywhere are having to become energy companies, not just tenants of the grid.
The third is connectivity. This month alone saw progress on the Aurora cable linking New Jersey to Denmark, the Echo cable linking California to Singapore via Guam and Jakarta, a new direct link between Hong Kong and Cambodia, and MDM's Narwhal systems connecting Ireland to the US. Every one of these projects is quietly reinforcing the same point: the world's data centers are being built as a single, interconnected network, not as isolated regional markets.
What ties all three forces together is talent. Behind every gigawatt of new capacity, every novel power system and every subsea cable landing is a workforce that didn't exist at this scale five years ago, spanning grid engineering, nuclear licensing, marine cable installation and AI infrastructure design. The organisations winning in this market aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest capital budgets. They're the ones building the talent pipeline fast enough to deploy that capital.
Find out what's slowing your Data Center progress. Read <a title="The Bottleneck Report" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/insights/the-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Bottleneck Report</a>

The three forces reshaping data centers worldwide: unprecedented scale, self-generated power and a rapidly connecting global network.

The Global Data Center Market: Reading the Big Picture

Europe's data center market is entering a genuine growth phase, but one that's being shaped as much by sustainability requirements as by demand. CBRE expects the region's capacity to grow 20% this year to 13GW, with hyperscaler self-build capacity up 22% to 4.3GW and AI-related neocloud signings up almost fivefold year on year, much of it concentrated in the Nordics, where lower renewable energy costs are proving a genuine competitive advantage. JLL's own figures point the same way, with FLAPD markets on track for 3.8GW of operational capacity in H1 alone and a further 453MW expected by year-end.
The UK is leaning firmly into the clean and efficient framing. The Greater London Authority's draft London Plan will prioritise developments that hit a strict 1.1 PUE and can demonstrate genuine power and water availability, while AWS continues to expand its footprint with a new availability zone supporting its eu-west-2 region. Not everyone agrees the pace is sustainable, though. The UK Green Party has called for a nationwide moratorium citing drought-linked water concerns, a proposal the Labour government rejected on investment and jobs grounds.
Elsewhere in Europe, the sustainability requirements are becoming law rather than aspiration. Spain has proposed rules requiring any data center above 1MW to source 80% of its electricity from renewable generation installed within the previous 18 months. Ireland's data centers already consume around 24% of national electricity, a figure ABB's new ultracapacitor system is designed to help manage by keeping facilities grid-compliant under EirGrid's new fault-response requirements. In Denmark, North is going a step further, reusing surplus heat from its DEN02 campus to power an adjacent greenhouse development. Sweden has secured 199MW of new onshore wind PPAs to support AWS operations, and Italy's grid connection requests have rocketed from 1GW in 2021 to over 95GW today, forcing grid operator Terna to build 27 new substations just to keep pace with demand around Milan.
The Middle East is charting its own course through sovereign AI infrastructure. Mistral AI and Saudi-backed HUMAIN have formed a partnership worth hundreds of millions of euros to develop sovereign compute and Arabic-language AI capability, layered on top of HUMAIN's own roughly 6GW long-term capacity plan.
Across the whole region, the message to the market is consistent: capacity is coming, but only for developers who can prove their power is clean, their water use is efficient, and their community engagement is genuine from day one.
Find out what's slowing your Data Center progress. Read <a title="The Bottleneck Report" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/insights/the-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Bottleneck Report</a>

Europe and the Middle East are scaling data center capacity fast, but only for developers who can prove clean power, water efficiency and compliance.

Europe, the Middle East and the Push for Clean, Compliant Capacity

Asia Pacific is shaping up to be the single largest growth story in the global data center market. Cushman &amp; Wakefield projects the region's asset values will exceed $950 billion by 2030, requiring more than $280 billion in capital expenditure and backed by a 26.5GW development pipeline. Around 77% of that future investment is expected to land in five markets: Japan, Malaysia, Australia, India and Indonesia, with AI-ready facilities requiring up to 35% higher capex than traditional builds given their power density and cooling demands.
China continues to scale under its Eastern Data, Western Compute strategy, channelling large developments into resource-rich inland regions. RedNote is planning a 600MW campus in Inner Mongolia worth around $2.2 billion, while Envision has commissioned its Galaxy Campus in the same region, designed to scale beyond 2GW and powered directly by renewable energy through its own AI Power System. China Unicom has also landed the first direct submarine cable between Hong Kong and Cambodia, part of a wider network strategy connecting China with the rest of ASEAN.
Japan and South Korea are both leaning into scale and efficiency simultaneously. In Akita, Bitgrit and local partner S2 are developing a 500MW AI facility, with UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala considering funding of up to $6.3 billion. In South Korea, Alibaba Cloud has opened its third Seoul data center, lifting its regional service level agreement to 99.99%, while LG CNS is deploying direct-to-chip liquid cooling at the Samsung Data Center to support next-generation Nvidia infrastructure at densities exceeding 200kW per rack.
Singapore remains one of the region's most tightly managed markets. The Echo subsea cable, developed by Google and Meta, has now landed there after spanning more than 17,000km from California, while the city-state has provisionally allocated 200MW of new capacity across four developers on Jurong Island, with at least half of that capacity required to run on green or low-carbon energy pathways. DayOne's new biological data center prototype, built with Cortical Labs and NUS Medicine, is a reminder of just how far the innovation frontier is being pushed here.
Malaysia's own momentum is building too, with Tencent Cloud establishing its first cloud region across three availability zones in Johor. Meanwhile, India has welcomed Microsoft's fourth and largest cloud region in Hyderabad as part of a $20.5 billion infrastructure commitment; Australia's New South Wales government has introduced a 40% wind power requirement for new developments; and Papua New Guinea has launched its first AI-ready sovereign cloud platform.

Asia Pacific's data center market is set to hit $950bn by 2030. Here's how China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India are driving that growth.

Asia Pacific's Build-Out: Scale, Sovereignty and Sustainability

North America remains the largest data center market in the world, and the numbers keep proving it. Duke Energy has grown its electric service agreement pipeline by 2.7GW to 7.6GW this year, with 5GW already under construction. Amazon has acquired an 8,000-acre site in Pecos, Texas, to build what could become the largest natural gas plant in the US, generating up to 7.65GW behind the meter, alongside 1.8GW of battery storage and 750MW of solar. Fermi America's 17GW Project Matador near Amarillo will eventually combine gas, solar, wind and nuclear power on one campus, backed by a 2.6GW plant developed with Hillcore Energy Capital.
But growth is now running directly into regulatory reality. ERCOT is reviewing over 474GW of connection requests, roughly 90% of it data center load and more than five times Texas's peak demand, prompting Governor Abbott to order a full PUCT and ERCOT audit of every project in the queue. Fort Worth has unanimously advanced a 90-day construction moratorium. The Cherokee Nation has banned new hyperscale developments on tribal land after 64% of a citizen poll opposed them. The Tennessee Valley Authority has repriced data centres out of its manufacturing rate class entirely, adding roughly 10% to wholesale costs and a $1.5 million-per-megawatt upfront capacity charge. Pennsylvania's new GRID Executive Order strips AI projects out of fast-track permitting until developers commit to full infrastructure cost coverage and community engagement, and New Jersey now requires public, twice-yearly disclosure of every facility's water and energy use.
Not every operator is choosing the gas-heavy route. Clearway has walked away from a gas-powered data center project on federal land in Nevada, citing strategic misalignment with its clean-energy focus, even after securing major solar PPAs with Google and Microsoft. Google itself has signed its second Oklahoma solar PPA of the year, this time 155MW with RWE. And new supply chain pressure is building from Washington too, with a fresh 15% tariff on polysilicon products aimed at rebuilding US semiconductor and solar manufacturing capacity.
Canada, meanwhile, is taking a different tack entirely. Ontario's new Data Center Playbook is designed to attract investment while keeping Canadian data in Canada, built around economic development, digital sovereignty and community benefit rather than financial incentives.
The throughline across the region is clear. Site selection, power strategy and stakeholder engagement are no longer separate workstreams; they're the same, and the operators and delivery partners who treat them that way are the ones getting projects across the line.
Find out what's slowing your Data Center progress. Read <a title="The Bottleneck Report" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/insights/the-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Bottleneck Report</a>

US and Canadian data centers are booming, but grid audits, new utility rates and community pushback are reshaping how and where they get built.

North America's Data Center Reckoning: Growth Meets Grid Reality

Bechtel has formally taken over site management at Poland's Lubiatowo-Kopalino nuclear power plant, marking the moment the country's first nuclear project shifts from planning and permitting into large-scale site preparation and earthworks. It's a genuinely significant milestone, and it's also a useful case study in a leadership planning problem the infrastructure sector doesn't talk about enough.
<h3 dir="ltr">The scale of what's actually underway</h3>
The Lubiatowo-Kopalino site, a 300-hectare development in the Choczewo municipality of Pomerania, will host three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors with a combined output of 3,750MWe, Poland's first nuclear power programme. Bechtel, working in consortium with Westinghouse for the utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), now supervises contractor coordination, day-to-day construction activity, and site safety. Budimex, one of Poland's largest construction firms, has been selected to lead earthworks, which include ground levelling, drainage system upgrades, and a temporary road network spanning roughly 16 kilometres.
More than 200 people are already working on-site, a number PEJ expects to grow steadily in the coming months. The project carries an estimated investment cost of around $52 billion according to the European Commission, with Poland having authorised roughly $15.8 billion in state capitalisation and a financing model built around 70% external debt. First nuclear concrete is targeted for 2028, with phased commissioning of the three units expected across 2036&ndash;2038.
<h3 dir="ltr">We asked our network when leadership hiring should start. The answer was decisive.</h3>
We put the question to LinkedIn: for a project commissioning in 2036, when should permanent leadership hiring realistically start? 86 votes came in, and the result was clear. 52% said five years before launch, the single largest answer by a wide margin. A further 19% went further still, saying leadership hiring should start now, a full decade out. Combined, more than seven in ten respondents believe leadership hiring should begin well before construction visibly ramps up. Only 23% would wait until construction begins, and just 6% would wait until the project is nearly complete.
That's a meaningful data point, because it runs directly counter to how most organisations actually behave. The instinct, understandably, is to treat leadership hiring as something that scales with visible progress: more site activity, more urgency, more hiring. Our poll suggests the market already knows that instinct is backwards.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why this project is a useful test case</h3>
A decade-long horizon exposes a leadership planning problem that rarely gets discussed openly. Projects of this scale don't typically fail on engineering. Westinghouse's AP1000 design is proven technology, most recently deployed at Plant Vogtle in the US, and Bechtel brings direct experience delivering it. The technical risk on a project like this is real but manageable.
What's harder to manage is leadership continuity: having the people in place who understand both the technical scope and the decade-long stakeholder, regulatory, and community relationships required to carry a first-of-a-kind nuclear build through to commissioning. Bechtel's own commitments on this project illustrate the point. The company has named a dedicated Project Director, established a Gdańsk branch that's expected to grow into its main operational and engineering base as the project progresses, and partnered with Gdańsk University of Technology and Warsaw University of Technology to launch Nuclear Energy Career Development Programmes, an explicit acknowledgment that the workforce and leadership bench for a project like this has to be built years ahead of peak construction, not assembled once it arrives.
<h3 dir="ltr">What reactive hiring actually costs</h3>
Organisations that wait until construction visibly ramps up to build this bench are, by definition, hiring reactively for a role that needed years of runway. The leaders capable of steering a project like this, spanning site preparation now through commissioning in the 2030s, are a small pool. They are not sitting on the market waiting for a fully scoped role to appear, and the process of identifying, engaging, and successfully placing that kind of leadership talent takes far longer than a standard executive search timeline assumes.
Our poll result suggests the market broadly understands this in principle. The harder question is whether hiring practices actually reflect it, and for most organisations managing long-horizon infrastructure projects, the honest answer is probably not yet.
<h3 dir="ltr">What this means going forward</h3>
This is precisely the kind of long-horizon leadership planning Spencer Ogden's Critical Infrastructure practice is built for: identifying and securing the permanent leadership capability a decade-long project needs, well before ground is broken on the next phase. As more first-of-a-kind nuclear, grid, and large-scale infrastructure projects move from planning into delivery across Europe, the organisations that treat leadership hiring as a decade-long discipline, not a construction-phase reaction, will be the ones that actually hit their commissioning dates.
Spencer Ogden partners with utilities, developers, and EPC contractors to build the leadership capability that long-horizon critical infrastructure projects depend on. Get in touch to discuss your workforce strategy for first-of-a-kind builds.

Bechtel's takeover at Poland's Lubiatowo-Kopalino nuclear plant reveals a leadership hiring problem most organisations miss. See why 71% of our poll say hiring should start years before construction begins.

A Plant That Won't Switch on Until 2036, and Why the Leadership Hiring Clock Is Already Running

The AI infrastructure boom has run into a wall, and it isn't compute. It's power.
Over the past week, three of the US's most consequential grid decisions this year landed almost simultaneously. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT to audit every AI data center interconnection request in the state, with non-compliant projects to be denied grid access outright. Oregon's governor terminated a land sale that would have brought a three-building data center campus to Marion County. And PJM, the largest wholesale power market in the country, secured board approval for a framework requiring new AI-scale loads to either bring their own generating capacity or accept curtailment during shortages.
None of these is anti-AI moves. They are grid operators and state governments drawing a line under a build-out that has, for several years, been allowed to outpace the infrastructure meant to support it.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">The scale of the mismatch</h3>
PJM is now projecting roughly 70GW of new large-load demand by 2038, a figure that would have sounded implausible five years ago. That scale of demand doesn't just strain generation and transmission. It strains the relationships developers need with the communities hosting these projects, and that's exactly where the next fault line is opening up.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Why trust is now a delivery risk, not a PR concern</h3>
An estimated $130 billion in US data center projects were delayed in 2026 due to community opposition alone. The industry's instinct has often been to treat that resistance as NIMBYism to be managed rather than a structural signal to be addressed. Regulators increasingly disagree, and Oregon's cancelled land sale is a direct illustration of what happens when that instinct proves wrong. Permitting is no longer a formality that follows site selection. It's a condition that has to be earned alongside it.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">What comes next</h3>
Expect more states to follow Texas and Oregon's lead. Expect PJM's framework to draw close attention from other regional transmission organisations watching how FERC responds. And expect the businesses that treat grid access and community trust as a genuine capability, not a compliance box, to pull ahead while competitors stall.
The AI data center race was never just a compute race. Grid access isn't a formality anymore. It's a condition you have to earn.
Spencer Ogden connects the world's leading energy and infrastructure businesses with the specialist talent driving grid modernisation, power procurement, and critical infrastructure delivery. Get in touch to discuss your hiring needs.

Why is AI data center growth colliding with the US power grid?

The Americas data center market moved at breakneck speed through July 2026, but the headline story is no longer demand. It is power. Gigawatt-scale campuses are being announced almost weekly, yet the sector's real constraint has shifted decisively to grid access, permitting, and community pushback.
<h3>Regulators Are Drawing a Harder Line</h3>
New York became the first US state to impose a moratorium on large data centers, pausing environmental permits for any facility of 50 MW or more. Governor Kathy Hochul cited rising power costs, water strain, and community impact, and has signalled plans to repeal sales tax exemptions for hyperscale facilities. The move follows a wider pattern: Pasco, Washington approved a six-month moratorium on new data center, AI computing, blockchain, and cryptocurrency mining permits, and Seattle enacted an emergency moratorium in June to assess environmental and grid impacts.
New Jersey has taken a different approach, passing a bill requiring tariff standards for all data centers of 50 MW or above, including existing facilities. Operators will need to provide financial guarantees for 85% of service over ten years and commit to on-site clean generation or storage to secure interconnection priority. The intent is explicit: ratepayers should not subsidise hyperscale power demand.
The White House has moved in the same direction from a federal angle. The Ratepayer Protection Pledge has expanded to cover more than 200 additional utilities, developers, cooperatives, and states, now representing 80% of US power delivery and shielding 263 million Americans from data center-related bill increases. Under the pledge, operators fund their own generation and infrastructure rather than passing costs to residential customers.
<h3>Capital Is Following the Power, Not the Other Way Around</h3>
Despite the regulatory tightening, capital deployment shows no sign of slowing. National Grid Ventures has taken a 35% stake in Joulent for $1.75 billion to support a 2.67 GW natural gas facility in West Texas that will power Microsoft's 2 GW data center under a 20-year PPA. Meta and BlackRock have formed a $14 billion joint venture for a 1 GW campus in El Paso, with BlackRock funding 80% of the build. Brookfield and NextEra are planning a $100 billion AI data center campus at the DOE's Paducah site in Kentucky, paired with 4.6 GW of dedicated generation.
OpenAI's 3.2 GW Project Camelia in Effingham County, Georgia, illustrates where the industry is heading: the company will fund full infrastructure costs, provide up to 1 GW of flexible demand response, and contribute to local community and education funds. Increasingly, securing a site means bringing your own power and your own social licence.
Canada is following a similar trajectory. Meta has committed CA$13 billion to its first Canadian facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta, while Mississauga has imposed a one-year moratorium on a proposed hyperscale site, breaking from Ontario's generally permissive stance.
<h3>What This Means for Talent and Investment Strategy</h3>
For operators and investors, the lesson from July's activity is clear: projects that pair compute with dedicated, behind-the-meter generation are moving fastest through approvals. Sites without a credible power and community strategy are increasingly exposed to moratoriums, tariff exposure, or reputational risk.
This is reshaping hiring demand across the sector, from power procurement and grid interconnection specialists through to community and regulatory affairs professionals who can navigate a fragmented, fast-changing state-by-state landscape.
Source: EIC Newsbrief &ndash; Data Center, July 2026

Why Is Grid Capacity Now the Biggest Barrier to US Data Center Growth?

Power, not demand, is now the defining constraint on data center growth across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Colliers' H1 2026 EMEA Data Centers Market Report found the region holds 12.5 GW of operational capacity and 7 GW under construction, against a pipeline of 78 GW in announced projects. The gap between ambition and grid reality is pushing developers towards emerging markets including Madrid, Milan, Lisbon, the Nordics, and Riyadh.
<h3>The UK's Policy Position Is Shifting</h3>
The UK's AI Growth Zone programme, designed to fast-track data center development through planning support and grid access improvements, now faces uncertainty following the closure of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Five Growth Zones had already attracted more than &pound;28 billion in potential private investment, leaving a meaningful question mark over delivery mechanisms.
Separately, the UK Treasury has designated AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Oracle as the country's first Critical Third Parties under a new financial resilience regime, effective 13 July 2026. The cloud providers underpinning UK financial services infrastructure will now sit under direct oversight from the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority, and the Financial Conduct Authority, a clear signal that digital infrastructure is being treated as critical national infrastructure.
Elsewhere in the UK, Orcadian Energy is assessing an offshore, gas-powered data center in the North Sea. The proposed Earlham Gigagrid project would convert gas to electricity offshore and reinject captured CO2 into depleted reservoirs, an early example of oil and gas expertise being redirected towards digital infrastructure.
<h3>Ireland's Grid Pressure Is a Warning Sign for the Region</h3>
Ireland offers the clearest illustration of what happens when data center growth outpaces grid capacity. According to the Central Statistics Office, data centers consumed 7,663 GWh of electricity in 2025, 23% of the country's total metered usage, up 10% year on year and up 518% since 2015. With more than 80 data centers now concentrated around Greater Dublin, the pressure on grid capacity is becoming a defining policy issue, and a preview of challenges other EMEA markets will face as capacity scales.
<h3>Heat Reuse Is Becoming a Genuine Differentiator</h3>
Several EMEA markets are turning a liability into an asset. Equinix has partnered with Italian energy company A2A to recover up to 225 GWh of thermal energy annually from its Milan campus, heating more than 21,000 homes and cutting over 345,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Wrocław University of Science and Technology has signed a similar agreement in Poland to feed server waste heat into the city's district heating network. These projects point to a more sophisticated model of data center development, one that positions infrastructure as a community asset rather than a purely extractive load.
<h3>Middle East and Africa Are Accelerating Investment</h3>
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has signed an MoU with I Squared Capital for up to $2 billion in infrastructure investment, with up to $1 billion earmarked for digital infrastructure and data center buildouts. In the UAE, revised US export rules now give companies such as G42 unrestricted access to advanced AI chips, while hyperscalers building locally no longer require export licences, a significant unlock for regional AI ambitions. Google has also confirmed it has exceeded its $1 billion Africa investment commitment, expanding cloud and AI infrastructure across the continent.
<h3>What This Means for Employers and Candidates</h3>
Power procurement, grid interconnection, and heat-reuse engineering are fast becoming the most sought-after skill sets in EMEA data center development. Employers who can demonstrate a credible, community-integrated power strategy will have a clear advantage in both planning approvals and talent attraction.
Source: EIC Newsbrief &ndash; Data Center, July 2026

What's Driving the EMEA Data Center Power Squeeze in 2026?

Asia Pacific is committing capital at a scale that rivals the US, but with a notably different emphasis: national industrial strategy, subsea connectivity, and licensing frameworks are moving in step with capacity growth, rather than trailing behind it.
<h3>South Korea Is Making the Region's Largest Single Bet</h3>
South Korea has announced a $919 billion investment plan across semiconductors, AI, and data centers, targeting 18.4 GW of data center capacity by 2035. The first phase alone will deliver 8.4 GW by 2029, led by SK Group, GS Group, and Naver, with construction beginning in the first half of 2028. This is not incremental growth. It is a deliberate, state-backed bid to position South Korea as a top-tier global AI infrastructure hub.
That ambition is being matched with connectivity investment. South Korea will build a landing station in the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex for the 8,900 km Asia United Gateway East subsea cable, linking South Korea with Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan by Q3 2029.
<h3>Singapore Is Choosing Regulation Over Restriction</h3>
Rather than pausing development, Singapore has proposed a Digital Infrastructure Bill introducing licensing requirements for data center operators and cloud providers generating over S$100 million in annual local revenue. The framework mandates cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and incident reporting standards, a model that prioritises resilience and governance over blanket moratoriums, and one worth watching as other APAC markets weigh their own regulatory response.
<h3>Malaysia and Indonesia Are Building Out Southeast Asia's Digital Backbone</h3>
AirTrunk has secured $2.3 billion in financing for its JHB2 campus in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, a 270 MW facility using liquid cooling technology. Johor's continued momentum reinforces its position as one of Southeast Asia's primary hyperscale corridors. In Indonesia, Telin, BW Digital, and Nongsa Digital Park have completed the landing of the 50 km Nongsa Changi Cable connecting Batam to Singapore, positioning Batam as an emerging regional data center hub with direct low-latency access to Singapore's ecosystem.
<h3>India, Nepal, and Australia Show the Breadth of the Region's Growth</h3>
Amazon continues to expand water sustainability projects across India, targeting more than 4 billion litres in annual replenishment as part of its 2027 water-positive commitment, a reminder that resource stewardship is becoming inseparable from data center expansion strategy across the region. In Nepal, DataHub's launch of YetiCloud.ai with Hosted AI marks one of the clearest examples yet of AI infrastructure reaching frontier and emerging markets, not just established hubs.
In Australia, Firmus has signed a 12-year, 600 MW energy supply agreement with Gunvor Group to support its Project Southgate AI campuses in South Australia, backed by 1.2 GW of new renewable generation and 1.5 GWh of battery storage by 2032. Across the Tasman, New Zealand's Green Party has called for a one-year moratorium on new AI data centers, citing the resource demands of projects such as Datagrid Southland, expected to consume around 6% of the country's total electricity supply. The proposal has not been enacted, but it signals that the region's regulatory conversation is far from settled.
<h3>What This Means for Employers and Candidates</h3>
APAC's growth is being underpinned by state-level industrial strategy, subsea connectivity, and proactive licensing regimes rather than reactive moratoriums. For employers, this creates sustained demand for talent spanning energy procurement, subsea and telecoms infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and sustainability engineering, across both established hubs and fast-emerging markets.
Source: EIC Newsbrief &ndash; Data Center, July 2026

How Is Asia Pacific Scaling Data Center Capacity Amid the AI Boom?

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If you work anywhere near renewable energy, infrastructure, or the finance teams that fund them, you already know 2026 feels different from last year. Hiring has picked up, big deals are closing, and a lot of familiar names have quietly turned up in new seats.
We track all of it. Our new People Moves Report H1 2026 pulls together six months of talent movement across Critical Infrastructure, Renewables &amp; Sustainability, Natural Resources, and Finance, covering every level from Analyst to C-Suite.
Here is a taste of what is inside.
A market finding its momentum again. After a cautious 2025, hiring activity is back up, though not evenly spread. The report shows exactly where companies are investing in headcount, and where they are still holding back.
Deals reshaping the talent map. This half-year has brought a wave of headline transactions across power and utilities, several among the largest the sector has ever seen, each setting off its own wave of hiring and rebuilding.
Shifting hiring priorities. From Portfolio Management build-outs to the growing convergence of renewables and digital infrastructure, the report unpacks the roles gaining traction and the skills in highest demand.
Every move, at every level. Detailed, named tables of Junior, Mid-Level, Senior, and C-Suite moves across corporates and private equity, so you can see exactly who has moved, from where, and into what.
Gender diversity data. A look at where the market stands on gender balance, at junior, senior, and C-Suite level, and how Spencer Ogden's own placements compare.
What comes next. Our Global Permanent Search Director closes with a view on what H2 2026 is likely to bring.
Read the full People Moves Report H1 2026 to see who's really moving the market.
Have questions about what this means for your own hiring plans? Get in touch with our Finance teams from the report.
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H1 2026 People Moves in Renewable Energy & Infrastructure 

The AI infrastructure story has largely been told through chips, capital, and grid capacity. Uptime Institute's 16th Annual Global Data Center Survey, drawing on responses from more than 1,600 operators worldwide, makes clear that's an incomplete picture. For the first time in the survey's history, meeting AI infrastructure staffing needs entered the industry's top six concerns. Over half of respondents report difficulty finding qualified staff.
We put the question to our own network: where's the talent gap hitting hardest? The answer was decisive. 55% pointed to skilled trades and technical operations, well ahead of engineering and technical design at 18%, power and grid interconnection at 16%, and leadership and project delivery roles at 11%.
That result reframes the conversation. This isn't primarily a shortage of senior engineers or executives. It's a shortage of the hands-on, technical operations workforce that keeps facilities running day to day, and it's the layer of the workforce that gets the least attention in industry commentary.
<h3>Why this is different from previous talent shortages</h3>
Data centre staffing pressure isn't new. What's new is the compounding effect. Rising rack density is forcing operators into phased builds rather than single large deployments, which multiplies the number of projects requiring skilled technical oversight simultaneously. At the same time, the shift toward AI-specific infrastructure demands expertise that didn't exist as a discrete discipline five years ago: high-density cooling, power procurement strategy, and grid interconnection negotiation, layered on top of traditional data centre engineering and operations.
Our poll suggests the pressure is felt most acutely at the technical operations level rather than at the top of the org chart. That tracks with what the wider market has been signalling: it's far easier to hire a project director than it is to find enough qualified electricians, HVAC technicians, and controls specialists to actually staff a facility once it's built.
<h3>The knock-on effect on delivery timelines</h3>
This matters because staffing gaps don't just slow individual hires; they slow entire projects. When operators can't resource skilled trades fast enough, project timelines slip regardless of how much capital or land is available. In an industry already navigating community opposition and regulatory scrutiny over grid access, an unresourced project is a vulnerable one, and our results suggest that vulnerability sits closer to the construction and commissioning floor than most conversations acknowledge.
<h3>What forward-thinking operators are doing differently</h3>
The organisations managing this best aren't waiting for the talent market to catch up. They're building relationships with specialist recruitment partners earlier in project planning, treating workforce strategy, including skilled trades pipelines, as part of the capital planning process rather than an afterthought once construction starts, and taking a genuinely global view of where the right expertise sits.
<h3>Why this matters now</h3>
The AI data centre race has been framed as a race for compute. Our poll results suggest it's just as much a race for tradespeople and technical operators, the workforce least discussed and, evidently, hardest to find. The operators who solve for this layer of talent early won't just build faster. They'll build with far less risk.
Spencer Ogden specialises in connecting energy and infrastructure businesses with the skilled trades, technical, and leadership talent driving the AI data center build-out. Get in touch to strengthen your pipeline before the gap widens further.

Why is the AI data center boom running out of people, not just power?

The US power grid has just 3% spare generating capacity left. That's the headline finding from a new ICF report, and it leaves almost no buffer against demand spikes, extreme weather, or unplanned outages. In the country's two fastest-growing electricity markets, there's effectively no buffer left at all. When we put the question to our network, 52% said modernising the grid was the most urgent priority, ahead of new generation at 30%, with talent and permitting reform tied at 9% each.
That result is worth examining closely, because the more revealing part of this story isn't the capacity number. It's that the industry has nearly $1.3 trillion committed to fixing it, and may still not have enough people to spend it on schedule.
<h3>How thin is the margin, really?</h3>
ICF's report, Electricity Demand Growth: How Will the Grid Keep Pace?, finds the US power system currently has only about 26GW of excess generating capacity above minimum resource adequacy requirements, roughly 3% of total capacity. ERCOT and PJM, the nation's fastest-growing electricity markets, have no excess generating capacity available to reliably support additional demand growth at all.
The pressure isn't easing on its own. In PJM and ERCOT, the cushion has largely disappeared already, as load growth has outpaced resource additions and any pre-existing excess capacity has been quickly absorbed. Total US electricity demand is expected to rise 21% by 2030 and 39% by 2035, with peak demand climbing 14% and 25% over the same periods respectively, growth concentrated in exactly the regions seeing the most data centre, industrial, and electrification activity.
New capacity is coming, but not fast enough to rebuild much of a buffer. Roughly 445GW of new generation is forecast to be added between 2026 and 2030, but only 68GW is expected online in 2026, and margins are projected to stay low through the decade, with excess capacity recovering to only around 20GW by 2030. Not all of that new capacity counts equally toward reliability during peak demand either. Intermittent solar and wind contribute less to the margin than firm generation does.
<h3 dir="ltr">If it's not a capital problem, what is it?</h3>
This is the part of the story that gets less attention than it should. Utilities are not short of money to spend on this. S&amp;P Global's Regulatory Research Associates forecasts approximately $1.3 trillion of aggregate capital expenditure across US energy utilities between 2026 and 2030, a record, and roughly a 29% increase on the prior year's forecast, driven largely by data centre and large-load demand.
Capital at that scale doesn't build itself. It has to be designed, engineered, permitted, constructed, and commissioned by people. That's where the real shortage sits, and it's a finding our poll results reflect almost exactly: the industry has clearly settled on modernisation over new generation as the priority, but talent and permitting, the two mechanisms that actually deliver modernisation, ranked lowest of all four options at 9% each.
<h3 dir="ltr">The workforce gap behind the capacity gap</h3>
A joint study by consulting firm Kearney and the IEEE Power &amp; Energy Society finds the global power sector will need between 450,000 and 1.5 million more engineers by 2030 to build, implement, and operate the infrastructure this investment is paying for, more than doubling today's workforce in some estimates. Already, 40% of power executives report significant difficulty hiring skilled workers, citing talent competition and insufficient skills as the primary barriers.
Retention is working against the industry just as hard as recruitment is. Almost half of all power engineers have either changed jobs within their company, moved to another employer, or left the industry altogether in the past three years. The reasons cited include burnout and limited scope for interesting, challenging work, not just pay. In the nuclear sector specifically, where reliability demands are the strictest anywhere in the industry, that churn rate reaches 58%.
The pipeline behind the current workforce isn't refilling fast enough either. University enrolment in power engineering programmes has stagnated, as engineering students increasingly gravitate toward data science, software, and AI, fields seen as more current and better paid. The result is an industry trying to build out $1.3 trillion of infrastructure with a workforce that's both shrinking and ageing out faster than it's being replaced.
<h3 dir="ltr">Two crises, one root cause</h3>
The 3% capacity margin and the engineer shortfall aren't separate problems running in parallel. They're the same problem viewed from two different angles. A thin capacity margin means every delay in bringing new generation and transmission online carries real reliability risk. And every delay in hiring, training, or retaining the engineers needed to deliver that generation and transmission is exactly the kind of delay a 3% margin can't absorb.
Our poll result puts a number on how the industry currently weighs this. Modernisation is seen as the clear priority. Talent, the thing that actually delivers modernisation, isn't yet being treated with the same urgency.
<h3 dir="ltr">What needs to happen</h3>
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>Treat workforce planning as seriously as capital planning. A $1.3 trillion build-out needs a matching hiring and retention strategy, not an afterthought.</li>
<li>Address burnout and career progression directly, since compensation alone isn't stopping a churn rate approaching 50%.</li>
<li>Invest in the pipeline now, given university enrolment in power engineering isn't recovering on its own.</li>
<li>Prioritise nuclear retention specifically. A 58% churn rate in the highest-reliability part of the sector is a compounding risk, not just a statistic.</li>
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Spencer Ogden partners with utilities, developers, and grid operators to build the engineering teams this next phase of capacity expansion depends on. Get in touch to talk through your grid and power engineering workforce strategy.

Why is the US power grid running out of spare capacity?

We asked our network what's the biggest workforce risk to nuclear's delivery timeline. 56% said too few experienced engineers, more than three times any other answer. Retaining specialist talent came in at 18%, not enough new entrants at 17%, and competition from other sectors at just 8%, from 103 votes.
Nuclear is back as a mainstream grid strategy. It's driven by AI data center power demand, energy security policy and decarbonisation targets. But the same expansion driving that comeback is running headfirst into a workforce that isn't built to support it. The industry isn't short of investment or political will. It's short of engineers, and the shortage is structural, not temporary.
<h3>Nuclear hiring is accelerating, and so is the shortage</h3>
Nuclear power is one of the fastest-growing hiring categories anywhere in the global energy sector. Nuclear power, grids and storage accounted for roughly a quarter of all new power sector jobs created since 2019, part of a broader energy employment boom that saw the sector add over five million jobs globally between 2019 and 2024.
That growth has run straight into a hiring wall. More than half of the roughly 700 energy-related companies, unions and training institutions surveyed by the IEA reported critical hiring bottlenecks threatening to slow infrastructure delivery, delay projects and raise costs. Applied technical roles, including electricians, pipefitters, line workers, plant operators and nuclear engineers, are named specifically as being in especially short supply.
<h3>The demographic problem is worse in nuclear than almost anywhere else in energy</h3>
Every part of the energy sector is ageing, but nuclear and grid roles are ageing fastest. For every young worker entering nuclear, 1.7 experienced professionals are approaching retirement. That compares with 1.4 in grid roles and a sector-wide average of 1.2. Across the whole of energy in advanced economies, there are 2.4 workers nearing retirement for every worker under 25. Between now and 2035, two out of every three new hires across the entire energy sector will be needed just to replace retiring workers, before any net growth is accounted for.
<h3>The graduate pipeline hasn't kept pace</h3>
Most of you pointed to too few experienced engineers as the biggest risk, and the numbers explain why. The problem isn't only retirements. It's what's coming in behind them. The number of students graduating with engineering degrees has fallen by around 25% since 2012, and nuclear represents only a small fraction of those remaining programmes. That leaves a shortage of professionals in the 10-to-15-year experience band specifically, the cohort that would normally be stepping into senior roles as the current generation retires. Fixing this by hiring alone isn't realistic. To prevent the global energy skills gap from widening further by 2030, the IEA estimates the number of new qualified entrants would need to rise by around 40%, a level current pipelines are nowhere near reaching.
<h3>Retention is a live problem, not just a future one</h3>
18% of you flagged retention as the greatest risk, and it isn't only about attracting new entrants. Keeping existing talent is proving difficult too. According to the 2026 Global Energy Talent Index, 85% of energy professionals say they would consider changing roles, with career progression cited as the main driver. Professionals in transitional energy and power were approached about new roles an average of 6.26 times over the past year, up from 6.08 the year before. That's a workforce that's easy to poach from and hard to hold onto, a particular risk in nuclear, where institutional knowledge takes years to rebuild once it walks out the door.
<h3>What closes the gap</h3>
None of this is fixed by recruitment budgets alone. Hiring can't outrun a graduate pipeline that's a quarter smaller than it was a decade ago, and promotion can't manufacture an experience band that was never built. Closing the gap requires:
<ul>
<li>Direct investment in training pathways, not just competing for existing graduates</li>
<li>Closer, structural links between nuclear employers and universities, funding programmes rather than just recruiting from them after graduation</li>
<li>Genuine retention strategy, addressing the career progression gap that's driving 85% of professionals to consider leaving</li>
<li>Realistic workforce planning built around the 1.7:1 retirement ratio, not around today's headcount</li>
</ul>
Nuclear's comeback is real, and the demand behind it- AI, energy security, decarbonisation- isn't going away. Whether the industry can staff it is the question that will determine how fast that comeback happens.
<hr>
Spencer Ogden partners with nuclear operators, developers and utilities to build the engineering pipelines this next phase of growth depends on. Get in touch to talk through your nuclear workforce strategy.

Why Is Nuclear Facing an Engineering Talent Shortage?

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Spencer Ogden has been recognised as one of the largest engineering staffing firms in the United States, ranking #26 in Staffing Industry Analysts' (SIA)&nbsp;Largest Engineering Staffing Firms in the United States: 2026 Update.&nbsp;
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This recognition reflects the continued growth of our engineering business across North America and our commitment to connecting exceptional engineering talent with the projects powering a sustainable future.&nbsp;
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As industries continue to invest in critical infrastructure, grid modernisation, renewable energy and industrial transformation, the demand for specialist engineering talent has never been greater.&nbsp;We're&nbsp;proud to be recognised among the firms helping organisations solve these workforce challenges.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8" role="heading" aria-level="2">About the SIA Report<span class="EOP Selected SCXW224402626 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}">&nbsp;</h3>
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Published annually by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.staffingindustry.com/research/research-reports/americas/staffing-trends-2026">Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)</a>, the&nbsp;Largest Engineering Staffing Firms in the United States: 2026 Update&nbsp;is one of the industry's most respected benchmarks, recognising firms with the largest engineering staffing revenues in the U.S. market.&nbsp;
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The report highlights several trends shaping the engineering staffing landscape, including:&nbsp;
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<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Continued demand for highly specialised engineering talent despite broader market uncertainty.</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Ongoing investment in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, manufacturing&nbsp;and technology.</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">The increasing importance of specialist staffing partners who can deliver technical expertise&nbsp;quickly and at scale.</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">A highly competitive market where engineering recruitment continues to play a critical role in enabling major capital projects and long-term workforce planning.&nbsp;</li>
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You can explore the full report here:&nbsp;
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<a class="Hyperlink SCXW224402626 BCX8" href="https://www.staffingindustry.com/research/research-reports/americas/largest-engineering-staffing-firms-in-the-united-states-2026-update?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Largest Engineering Staffing Firms in the United States: 2026 Update</a>&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8" role="heading" aria-level="2">Supporting the Industries Powering the Future<span class="EOP Selected SCXW224402626 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}">&nbsp;</h3>
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For over 15 years, Spencer Ogden has partnered with organisations delivering some of the world's most important engineering and energy projects.&nbsp;
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Our specialist recruitment teams support clients across:&nbsp;
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<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Power Generation</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Transmission &amp; Distribution</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Renewable Energy</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Energy Storage</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Utilities</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Infrastructure</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Industrial &amp; Manufacturing</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8">Chemicals and Process Industries&nbsp;</li>
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Whether supporting contract, permanent, executive&nbsp;search&nbsp;or workforce solutions, we combine deep sector&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;with a global talent network to help clients secure the people they need to deliver critical projects.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8" role="heading" aria-level="2">What This Recognition Means<span class="EOP Selected SCXW224402626 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}">&nbsp;</h3>
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Being recognised among the largest engineering staffing firms in the United States is more than a ranking&mdash;it's&nbsp;recognition of the partnerships&nbsp;we've&nbsp;built with our clients and candidates.&nbsp;
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Every placement&nbsp;represents&nbsp;an opportunity to help businesses overcome complex hiring challenges while enabling engineering professionals to build rewarding careers on projects that make a lasting impact.&nbsp;
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It also reflects the dedication of our consultants and support teams across the globe, whose market&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;and commitment to service continue to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW224402626 BCX8" role="heading" aria-level="2">Looking Ahead<span class="EOP Selected SCXW224402626 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}">&nbsp;</h3>
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The engineering sector sits at the heart of the global energy transition. As investment accelerates across electrification, critical infrastructure, clean energy and industrial innovation, the need for specialist engineering talent will only continue to grow.&nbsp;
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At Spencer Ogden,&nbsp;we're&nbsp;committed to helping organisations navigate these challenges by providing the&nbsp;expertise, market&nbsp;insight&nbsp;and talent solutions they need to succeed.&nbsp;
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We're&nbsp;incredibly proud to be recognised by Staffing Industry Analysts as one of the largest engineering staffing firms in the United States and would like to thank our clients,&nbsp;candidates&nbsp;and colleagues for making this achievement possible.&nbsp;
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Looking to hire engineering talent or take the next step in your career?&nbsp;
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<a class="Hyperlink SCXW224402626 BCX8" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch with&nbsp;Spencer Ogden to discover how&nbsp;we're&nbsp;powering progress in critical infrastructure.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;
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Spencer Ogden Recognised Among the Largest Engineering Staffing Firms in the United States 

We asked our network who's most responsible for closing the gap between data center demand and grid capacity. The results were clear. 37% pointed to the government and regulators, nearly double the next-highest option. Utilities &amp; grid operators and hyperscalers &amp; developers tied at 22% each, with the training and education pipeline seen as the least responsible at 19%, based on 27 votes.&nbsp;
That instinct, that this is fundamentally a policy and regulatory problem, is only half right. The average wait time for a grid connection in primary US markets now exceeds four years. In Northern Virginia, the world's largest data center market, that figure rises to seven years, according to the 2026 JLL Global Data Center Outlook. Meanwhile, a modern data center shell can be built, from groundbreaking to commissioning, in 18 to 24 months in most US markets.
The mismatch is stark. Buildings are going up faster than the electrons needed to power them can be secured. Power availability, not location, not cost, has become the primary site selection criterion for data center developers. But regulation and permitting are only part of the story. Underneath the connection delay sits a second, less visible crisis: a shortage of the engineers needed to build the grid in the first place. Regulatory reform can speed up approvals. It can't manufacture engineers that don't yet exist.
<h3>How big is the interconnection backlog?</h3>
The scale of the problem is difficult to overstate. As of the end of 2025, roughly 8,200 projects representing 1,312 GW of generation and approximately 749 GW of storage capacity were actively seeking grid interconnection across the US, a figure covering ISOs, RTOs and non-ISO utilities representing nearly all of the country's installed generating capacity. Separate analysis puts the broader queue, including load interconnection requests, at closer to 2,600 GW.
Time in that queue has grown substantially. The average time from initial interconnection request to commercial operation rose from under two years in 2008 to nearly five years by 2024, and only 19% of projects that requested interconnection between 2000 and 2019 had reached commercial operation by the end of 2024. In PJM specifically, the regional transmission organisation covering 13 US states and Washington, D.C., the average time from application to commercial operation has climbed from under two years in 2008 to more than eight years in 2025.
The bottleneck has also shifted. New PJM data shows delays are no longer concentrated in the interconnection queue itself. Projects now spend an average of more than three years reaching an interconnection service agreement, followed by another four years waiting to come online after approval, as transmission buildouts, substation capacity and strained supply chains become the primary obstacles. This is a structural issue that regulatory reform alone doesn't resolve.
<h3>Why can't utilities just move faster?</h3>
Part of the answer is physical, not administrative. Large power transformers, the equipment that steps voltage up for transmission and back down for distribution, are in acutely short supply. Wood Mackenzie data shows power and distribution transformers facing supply shortfalls of 30% and 10% respectively, with lead times for large power transformers averaging 128 weeks and generator step-up transformers averaging 144 weeks as of mid-2025. More recent figures show those lead times still climbing. Substation transformer lead times averaged roughly 140 weeks in 2023, rose to around 150 weeks in 2025, and now exceed 160 weeks in 2026.
Regional pressure points illustrate the scale of the shift. In Texas, CenterPoint Energy reported a 700% increase in large load interconnection requests, growing from 1 GW to 8 GW between late 2023 and late 2024. Arizona Public Service has roughly 4.5 GW of committed large-load demand in its queue, with active discussions underway for a further 19 GW. ERCOT voted in June 2026 to introduce a batch-based review system for queued interconnection requests, though the process is still being finalised. Maine became the first US state to ban new data center construction outright, in April 2026, largely as a direct response to the mismatch between grid capacity and demand.
<h3>The second crisis: who builds the grid?</h3>
This is where the story most people miss the second half of the problem, and where the 37% who blamed regulators in our poll only had part of the picture. Closing the connection gap doesn't just require more transformers and faster permitting. It requires more engineers, and utilities and data center developers are drawing from the same limited talent pool.
The skillset in shortest supply sits at the intersection of two disciplines: liquid-to-chip cooling and HVDC power distribution. The industry has started calling this "Grid-to-Chip" expertise, now considered the gold standard for 2026 infrastructure delivery. Data center developers, backed by hyperscale capital, are able to offer compensation packages and delivery schedules that compete aggressively with traditional utility employers. The result is a steady pull of HV/EHV engineers, protection specialists and commissioning talent away from grid-side programmes and into data center delivery teams.
The arithmetic is unforgiving. Every experienced HV engineer hired onto a data center project is functionally one fewer engineer available to build the transmission and substation capacity that same data center is waiting years to connect to. Utilities are not just competing against other utilities for this talent anymore. They're competing against the very customers whose demand is driving the queue in the first place. No amount of regulatory reform changes that dynamic.
<h3>What does this mean for the industry?</h3>
Our poll suggests most of the industry sees this as a policy problem first, with over a third pointing squarely at regulators. The data suggests it's at least as much a workforce problem. Interconnection reform, faster permitting, and transformer supply chain investment all matter, but none of them solves the underlying constraint if there aren't enough qualified engineers to execute the work once approvals come through. Solving the queue without solving the talent pipeline underneath it doesn't remove the bottleneck. It just relocates it.
For utilities, developers and the recruitment partners working across this space, the practical implication is straightforward. Engineering talent strategy now needs to be treated as seriously as transmission planning and equipment procurement. The organisations that get ahead of this, building talent pipelines, partnering on training, and competing on more than compensation alone, will be the ones that actually close the four-year gap, not just talk about it.
<hr>
Spencer Ogden partners with utilities, grid operators and data center developers across the energy and infrastructure sector to build the engineering teams closing this gap. Get in touch to talk through your grid and data center talent strategy.

Why Are Data Centers Waiting Years for a Grid Connection?

<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="3:1-3:93;99-191">Why are QHSE professionals in high demand across energy and data center projects in 2026?</h3>
QHSE professionals are becoming one of the most in-demand hires across critical infrastructure in 2026. As grid modernisation, nuclear, renewable energy and AI-driven data center projects accelerate, organisations are discovering that speed and safety aren't in competition &mdash; they're the same requirement.
But speed cannot come at the expense of safety, quality or sustainability.
This is changing the role of QHSE professionals. In 2026, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment leaders are no longer viewed solely as compliance specialists. They are becoming strategic partners who help organisations manage risk, improve resilience and deliver critical infrastructure safely.
The organisations successfully navigating this new landscape are recognising a simple reality: strong QHSE leadership is not a barrier to delivery. It is what enables better delivery.
<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="13:1-13:62;1059-1120">The changing risk landscape across critical infrastructure</h3>
Global demand for infrastructure has never been higher. The acceleration of artificial intelligence, electrification and energy transition is creating a significant increase in major infrastructure projects.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that global energy employment reached 76 million workers in 2024, growing by more than 5 million jobs since 2019. However, the IEA has highlighted that skills shortages across engineering, technical and specialist roles are becoming a growing constraint on energy sector growth.
For infrastructure organisations, this creates a complex challenge:
<ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3 print:block print:space-y-1" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="21:1-25:61;1727-1978">
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="21:1-21:60;1727-1786">Projects are becoming larger and more technically complex</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="22:1-22:49;1787-1835">Delivery timelines are becoming more ambitious</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="23:1-23:41;1836-1876">Regulatory expectations are increasing</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="24:1-24:41;1877-1917">Supply chains are becoming more global</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="25:1-25:61;1918-1978">Skilled professionals are increasingly difficult to secure</li>
</ul>
QHSE teams are now operating at the centre of these challenges. Their role is expanding from ensuring compliance to helping organisations answer critical questions:
<ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3 print:block print:space-y-1" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="29:1-32:76;2146-2389">
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="29:1-29:52;2146-2197">How do we deliver faster without increasing risk?</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="30:1-30:67;2198-2264">How do we maintain safety standards across multiple contractors?</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="31:1-31:49;2265-2313">How do we manage emerging technologies safely?</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2" data-sourcepos="32:1-32:76;2314-2389">How do we protect people while building the infrastructure of the future?</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="34:1-34:53;2391-2443">Safety remains a critical infrastructure priority</h3>
Despite continued improvements in workplace standards, safety remains one of the biggest challenges facing infrastructure and industrial sectors. Construction and infrastructure environments continue to represent some of the highest-risk workplaces, reinforcing the need for experienced QHSE professionals throughout project lifecycles.
The focus is shifting from reacting to incidents towards preventing them. This means bringing QHSE expertise into projects earlier &mdash; from design and planning through to construction, commissioning and operations.
<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="40:1-40:42;2997-3038">The evolution of the QHSE professional</h3>
The traditional perception of QHSE as an assurance function is changing. Modern QHSE leaders are increasingly influencing business decisions, project strategy and operational performance, and are proving their value in three concrete ways:
Safer project delivery &mdash; QHSE professionals identify risks before they become incidents, helping reduce delays, improve contractor performance and protect project timelines.
Greater operational resilience &mdash; For critical infrastructure operators, a safety failure doesn't stay contained to one site. It can ripple into community impact, customer disruption and national infrastructure risk.
Stronger environmental performance &mdash; Environmental responsibility is now embedded into infrastructure delivery. QHSE is inseparable from carbon strategy, sustainability reporting and supply chain accountability &mdash; not a bolt-on compliance function. QHSE professionals are increasingly involved in carbon reduction strategies, environmental compliance, sustainability reporting, responsible supply chains and regulatory approvals.
The role has become broader, more strategic and more commercially important.
<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="52:1-52:44;4193-4236">Five trends shaping QHSE careers in 2026</h3>
1. Digital technology is transforming safety management Across critical infrastructure projects, businesses are increasingly adopting digital safety platforms, AI-supported reporting tools, predictive analytics, remote inspections and real-time operational monitoring. The future QHSE professional will need more than technical safety knowledge &mdash; they will need the ability to interpret data, identify trends and use technology to improve decision-making.
2. Energy transition is creating demand for specialist QHSE expertise Projects across offshore wind, hydrogen, battery energy storage, carbon capture, nuclear and grid infrastructure require QHSE professionals who understand emerging technologies and evolving regulatory requirements. The ability to operate across complex engineering environments is becoming increasingly valuable.
3. Data centers are creating a new QHSE talent market The rapid growth of AI and digital infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for data center capacity. These facilities require highly specialised safety expertise due to high-voltage electrical systems, complex construction environments, commissioning risks, mission-critical operations and strict uptime requirements. QHSE professionals with experience in mission-critical infrastructure are becoming increasingly sought after.
4. Health and wellbeing are becoming central to safety strategies Safety is no longer only about preventing immediate workplace incidents. Organisations are increasingly focused on long-term workforce health, including mental wellbeing, fatigue management, occupational health risks and workforce resilience. The HSE reported that 964,000 workers experienced work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25 &mdash; demonstrating why workforce wellbeing has become a core QHSE priority. The strongest QHSE strategies recognise that protecting people means supporting their overall wellbeing.
5. The QHSE skills gap is intensifying As infrastructure investment accelerates, demand for experienced QHSE professionals continues to grow. However, employers are not simply looking for certifications &mdash; they need professionals who combine technical expertise with leadership capability. The most in-demand QHSE professionals typically bring:
Technical expertise: ISO management systems, risk assessment, incident investigation, environmental compliance, regulatory knowledge, and sector experience across energy, utilities, construction, data centers and industrial infrastructure.
Leadership capability: stakeholder management, safety culture development, contractor engagement, and senior-level influence.
The future QHSE leader is not just responsible for compliance. They are responsible for enabling safer delivery.
<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="75:1-75:75;7012-7086">The QHSE roles in highest demand across critical infrastructure in 2026</h3>
Across our global markets, Spencer Ogden is seeing increased demand for QHSE professionals who can support complex infrastructure programmes. The roles attracting the strongest demand include:
QHSE Managers and Project QHSE Leads &mdash; Major infrastructure projects increasingly require dedicated QHSE leadership embedded within delivery teams, supporting project safety strategies, contractor management, risk reduction and compliance across complex supply chains.
HSE Directors and Regional Safety Leaders &mdash; As organisations expand globally, senior QHSE leaders are needed to create consistency across multiple sites and operating environments, bringing global safety strategy experience, executive stakeholder engagement, regulatory understanding and safety culture leadership.
Environmental and Sustainability Specialists &mdash; Environmental performance has become a defining factor in infrastructure delivery, with demand increasing for professionals specialising in environmental compliance, ESG reporting, carbon reduction, permitting and sustainability strategy.
Quality Managers and Project Assurance Specialists &mdash; Large-scale infrastructure requires robust quality assurance throughout the project lifecycle, supporting engineering standards, supplier quality, construction assurance and regulatory compliance.
Safety Engineers and Technical Risk Specialists &mdash; High-hazard sectors continue to require technical specialists across process safety, electrical safety, high-voltage environments and operational risk, helping identify and manage complex risks before they impact people or projects.
<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="89:1-89:39;8710-8748">Regional QHSE hiring trends in 2026</h3>
Americas &mdash; Infrastructure investment across renewable energy, grid modernisation, nuclear and data centers is driving demand for experienced QHSE leaders. Employers are particularly seeking professionals with large-scale construction experience, electrical and high-voltage safety expertise, contractor management capability and environmental compliance knowledge.
EMEA &mdash; Europe's energy transition continues to create demand across offshore wind, hydrogen, nuclear and grid infrastructure. QHSE professionals with experience navigating complex regulations, multi-country projects and emerging technologies are becoming increasingly valuable.
APAC &mdash; Rapid industrial growth and digital infrastructure expansion are creating new opportunities across Asia-Pacific. Demand is increasing for professionals experienced in mission-critical infrastructure, large construction programmes, renewable energy projects and international safety standards.
<h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold" dir="ltr" data-sourcepos="97:1-97:33;9708-9740">The future of QHSE leadership</h3>
The role of QHSE professionals is changing. The question is no longer simply "Are we compliant?" The question is: "How do we deliver infrastructure that is safer, more resilient and more sustainable?"
As the world invests in the infrastructure needed for electrification, digitalisation and energy transition, QHSE professionals will play a defining role. They will help organisations balance speed with safety, innovation with responsibility and growth with sustainability &mdash; because the future of critical infrastructure depends not only on what we build, but on how safely and responsibly we build it.
That's the question Spencer Ogden works through with clients every day. Get in touch to discuss how your QHSE hiring strategy stacks up against 2026's demands.
Spencer Ogden supports organisations across energy, technology and critical infrastructure in securing the specialist talent required to deliver complex projects safely and successfully.

QHSE Professionals in 2026: The Critical Infrastructure Leaders Shaping Safer, Smarter Projects

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is putting unprecedented pressure on energy infrastructure worldwide. As demand for AI-powered data centers accelerates, cities, governments and energy providers are being forced to rethink how these facilities are powered, regulated and integrated into existing grids.
Forty of the world&rsquo;s largest cities have now acknowledged the scale of this challenge by launching the Global Urban Data Centres Pact, coordinated by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. The initiative commits member cities to improving renewable energy sourcing, increasing water efficiency, recovering waste heat and strengthening planning coordination around data center expansion.
The message is clear: AI-driven demand is growing faster than many urban infrastructure systems can adapt, creating a need for more coordinated approaches to energy, regulation and development.
Nowhere is this tension more visible than in the United States, where federal support for AI infrastructure expansion is moving at pace, while many states and local authorities are introducing new controls around environmental impact, grid capacity and community costs.
<h3>Federal policy continues to accelerate AI infrastructure growth</h3>
The US federal government continues to support significant expansion of AI and data center infrastructure.
A USD $700 million coal funding package under the Defence Production Act is being developed to strengthen power supply for AI infrastructure. The package includes support for 13 plant upgrades, new coal facilities and export infrastructure.
At the same time, the Department of Justice is seeking to dismiss legal challenges against xAI&rsquo;s gas turbine operations in Memphis, citing national security considerations. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency has rejected calls for national environmental standards for data centers, shifting more responsibility to individual states.
For the industry, this creates a more fragmented regulatory landscape, with requirements increasingly varying depending on location.
Grid connection is also becoming a central challenge. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has directed all six regional grid operators to reform their interconnection processes within 60 days. These changes will focus on cost allocation, co-location and the integration of flexible energy loads.
The proposed POWER Up Act would introduce additional federal oversight for large-scale grid connections above 100MW, while maintaining state authority over permitting and site approvals.
Separately, the FDCEA is expected to expire in September 2026 without a replacement, potentially removing federal standards covering energy efficiency, cybersecurity and resilience for government data centers.
<h3>States take different approaches to data center expansion</h3>
While federal policy is encouraging growth, state and local governments are taking increasingly different approaches to managing the impact of large-scale data centers.
In New York, a one-year moratorium has been introduced on new data center permits above 20MW while environmental impact studies and new cost allocation frameworks are developed.
Michigan lawmakers have proposed a three-bill moratorium package that would pause new permits and introduce additional oversight through a proposed Data Center Regulation Act.
Other states are taking a more expansion-focused approach.
Texas is progressing grid reforms through ERCOT&rsquo;s &ldquo;Batch Zero&rdquo; framework, while Oregon has introduced the POWER Act, which shifts more infrastructure costs towards large energy users. Under the legislation, data center electricity rates are expected to increase by 29%, while residential electricity bills could decrease by 1.3%.
This growing divide between states means location strategy is becoming one of the most important considerations for data center developers and investors.
<h3>AI data centers become a national political issue.</h3>
The growth of AI infrastructure has moved beyond an industry discussion and into national policy debate.
The bipartisan AI Data Center Moratorium Act, introduced by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, proposes pausing new AI data center construction above 20MW until national safeguards are established.
While the legislation is unlikely to pass, its introduction highlights how data center development has become a major political issue, with debate focused on energy demand, environmental impact and the cost to consumers.
US lawmakers have also proposed measures aimed at protecting residential electricity customers from potential increases linked to data center expansion.
<h3>Companies explore renewable energy and alternative power solutions</h3>
Major technology companies are also responding to growing energy demands by investing in new power partnerships.
Meta Platforms has signed an 180MW solar power purchase agreement (PPA) with Zelestra as part of a wider 1.4GW renewable energy partnership in Texas, expected to come online by 2028.
In Canada, Max Power Mining has signed a memorandum of understanding with TerraVolt Energy, EcoTech Building Solutions and Carbon Neutral Growth Fund to explore natural hydrogen-powered AI data centers in Saskatchewan.
Although still at an early stage, the project highlights the industry&rsquo;s growing interest in alternative energy sources beyond traditional gas and grid connections.
<h2>What does this mean for the energy and infrastructure workforce?</h2>
<h3>For employers and project developers</h3>
The US data center market is becoming increasingly shaped by regional regulation.
Site selection is no longer only about available land, power capacity and connectivity. Regulatory environment, permitting timelines and local energy policy are becoming critical factors in determining whether a project succeeds.
A development that moves quickly in Texas could face significant delays in New York or Michigan.
For organisations building data center infrastructure, waiting for complete regulatory clarity before developing talent strategies could create challenges. The demand for specialists in grid interconnection, power infrastructure, compliance and QHSE is already increasing as requirements diverge across different states.
Building workforce pipelines early will be essential for companies looking to deliver projects successfully in a rapidly changing market.
<h3>For candidates and energy professionals</h3>
Regulatory complexity is creating new opportunities for professionals who can operate across multiple state frameworks.
Grid specialists, interconnection experts and power infrastructure professionals are becoming increasingly valuable as utilities and developers adapt to changing requirements.
QHSE professionals are also seeing increased demand as oversight responsibilities move from federal standards towards state-level regulation.
For professionals looking to build experience in the AI infrastructure sector, regions actively investing in new frameworks, such as Texas and Oregon, are likely to see continued hiring activity as new projects move forward.
The future of AI infrastructure will depend not only on technology and investment, but on the people who can navigate the complex relationship between energy supply, regulation and delivery.
-
Source: EIC Newsbrief, Data Center, June 2026 (published 30 June 2026). AI Data Center Moratorium Act details verified against Senate and House sponsor statements.

Spencer Ogden Market Briefing | Critical Infrastructure | July 2026

Americas Data Center: Reshaping US Energy Infrastructure

The global race to build AI infrastructure is accelerating, but across APAC the strategy behind that growth is evolving. The focus is no longer only on scale. Increasingly, governments and businesses are prioritising sovereign AI capability, secure supply chains and control over critical digital infrastructure.
Forty of the world&rsquo;s largest cities have recognised the scale of this challenge through the launch of the Global Urban Data Centers Pact, coordinated by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. The initiative focuses on renewable energy sourcing, water efficiency, heat reuse and improved planning coordination as data center demand continues to increase.
For APAC, where AI infrastructure investment is expanding faster than almost any other region, sovereignty has become a key driver of strategy. Countries are investing in domestic AI capability, local cloud infrastructure and secure energy supply chains to reduce reliance on external providers.
<h2>China, Japan and South Korea: Building sovereign AI capability</h2>
Across East Asia, governments and technology companies are investing heavily in domestic AI infrastructure.
China&rsquo;s LineShine supercomputer has returned to the top of global rankings, achieving more than 2 exaflops of sustained performance and surpassing US systems such as El Capitan. It marks China&rsquo;s return to the leading position in global supercomputing rankings for the first time since 2017.
Japan and South Korea are also accelerating efforts to build sovereign AI ecosystems rather than relying solely on hyperscale cloud providers.
In Japan:
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">AT TOKYO and Zadara have launched a sovereign AI edge cloud region in Tokyo.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Alibaba Cloud has opened its fifth Japan data center.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Naver is expanding its Gak Sejong data center from 55MW towards a long-term 1GW target.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
In South Korea:
<ul>
<li>LG Corporation and NVIDIA are developing an AI factory combining accelerated computing and GPU infrastructure to support robotics and enterprise AI applications.</li>
<li>SK Telecom is partnering with NVIDIA on a gigawatt-scale AI cloud development, with the first facility targeted for delivery in 2027. </li>
</ul>
The direction is clear: APAC markets are investing in local AI capability, supported by domestic infrastructure and secure supply chains.
<h2>Southeast Asia: Investment accelerates across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia</h2>
Southeast Asia is becoming one of the fastest-growing regions for data center investment, driven by AI adoption, cloud demand and renewable energy development.
DayOne has raised USD $4.5 billion in Series C funding to expand across eight markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, Finland and Spain. The investment supports more than 1.5GW of secured capacity, including a 1.5GW renewable energy agreement with Malaysia&rsquo;s Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).
In Singapore and Malaysia:
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Climate Asset Management&rsquo;s CAF II fund is supporting Racks Central&rsquo;s Singapore-Johor-Batam data center corridor, including up to 510MW of capacity in Johor.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sime Darby Property has launched a RM1.25 billion Shariah-compliant fund focused on build-to-suit data centers across Malaysian townships.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Singapore is also strengthening its AI research capability through the launch of the national ASPIRE 2B supercomputer, built on NVIDIA H200 architecture and supporting more than 1,500 research projects.
In Indonesia:
<ul>
<li>BDx Data Centers has secured 1.2GW of power agreements with Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) across Jakarta and West Java. </li>
<li>Gorilla Technology has signed a USD $2.5 billion GPU-as-a-Service agreement at the NeutraDC Batam facility. </li>
</ul>
The region&rsquo;s growth is being driven by a combination of digital demand, renewable energy investment and increasing government support for local technology ecosystems.
<h3>India, Vietnam and Taiwan: Scaling AI infrastructure while managing supply chain risk</h3>
India continues to attract major technology investment, with Amazon Web Services committing USD $13 billion to expand AI and cloud infrastructure across the country.
Vietnam is also emerging as an important regional hub. Foxconn has signed a 1GW renewable energy agreement with Brookfield Asset Management, while AWS has launched a new Hanoi Local Zone to provide lower-latency cloud services closer to users.
However, the region is also facing growing scrutiny around supply chain security.
In Taiwan, Supermicro is working with local authorities following an incident where 50 servers were diverted to China using falsified documentation. The case highlights how export controls and hardware security are becoming operational priorities across the AI infrastructure supply chain.
<h3>What does this mean for the energy and infrastructure workforce?</h3>
<h3>For employers and project developers</h3>
APAC currently has one of the fastest-moving AI infrastructure markets globally, with strong investment appetite and significant government support.
However, funding is no longer the main challenge. The next phase of growth will depend on securing reliable power, managing renewable energy procurement and meeting increasingly complex sovereignty and compliance requirements.
Workforce demand is expected to increase across:
<ul>
<li>Energy procurement specialists&nbsp;</li>
<li>Power purchase agreement (PPA) experts&nbsp;</li>
<li>Data center commissioning professionals </li>
<li>OT and IT infrastructure specialists </li>
<li>Export control and compliance professionals </li>
<li>QHSE leaders </li>
</ul>
The Supermicro case is a reminder that export controls, supply chain security and compliance should be built into workforce strategies from the beginning, rather than treated as a final-stage requirement.
<h2>For candidates and energy professionals</h2>
APAC offers some of the fastest-moving opportunities in global AI infrastructure.
Professionals with experience in GPU and AI facility commissioning, energy procurement and renewable power agreements are likely to see strong demand as investment accelerates across Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Export control and compliance knowledge is also becoming an increasingly valuable differentiator as governments place greater scrutiny on technology supply chains.
QHSE experience remains highly transferable across the region, particularly as sovereign AI developments scale and organisations focus on safe, compliant and sustainable delivery.
The future of APAC&rsquo;s AI infrastructure market will be shaped not only by computing power, but by the people who can deliver secure, sustainable and resilient digital infrastructure.
&nbsp;
Source: EIC Newsbrief, Data Center, June 2026 (published 30 June 2026).

APAC Data Center: Sovereignty as the New AI Infrastructure Strategy

The global race to build AI infrastructure is accelerating, but across EMEA one challenge is becoming increasingly clear: investment is not the limiting factor. Grid capacity is.
Forty of the world&rsquo;s largest cities have recognised the scale of this challenge through the launch of the Global Urban Data Centers Pact, coordinated by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. The initiative commits member cities to improving renewable energy sourcing, increasing water efficiency, recovering waste heat and strengthening planning coordination as data center demand continues to rise.
The move reflects a wider industry challenge: AI-driven demand is growing faster than existing infrastructure can support without significant changes to energy systems, planning processes and workforce capability.
Across EMEA, investment continues to flow into AI, cloud computing and data center expansion. However, the ability to connect new facilities to the grid is becoming the critical factor determining where growth can happen.
<h3>United Kingdom: London&rsquo;s biggest challenge is grid availability</h3>
The UK continues to position itself as a leading European hub for AI and digital infrastructure, with major investment flowing into renewable energy and sovereign AI capability.
Global Switch has signed a 10-year, 55GWh solar power purchase agreement (PPA) with Drax Group&rsquo;s energy solutions business, covering approximately 30% of its UK data center electricity demand from January 2027.
Meanwhile, Civo and Era4 have launched a sovereign UK AI cloud platform powered by NVIDIA HGX B300 GPUs. The platform is expected to scale from 50MW towards a planned capacity of more than 500MW, supporting the UK&rsquo;s ambition to develop independent AI infrastructure capability.
However, the biggest constraint facing London&rsquo;s data center expansion is not funding or demand. It is grid connection.
London&rsquo;s grid connection queue now exceeds ten times the city&rsquo;s existing 1GW installed data center capacity. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced coordinated action involving boroughs, utilities and developers, alongside new policy measures expected through the upcoming London Plan.
For the capital, access to available power is now the key factor determining how quickly new infrastructure can be delivered.
<h3>Europe: Building the energy systems needed for AI growth</h3>
Across the European Union, policymakers and industry leaders are preparing for significant data center growth, with capacity expected to more than double by 2030.
The EU has launched two major initiatives focused on supporting AI-driven grid optimisation and improving coordination between data center operators, energy providers and regulators.
At the same time, competition regulation is evolving. The European Commission has preliminarily designated Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure as &ldquo;gatekeepers&rdquo; under the Digital Markets Act, extending interoperability and data portability requirements to major cloud providers.
Energy innovation is also accelerating across the region.
Vattenfall, Project Enki and ABB are exploring offshore data centers co-located with wind farms, using surplus renewable energy and seawater cooling solutions.
Equinix is piloting hydrogen fuel cells for backup power in Ireland as an alternative to traditional diesel generators, while Amazon has signed a 600MW offshore wind PPA in Germany as part of its wider renewable energy strategy.
In France, SoftBank Group has committed USD $87.5 billion to developing up to 5GW of AI capacity, representing the largest single investment highlighted in this briefing. The project will be supported by Schneider Electric and &Eacute;lectricit&eacute; de France (EDF).
Elsewhere in Europe, Alibaba Cloud has launched a new France cloud region, its third in Europe, while Italy&rsquo;s Green Arrow Capital and Gruppo Lazzari have launched a &euro;1 billion renewable energy data center joint venture.
<h3>Middle East: Scaling AI infrastructure through energy investment</h3>
The Middle East continues to position itself as a major player in global AI infrastructure, combining significant investment capacity with access to large-scale energy resources.
DAMAC Properties&rsquo; digital infrastructure division is targeting a 6GW global data center portfolio across 13 countries, with 700MW expected to be operational across 14 sites by Q1 2027.
Meanwhile, Asprofin Bank has proposed a USD $12 billion, three-campus AI infrastructure programme in the UAE. The project aims to reduce modular data center construction costs to between $4 million and $8 million per MW while delivering up to 1.28GW of AI computing capacity.
The region&rsquo;s ability to combine capital availability, energy resources and ambitious infrastructure programmes is making the Middle East an increasingly important market for AI data center development.
<h3>What does this mean for the energy and infrastructure workforce?</h3>
<h3>For employers and project developers</h3>
EMEA&rsquo;s biggest challenge is not access to capital or political support. It is grid capacity and planning capability.
Unlike some markets where investment is the primary barrier, European data center growth is increasingly dependent on solving complex infrastructure challenges, including grid connections, power availability and renewable energy integration.
This is shifting demand towards specialists who can navigate the technical and regulatory challenges behind successful projects.
Hiring demand is expected to remain strong across:
<ul>
<li>Grid interconnection specialists </li>
<li>HV and EHV protection engineers </li>
<li>Utility negotiation professionals </li>
<li>Power systems engineers </li>
<li>QHSE and compliance specialists </li>
</ul>
As European sustainability requirements continue to tighten ahead of 2030 capacity targets, organisations will also need professionals who understand the intersection between energy infrastructure, regulation and environmental performance.
<h3>For candidates and energy professionals</h3>
For professionals specialising in grid infrastructure, EMEA represents one of the strongest markets globally.
The scale of London&rsquo;s grid connection challenges, combined with the EU&rsquo;s ambition to significantly increase data center capacity by 2030, points towards sustained demand for specialists who can solve complex power delivery challenges.
Professionals with experience in grid connection, HV/EHV engineering, utility engagement and energy transition technologies are likely to remain highly sought after.
Emerging technologies such as hydrogen backup systems and offshore wind-powered data centers are also worth monitoring, with early projects from companies including Equinix, Vattenfall, Project Enki and ABB providing insight into where future specialist roles may develop.
The next phase of AI infrastructure growth in EMEA will not only be driven by investment and technology. It will depend on the people who can connect these projects to a changing energy system.
&nbsp;
Source: EIC Newsbrief, Data Center, June 2026 (published 30 June 2026).

EMEA Data Center: Capital Is Available, But Grid Capacity Is the Challenge

<h3 dir="ltr">The UK is currently the worst High Voltage market in EMEA. Here is what that means for your project.</h3>
<a href="https://insights.spencer-ogden.com/the-bottleneck-report-emea-q2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The UK holds a Scarcity Score of 89 out of 100 in Spencer Ogden's Q2 2026 Bottleneck Index.</a> That is the highest score we record across any infrastructure role in any EMEA market, and it is the figure that hyperscale and co-location operators with UK programmes underestimate most consistently.&nbsp;
If you have a UK build commissioning in 2026 or 2027, the High Voltage Engineer on your project plan is the hire most likely to slip your critical path.
<h3 dir="ltr">The role that gets you to energisation</h3>
High Voltage Engineers design, commission, test and energise the electrical infrastructure that connects a Data Center to the grid: substations, switchgear, transformers, medium- and high-voltage distribution, and the interface with the local Distribution Network Operator.&nbsp;
The specialism, the certifications (IET memberships, country-specific qualifications) and the utility-side experience take years to build. There is no generalist who can step in, and on every modern hyperscale build in EMEA, the High Voltage scope sits on the critical path. The substation can be built, the kit can be on site, the planning permission can be in hand. None of it gets you to energisation without the engineer who can sign off the system.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why the UK is currently the worst single market</h3>
<a href="https://insights.spencer-ogden.com/the-bottleneck-report-emea-q2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our analysts have identified three forces converging on the UK High Voltage labour market at the same time.</a>
The grid connection queue. The UK's grid connection queue currently stretches to 2037 in some regions. Every UK project our consultants are working on is navigating that external timeline, and any delay on the High Voltage side compounds against an already-strained baseline.
Four sectors competing for the same people. Hyperscale data centres, offshore wind, transmission and grid operators (National Grid ESO, TenneT, RTE, Terna, REE) and Middle East megaprojects are all pulling from the same UK candidate pool. The TSO/DNO sector in particular runs deep pension structures and long programme horizons that match individual career arcs, which makes it a sustained competitor rather than a one-off.
A vacancy market that has slowed to a crawl. Our consultants used to fill the UK High Voltage market in eight weeks. It is currently five months minimum, even with a strong package. Spencer Ogden's salary data puts UK High Voltage Engineer industry midpoints at roughly 73% above the UK ONS median for comparable roles, which tells you the market is paying up to compete against a candidate pool being recruited from multiple directions at once.
<h3 dir="ltr">What a slipped HV hire costs you</h3>
A 5-6 month delay on a critical High Voltage hire translates to a five-to-six-month delay to commissioning. For a &pound;1 billion programme, that is half a year of capital sitting on the balance sheet without producing revenue, while debt continues to accrue and tenant conversations cool. Dublin lost a major AI workload to Helsinki in 2025 because the Irish project slipped two quarters and the Finnish one didn't.&nbsp;
That is the kind of outcome our team now warns every UK client to plan against, and once a UK programme starts slipping on High Voltage, recovery is harder than on a US or APAC build. UK labour-law constraints on extended overtime and contractor flex are tighter, and the engineer you eventually hire may legally be the only person who can sign off on the project.
<h3 dir="ltr">What is working for UK clients</h3>
The operators currently staying on schedule are not finding more <a href="https://insights.spencer-ogden.com/the-bottleneck-report-emea-q2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK High Voltage Engineers</a> in the same UK markets. They have changed who they are searching for and where they are searching.
The strongest recent UK placements our team has brokered have come from offshore wind (North Sea programmes nearing energisation), from grid operators on completed transmission projects, and from utility-scale solar developers across southern Europe. The discipline is identical and the mindset is transferable, but our consultants have learned that the lead time to convert these candidates is longer. 12-18 months is the realistic window for engaging adjacent-sector talent before a UK vacancy opens.
Cross-border EMEA sourcing is the second lever. Senior High Voltage Engineers from Poland, Spain, Portugal and Italy work in the same regulatory frameworks (EU directives, IEC standards), and post-Brexit Skilled Worker visa routes have made movement administratively viable. A recent UK hyperscale developer in West London had a critical HV vacancy open for five months via direct sourcing. Our consultants placed a senior engineer from a Polish transmission programme within nine weeks of first introduction, at a total package cost 35% below the operator's modelled UK market rate.
The third lever is timing. The single biggest predictor of whether a UK High Voltage hire lands on time is when our team is briefed. Programmes that brief us six months ahead of a vacancy start with a market-mapped shortlist already in conversation. Programmes that brief us at requisition stage start late, and by then the most attractive candidates are already mid-conversation with another operator.
<h3 dir="ltr">What to do next</h3>
Spencer Ogden's view is that the drivers behind the UK shortage are multi-year programmes: grid upgrades, offshore wind transmission, REPowerEU, the hyperscale buildouts across London and the home counties.&nbsp;
Our pipeline shows none of these tapering before 2030, and we expect the UK to remain the most acute single market in EMEA by a clear margin through Q3 2026 and beyond. If your UK Data Center programme has a High Voltage Engineer on the critical path, the conversation belongs on the table now, not at vacancy stage.
<a href="https://insights.spencer-ogden.com/the-bottleneck-report-emea-q2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download the Q2 2026 Bottleneck Repor</a>t for the full country-by-country comparison, the EMEA salary geography, and the case studies behind the cross-border and adjacent-sector approaches.
Brief our EMEA Infrastructure desk on your UK project. Tell us your timeline, your technical brief, and your relocation and visa flexibility. We will tell you exactly what we are seeing in the UK market right now, where the talent is, and what your package needs to look like to land it.

Discover why UK High Voltage Engineers are in short supply, how it impacts Data Center projects, and the hiring strategies keeping EMEA programmes on track.

Why Are High Voltage Engineers So Difficult to Hire in the UK?

<h3 dir="ltr">The EMEA pay spread is the biggest hiring lever in High Voltage right now</h3>
A Polish High Voltage Engineer placed into a UK hyperscale role this quarter cost 35% less in total package than the UK market rate the operator had originally modelled. Same discipline. Same regulatory framework. Same standards.&nbsp;
From where our consultants sit, that gap is currently the largest strategic lever available to any EMEA operator planning a Data Center programme through 2026 and 2027. Most operators are not using it. <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The ones that are are landing hires their UK and German competitors have given up trying to find.</a>
<h3 dir="ltr">What the EMEA pay map actually looks like</h3>
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report">Spencer Ogden's analysts track High Voltage Engineer industry midpoints across all priority EMEA markets</a>, combining government statistics, industry recruitment guides and our live placement data. EMEA salary disclosure in job postings is unusually low (only about 2% of EMEA High Voltage adverts disclose a range), so headline numbers from job boards alone do not tell the full story.
Benchmarked against the UK ONS median for comparable roles, the spread our team is tracking looks like this:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Switzerland sits at the top by a wide margin, with industry midpoints running roughly 166% above the UK ONS median, driven by Zurich and Aargau pay benchmarks.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Ireland and the UK cluster in the +73% to +78% range.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Germany, Italy, Netherlands and France sit in the +15% to +50% band.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Portugal, Spain, Poland and the Baltic states sit below the UK benchmark by meaningful margins.
</li>
</ul>
The range is the widest Spencer Ogden has ever recorded for an infrastructure role in this region. That spread is both a hiring challenge for operators in the high-cost markets and a strategic opportunity for any operator willing to recruit cross-border.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why the arbitrage is real</h3>
The Polish, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian High Voltage Engineers our consultants source have directly transferable skills. They work in the same regulatory frameworks (EU directives, IEC standards) as their UK and German counterparts, hold equivalent certifications, and are increasingly open to UK, German, Irish and Nordic programmes under structured relocation or remote-with-travel arrangements.
The post-Brexit visa framework has matured enough to make movement administratively viable. Skilled Worker visas into the UK and EU Blue Cards across the continent both clear at predictable timelines now. The appetite to move is there too: our analysts put median current tenure in the EMEA High Voltage dataset at 2.87 years, short compared to other infrastructure disciplines, and many candidates have already worked across two or three EMEA markets in their career.
<h3 dir="ltr">How operators are using the lever</h3>
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Ogden's analysts have identified three things </a>that separate operators who are landing cross-border hires from operators who are not.
They build the market map before opening the vacancy.&nbsp;
A search that opens a UK vacancy and hopes to attract a Polish candidate is doing it the wrong way around. Our consultants identify the candidate pool in the source market first, then bring the destination opportunity to those individuals as a proactive conversation. That changes the conversion economics.
They frame the package against the source country, not the destination.&nbsp;
A Polish or Portuguese engineer moving to a UK role is not weighing the offer against UK domestic salaries. They are weighing it against a much lower domestic baseline. An offer that looks middling against UK rates can be transformational against Polish ones.
They address visa, language and family logistics in the first conversation.&nbsp;
Half-formed offers convert at near-zero rates with mobile EU talent. Candidates know they are sitting on a market asset, and they will not engage with packages that leave them figuring out the practical questions themselves. A relocation conversation that arrives fully formed (visa route, housing allowance, family support) lands first conversations that reactive packages do not get returned calls from.
<h3 dir="ltr">What a structured cross-border hire looks like in practice</h3>
A UK hyperscale developer in West London approached us with a critical High Voltage Engineer vacancy that had been open via direct sourcing for five months with no viable candidates. The challenge was not budget; it was supply.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our consultants identified a senior High Voltage Engineer</a> on a Polish transmission programme entering its final commissioning phase. We brokered the introduction, supported the relocation conversation across four meetings (visa route, housing, schooling, timeline), and built the package framed around Polish cost of living rather than UK market rate.&nbsp;
The candidate placed within nine weeks of first introduction, at a total package cost 35% below the operator's modelled UK market rate. The commissioning timeline held.
<h3 dir="ltr">Where the cost arbitrage works hardest</h3>
The spread matters most when the destination is a Critical Scarcity market. Spencer Ogden's Q2 2026 EMEA index puts the UK (Scarcity Score 89), Spain (76), Germany (75) and Poland (74) at the top. Operators with UK, German or Irish builds and the flexibility to recruit cross-border are the ones with the largest available lever.&nbsp;
Two markets are worth watching closely: our consultants are tracking Ireland's Dublin cluster as increasingly capacity-constrained, which is shifting our team's focus toward Limerick and Cork; and the Middle East remains a sustained net importer of EMEA High Voltage talent, with Vision 2030 programmes drawing from UK, India and Egypt.
<h3 dir="ltr">What to do next</h3>
If your EMEA Data Center programme has a High Voltage hire on the critical path, and your project allows any flexibility on where that hire is sourced from, the arbitrage is currently working in your favour.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download the Q2 2026 Bottleneck Repor</a>t for the full country-by-country salary geography, scarcity scores, and the case studies behind the cross-border placements above.
Brief our EMEA Infrastructure desk on your project. Tell us your destination market, your timeline, your relocation and visa flexibility. We will map the candidate pool across the source markets that fit your build, benchmark the package against live source-country expectations, and tell you what it will take to land the hire.

Explore EMEA High Voltage salary trends, cross-border hiring strategies, and how Data Center developers can reduce recruitment costs without compromising quality.

How Can You Hire High Voltage Engineers More Cost-Effectively Across EMEA?

<h3 dir="ltr">Where the Liquid Cooling Engineers actually are</h3>
The operators currently staying on schedule on AI-focused Data Center programmes are not finding more Liquid Cooling Engineers in the same markets. They have changed who they search for and where they look. That is the most useful thing we can tell hiring managers heading into a Q3 2026 vacancy.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here is what our team is seeing across the US right now, and what is working for the clients landing hires.</a>
<h3 dir="ltr">The talent is not where the demand is</h3>
21.8% of the Liquid Cooling Engineer workforce in our dataset is already working outside their state of residence. That is one of the highest cross-state mobility rates we currently see across any data centre infrastructure role. The high-demand states are not solving this inside their own borders, and they have stopped trying to.
Our consultants are tracking California, Texas, Massachusetts and Washington sourcing their hires from candidate-rich states with lower acute demand. Spencer Ogden's pipeline data identifies Michigan, Maryland, Colorado and Florida as the largest current net exporters of Liquid Cooling talent.&nbsp;
The single largest flow we are tracking is Michigan into California, a pattern that has strengthened consistently over the past four quarters. Colorado has emerged as a meaningful supplier to both California and Texas. Maryland, with its dense aerospace and consumer-tech engineering base, is currently supplying multiple Critical markets at once.
If your project sits in a Critical or High Scarcity state, this is the picture you are planning against. You are not just competing with operators in your own state. <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You are competing for relocated talent against every other Critical-Scarcity employer who has read the same map.</a>
<h3 dir="ltr">The talent is also not in data centres</h3>
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The largest current employers of Liquid Cooling Engineers in the US are not data centre operators.</a> Northrop Grumman, SpaceX and Apple lead the list. The most active hirers by ad volume in our dataset include&nbsp; Blue Origin (57 active ads in the last 12 months), Vertiv (55) and Invenergy (55). Aerospace, defence, consumer technology, specialist cooling and energy infrastructure are all competing for the same pool.
Some of our strongest recent placements have come from exactly these sectors. The thermal-engineering fundamentals are identical. A senior thermal engineer working on an aerospace propulsion programme entering production phase has the discipline a hyperscale operator needs. What trips most operators up is the lead time required to convert them. These candidates do not currently see themselves as data centre candidates, and patient, well-positioned outreach is what changes that.
<h3 dir="ltr">Three approaches that are landing hires</h3>
Recruit from aerospace and adjacent thermal sectors, twelve to eighteen months before the vacancy opens.&nbsp;
Target candidates whose current aerospace or consumer-tech programmes are reaching production maturity, where the design work is winding down and operational support is taking over. Build the package around the sector transition: larger commercial scale, visible impact on the AI economy, and the move from one-off product engineering to multi-site programme delivery.
<h3 dir="ltr">Build structured relocation packages from the candidate-rich states.&nbsp;</h3>
Liquid Cooling Engineers know they are sitting on a market asset, and they will move for the right offer. They will not entertain ambiguous packages, no matter how strong the headline number looks. Three pillars matter: housing allowance, sign-on bonus, and family or spousal support, with a defined retained-relocation timeline. Be transparent about destination cost of living and have the numbers ready in the first conversation. The candidate pool is moving too fast to wait for a half-formed offer.
<h3 dir="ltr">Brief Spencer Ogden six months before the vacancy opens.</h3>
This is the single biggest predictor of whether the hire lands on time. Programmes that engage our US Infrastructure desk well ahead of a vacancy don't start a search when the requisition lands. They start with a market-mapped shortlist already in conversation, a verified read on what the role is going to cost, and a clear view of which adjacent-sector or relocation approach is most likely to work for the specific build.
A recent example: a US co-location operator with a 100MW Northern Virginia build engaged our team six months ahead of a Liquid Cooling design lead vacancy. By the time the requisition opened, we held exploratory conversations with 12 candidates and presented a four-candidate shortlist 48 hours later. The hire completed within three weeks, against a market median of 16 to 20 weeks. No delay to the commissioning critical path.
<h3 dir="ltr">What the candidate pool looks like in practice</h3>
Median current tenure for Liquid Cooling candidates is under three years, less than half what we see for HV engineers. This is a mobile, fast-moving talent pool. Outreach can be more direct, conversion cycles are shorter, but competition for each individual candidate is fierce because the market knows they will move for the right offer.
What we tell clients is straightforward: timeline beats lavishness. A clean, well-paced engagement process that respects the candidate's time and presents a defensible package on the first call converts better than open-ended negotiation against an inflated headline number, no matter how generous.
<h3 dir="ltr">What to do next</h3>
If your AI Data Center programme has a Liquid Cooling Engineer on the critical path for 2026 or 2027 commissioning, the lead time on that search starts now.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download the Q2 2026 Bottleneck Report for the full state-by-state candidate flow data, </a>the salary geography, and the case studies behind the three approaches above.
Brief our US Infrastructure desk on your project, your timeline, and the cooling architecture you are targeting. We will tell you exactly which adjacent sectors are worth searching for your specific build, which net-exporter states fit your relocation strategy, and what your package needs to look like to land the hire.

Find out where US Liquid Cooling Engineers are located, which industries hold the talent, and how AI Data Center operators are securing critical hires faster.

Where Can You Find Liquid Cooling Engineers for AI Data Center Projects?

<h3 dir="ltr">The hire that decides whether your AI Data Center goes live</h3>
Twelve weeks before commissioning, a US hyperscale developer lost a major AI tenant.&nbsp;
Not on price. Not on location. They lost it on a thirty-minute technical due-diligence call, because their cooling design could not be defended against the rack densities the tenant needed. They did not have a Liquid Cooling lead on the team.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">That conversation is happening across the US right now</a>, and it is the single clearest signal Spencer Ogden's analysts are seeing of where the data centre talent market has shifted.
<h3 dir="ltr">Why this role moved from niche to non-negotiable</h3>
Liquid Cooling Engineers design, specify and commission the thermal management systems that keep modern compute infrastructure within operating temperature. Eighteen months ago, that scope sat on the edge of most data centre programmes. AI workloads have changed it. Rack-level heat density is now beyond what air cooling can handle, and what our team is tracking is a shift from air to liquid that is structural and one-directional. Every major AI tenant signed in 2026 has required liquid cooling at scale.
This is not a discipline a generalist can step into. A mechanical engineer with ten years of air-cooled experience and no liquid cooling exposure cannot ship a workable design. The thermal-engineering fundamentals are specific, the design decisions cascade into facility layout, plumbing, electrical load and structural roof loading, and the role has to be on the team during early design, not at commissioning.
<h3 dir="ltr">What the market is telling us</h3>
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Ogden's Q2 2026 Bottleneck Index </a>puts Liquid Cooling Engineers at a Scarcity Score of 80 out of 100, on the boundary between High and Critical Scarcity. The supporting numbers tell the same story from different angles.
There are 1.75 available candidates per active US job advert. Posting velocity has more than tripled in 18 months. Advertised salaries are running 38% above the US national median for the closest occupational benchmark, with senior contractor day rates frequently exceeding $700. The average advertised salary is $140k against a national median of $102k.
Our analysts identify California as the worst single market in the dataset at a Scarcity Score of 83. Texas sits at 80. Texas sits at 80.&nbsp;
Behind them, we are tracking a long tail of High Scarcity states forming, including Massachusetts, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado and the Carolinas. The pattern follows the AI workload buildout, not the legacy data centre map.
<h3 dir="ltr">What this actually costs</h3>
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For a project director with a hyperscale or AI-focused programme in fligh</a>t, these numbers translate directly into cost.
A four-month delay on a single Liquid Cooling hire translates to a four-month delay to commissioning. For a $1.5 billion AI-focused programme, that is four months of capital sitting on the balance sheet without producing revenue. The competitive cost is sharper. AI tenants do not wait. If your cooling design cannot be defended in a tenant's due-diligence call, the tenant finds an operator whose engineers can defend theirs. That call typically happens 6 to 12 weeks before commissioning.
The structural cost is worse again. Once an AI-focused programme starts slipping because of cooling, recovery is harder than on a general data centre build. Late-stage redesign cascades costs across every discipline on the project.
<h3 dir="ltr">The fundamental driver is not slowing down</h3>
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Q3 2026 picture is straightforward. </a>The shift to liquid cooling is structural and we see no path back to air-only for high-density AI compute. California and Texas will remain Critical. Massachusetts, Washington and the Midwest cluster (Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania) are the markets our team expects to tighten next.
The candidates exist. We are mapping them in aerospace, in consumer technology silicon teams, in specialist cooling vendors, and in candidate-rich states like Michigan, Maryland, Colorado and Florida. Reaching them requires lead time, a multi-sector search, and a package that holds together on the first call. Operators starting that work now are landing hires. Operators waiting until the requisition opens are not.
<h3 dir="ltr">What to do next</h3>
If your AI Data Center programme breaks ground in 2026 or 2027, this hire belongs on the conversation list now, not at vacancy stage.
<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/q2-2026-us-bottleneck-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download the Q2 2026 Bottleneck Report </a>for the full state-by-state Scarcity Index, salary geography, candidate flow maps, and the three approaches operators are using to stay on schedule.
Brief our US Infrastructure desk on your project timeline and cooling architecture. A 30-minute conversation will tell you what we are seeing in your specific market, where the talent is, and what your package needs to look like to land it.

Learn why Liquid Cooling Engineers are essential for AI Data Center projects, the US talent shortage, and hiring strategies to avoid costly project delays.

Why Are Liquid Cooling Engineers Critical for AI Data Center Projects?

<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal"><img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/1t87sj2ddd6tu7xi49m83cexe3iw" alt="" width="748" height="365"></h3>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">What the Market Is Telling Us</h3>
We recently asked infrastructure finance professionals where they see the most compelling investment opportunity right now. The result was unambiguous: 67% pointed to grid modernisation, with digital infrastructure taking the remaining 33%. Battery, storage, and renewables finance didn't register a single vote.
Three votes don't make a dataset. But it does reflect something the market has been signalling consistently &mdash; capital isn't retreating, it's concentrating. And it's concentrating on the foundational infrastructure that everything else depends on.
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">The Filter Effect: Why Some Assets Are Winning</h3>
Persistent rate pressure was supposed to be the enemy of long-dated infrastructure investment. In practice, it's acted more like a filter. Assets with contracted revenues, inflation-linked returns, and strong policy tailwinds are attracting capital at a pace. Assets without those characteristics are struggling to reach financial close.
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">Data Centers: The Capital Magnet of the Decade</h3>
Approximately 75% of power demand growth through 2030 may come from data centers, driving unprecedented infrastructure investment needs across utilities, midstream, and renewable sectors worldwide. The major hyperscalers &mdash; Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta &mdash; are expected to deploy more than $600 billion in capital expenditure in 2026 alone, a further $230 billion more than the prior year.
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">Grid Infrastructure: Where the Smart Money Is Moving</h3>
The poll result above reflects this acutely. The projected rapid expansion of data centers in the US will necessitate significant new generation capacity, requiring ongoing upgrades and expansions to transmission and distribution networks, including new high-voltage lines and substations. S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence forecasts capital expenditure for US investor-owned utilities to reach $227.8 billion in 2026, up from approximately $173 billion in 2024.
In Europe, the picture is equally stark. Ageing infrastructure &mdash; where 40% of grids are over 40 years old &mdash; will require &euro;584 billion in capital expenditure by 2030 to keep pace with the transition. The 67% who voted for grid modernisation in our poll are not wrong. The question is whether the industry can execute at the pace capital demands.
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">Deal Structures Are Changing &mdash; So Are the Rules</h3>
The days of straightforward project finance with vanilla debt are largely behind us for the largest builds. Investors are increasingly relying on layered capital strategies that combine long-term financing with mechanisms that provide early cash flow, while traditional project finance lenders play a growing role &mdash; underwriting large syndicated loans supported by long-term leases and stable power-supply arrangements.
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">The Talent Gap No One Is Budgeting For</h3>
As deal complexity increases, so does the demand on finance teams. The roles attracting the highest hiring velocity right now &mdash; financial modellers with energy asset experience, ESG analysts with bankable credentials, infrastructure investment managers comfortable operating across jurisdictions &mdash; are in critically short supply.
Large technology companies are likely to commit more than $1 trillion in spending across 2025&ndash;2026. The finance professionals capable of structuring, modelling, and closing transactions at that scale are a binding constraint.&nbsp;
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">What Finance Teams Need to Build Right Now</h3>
Finance teams that want to deploy capital effectively in this environment need to build &mdash; or acquire &mdash; three specific capabilities:
&mdash; Structured finance expertise that goes beyond vanilla project debt &mdash; ESG credentialling sufficient for green bond issuance and EU Taxonomy compliance &mdash; Cross-border fluency, particularly across EMEA and APAC, where policy frameworks and deal structures diverge significantly
The rate environment has raised the bar. The question isn't whether capital is available &mdash; it clearly is. The question is whether your finance team can deploy it.
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">Find the Finance Talent to Deploy Capital at Scale</h3>
Spencer Ogden works with infrastructure fund managers, project sponsors, and advisory firms globally to source the finance talent that makes complex transactions possible. Speak to our team: spencerogden.com

Infrastructure Finance in a High-Rate Environment: Where Is Capital Flowing?

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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">Southeast Asia leads a region-wide build-out as APAC steps into global-scale territory.&nbsp;</h3>
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Asia Pacific's data&nbsp;center&nbsp;market has long been described as emerging. That framing is no longer&nbsp;accurate. May 2026 delivered landmark deals across Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, India, and Oceania that confirm the region is&nbsp;operating at a genuinely global scale &mdash; in investment size, technical ambition, and strategic significance.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">Southeast Asia: serious capital, serious momentum&nbsp;</h3>
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Thailand produced the month's standout financing deal in the region. Digital Edge and&nbsp;B.Grimm&nbsp;Power secured an $880 million green loan &mdash; the largest data&nbsp;center&nbsp;financing in the country's history &mdash; to support a 100MW campus in the Chonburi Eastern Economic Corridor. The project targets AI and cloud workloads, with phased delivery through 2026&ndash;2027. That a single deal of this&nbsp;magnitude&nbsp;is now possible in Thailand is itself a signal of how rapidly the market has matured.&nbsp;
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In Malaysia, domestic developer Cahya Suria Services and Chinese firm Suzhou&nbsp;EnnoThing&nbsp;Technology announced plans for a RM1 billion&nbsp;NexQuantum&nbsp;AI Digital Park in Perak. The project includes a flagship 32MW AI-ready facility with up to seven&nbsp;additional&nbsp;buildings &mdash; a development that reinforces Malaysia's growing position as a preferred destination for regional data&nbsp;center&nbsp;investment.&nbsp;
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At the regional platform level, Digital Edge secured $575 million in&nbsp;HoldCo&nbsp;financing to support campus expansion across South Korea, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia, structured with potential conversion to a sustainability-linked loan. The breadth of markets covered reflects how APAC operators are now thinking in region-wide terms rather than country-by-country.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">An innovation worth&nbsp;watching:&nbsp;hydrogen power&nbsp;</h3>
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Guofu&nbsp;Hydrogen Energy, CEWA, and Hydro Data agreed to explore hydrogen power deployment for data&nbsp;centers&nbsp;across Southeast Asia, beginning with a 3MW pilot in Rayong, Thailand, with potential scale to 100MW. Hydrogen&nbsp;remains&nbsp;nascent as a primary data&nbsp;center&nbsp;power source, but pilots of this kind are how&nbsp;viable&nbsp;pathways get built. The collaboration covers system design, infrastructure development, and hydrogen equipment supply &mdash; a serious technical undertaking, not a headline exercise.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">Northeast Asia: AI computing as a national strategy&nbsp;</h3>
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South Korea's government-backed approach to AI infrastructure is worth examining. NHN launched a 7,656-GPU cluster in Seoul, built on Nvidia B200 GPUs at its Yangpyeong&nbsp;data&nbsp;center&nbsp;&mdash; an investment of approximately $671 million and part of a national AI computing initiative. The system supports GPU-as-a-Service for public sector, research, and industry applications. When sovereign governments are directly funding AI compute at this scale, it signals something more durable than commercial demand alone.&nbsp;
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TSMC signed a 30-year agreement to purchase 294MW from the Hai Long offshore wind farm in Taiwan &mdash; a deal with Northland Power that supports the semiconductor giant's long-term goal of increasing renewable energy use. The 30-year term is notable: it reflects a level of strategic planning that most corporate clean energy commitments do not match.&nbsp;
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SoftBank is building a zinc-halogene&nbsp;battery storage production plant in Sakai, Osaka, to supply AI data&nbsp;centers&nbsp;and grid systems, with mass production planned for 2028&ndash;2029. Purpose-built energy storage manufacturing for data&nbsp;center&nbsp;applications is a&nbsp;relatively new&nbsp;development &mdash; and one that speaks to the maturity of Japan's approach to AI infrastructure.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">India and the supply chain dimension&nbsp;</h3>
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Apple invested $11 million with&nbsp;CleanMax&nbsp;to develop 150MW of solar and wind capacity in India, supporting supply chain decarbonisation as part of its 2030 carbon neutrality goal. While modest in absolute terms&nbsp;relative&nbsp;to the&nbsp;hyperscaler&nbsp;deals elsewhere, it reflects a trend worth&nbsp;tracking:&nbsp;as global tech firms regionalise their supply chains in India, renewable energy investment follows as a near-mandatory condition of&nbsp;operating&nbsp;responsibly in the market.&nbsp;
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Samsung's $1.5 billion investment in a chip testing plant in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam &mdash; targeting 153.3 billion Gb DRAM and 255.6 billion Gb NAND capacity annually &mdash; is a semiconductor story, but it is inseparable from the data&nbsp;center&nbsp;market. The chips being tested there will power the AI infrastructure being built everywhere else.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">Australia: the hyperscale moment arrives&nbsp;</h3>
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CDC Data Centres signed Australia's largest ever data&nbsp;center&nbsp;contract: a 555MW deal with a US-based investment-grade customer over 30 years, with delivery across campuses in 2028&ndash;2029. The agreement pushes CDC's total contracted capacity above 1GW. The scale of the deal confirms that Australian hyperscale demand &mdash; long&nbsp;anticipated&nbsp;&mdash; is now materialising in a form that changes the market's character.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">China: a genuine engineering first&nbsp;</h3>
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HiCloud's&nbsp;offshore wind-powered underwater data&nbsp;center&nbsp;off the coast of Shanghai is now in commercial operation &mdash; the world's first facility of its kind. The 24MW installation,&nbsp;located&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Lingang&nbsp;Special Area and housing&nbsp;nearly 2,000 servers, uses seawater cooling and offshore wind power to support AI and high-density computing workloads. It is a genuine technological milestone and a demonstration that the physical boundaries of where data&nbsp;centers&nbsp;can be built are being actively redefined.&nbsp;
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Separately, Princeton Digital Group is&nbsp;reportedly exploring&nbsp;a $1 billion sale of its China data&nbsp;center&nbsp;assets &mdash; spanning 286MW across Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing &mdash; reflecting a broader strategic shift as investors reassess China exposure amid regulatory and geopolitical pressures.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW241329916 BCX8">What this means for hiring&nbsp;</h3>
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APAC's data&nbsp;center&nbsp;pipeline is translating directly and rapidly into hiring demand. Construction project managers with cross-border experience &mdash; particularly across the Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore corridor &mdash; are acutely scarce&nbsp;relative&nbsp;to the volume of projects now in delivery. Power engineers familiar with green financing requirements and sustainability-linked loan structures are increasingly valuable. In Northeast Asia, AI infrastructure specialists who can bridge technical and commercial functions are in short supply.&nbsp;
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The region's ambition is clear. Closing the talent gap is the work that makes it deliverable.&nbsp;
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Source: EIC Data Centre&nbsp;Newsbrief, 31 May 2026. Published by The EIC (Asia Pacific).
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APAC - Data Center Market Update: May 2026

EMEA - Data Center Market Update: May 2026

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<h3>What the latest global developments mean for infrastructure, energy, and talent&nbsp;</h3>
The data center industry rarely pauses for breath &mdash; but May 2026 was a particularly significant month. Billion-dollar investment pledges, landmark clean energy agreements, sweeping regulatory shifts, and genuine technological firsts all landed within the same four weeks. Taken together, they paint a clear picture of an industry accelerating faster than the systems around it can keep up.&nbsp;
This article draws on the EIC Data Centre Newsbrief (May 2026) to distil what matters and what it signals for the road ahead.&nbsp;
<h3>AI demand is restructuring the entire industry&nbsp;</h3>
Everything happening in the data center market right now traces back to a single driver: artificial intelligence. The compute requirements of large language models, GPU clusters, and AI inference workloads are unlike anything the industry has handled before &mdash; in scale, speed, and energy intensity. This is no longer a background trend. It is the primary force reshaping power grids, land markets, supply chains, and hiring pipelines simultaneously.&nbsp;
Pennsylvania utility PPL's pipeline figures illustrate the scale plainly. Its advanced-stage data center pipeline grew 12% in a single quarter to reach 28.3GW &mdash; with projections of 20.7GW online by 2030. That is not incremental growth. That is a structural shift in the demand profile of a regional grid. Similar dynamics are playing out across every major market, from Northern Virginia to Narvik to Kuala Lumpur.&nbsp;
<h3>Clean energy is becoming a competitive necessity&nbsp;</h3>
Across the Americas, APAC, and EMEA, hyperscalers are moving decisively to lock in long-term clean power. Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft collectively announced renewable energy agreements spanning solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage, and carbon removal in May alone. These are not PR exercises &mdash; they are multi-decade supply chain decisions that reflect both regulatory pressure and genuine operational risk management.&nbsp;
The Nordics are emerging as a particular focal point. Norway's combination of abundant hydroelectric power, political stability, and cooler climate is attracting serious capital, with Nscale securing $790 million for its Narvik AI campus and multiple operators signing long-term renewable PPAs with Vattenfall and others.&nbsp;
<h3>Regulation is arriving</h3>
The flipside of rapid build-out is pushback. In the United States, six states and cities enacted moratoriums or new cost-allocation laws in May alone, driven by concerns over water consumption, grid strain, and ratepayer impact. Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon now require data centers to bear their own infrastructure costs. Denver, Minneapolis, Michigan, and Minnesota have paused new approvals or utility connections.&nbsp;
This is not anti-industry sentiment. It is a predictable consequence of a sector that has grown faster than the regulatory frameworks designed to manage it. Markets that get ahead of this &mdash; by demonstrating responsible resource use and proactive community engagement &mdash; will have a material advantage as permit timelines tighten elsewhere.&nbsp;
<h3>The talent gap is widening&nbsp;</h3>
The volume and pace of activity documented across all three regions translates directly into hiring pressure across the data center value chain. Construction project managers, power engineers, cooling specialists, sustainability professionals, and AI infrastructure architects are all in short supply relative to demand &mdash; and that gap is widening as pipelines extend through 2030.&nbsp;
Regulatory complexity is adding a further dimension. The US market now requires professionals who can navigate overlapping state-level frameworks alongside technical delivery. In APAC, bilingual specialists with cross-border project experience are acutely needed. In EMEA, the intersection of AI infrastructure and sustainability requirements is creating a specialist profile the market has not historically had to fill at volume.&nbsp;
The opportunity is significant. But so is the work required to staff it.&nbsp;
Source: EIC Data Centre Newsbrief, 31 May 2026. Published by The EIC (Asia Pacific). For sector-specific recruitment support, contact Spencer Ogden.

Global - Data Center Market Update: May 2026

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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW221820480 BCX8">Record investment, rising regulation, and the race to power AI at scale&nbsp;</h3>
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The United States&nbsp;remains&nbsp;the world's dominant data&nbsp;center market. It is also increasingly its most contested. May 2026 confirmed that investment appetite and regulatory pressure are now accelerating in parallel &mdash; and the industry will need to navigate both with equal seriousness.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW221820480 BCX8">Investment at a historic scale&nbsp;</h3>
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The headline numbers from May are difficult to contextualise without stepping back. Google pledged $15 billion for a hyperscale campus and supporting energy infrastructure in New Florence, Missouri &mdash; including collaboration with utility Ameren to add 500MW of new grid capacity. Hut 8 signed a 15-year, 352MW lease at its Beacon Point campus in Texas with a base value of $9.8 billion, potentially rising to $25.1 billion with renewals. The 1GW campus is expected to begin operations in 2027.&nbsp;
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These are not outliers. They reflect a market where long-term demand fundamentals &mdash; driven overwhelmingly by AI workload growth &mdash; continue to justify commitments that would have seemed extraordinary just a few years ago.&nbsp;
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Pennsylvania utility PPL's pipeline data reinforces this. Its advanced-stage data&nbsp;center&nbsp;pipeline reached 28.3GW in May, up 12% from the previous quarter, with 20.7GW targeted for online delivery by 2030. Growth is driven by hyperscale demand linked to major cloud and AI operators across its service territory.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW221820480 BCX8">The regulatory reckoning&nbsp;</h3>
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The pace of build-out has consequences &mdash; and US regulators are no longer absorbing them quietly.&nbsp;
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Florida enacted a law requiring data&nbsp;centers&nbsp;to cover their own electricity infrastructure costs rather than passing them to consumers, effective 1 July 2026. It also introduces water conservation requirements and preserves local government authority over approvals. Oklahoma passed equivalent ratepayer protection legislation. Oregon's regulator approved a new rate class under Portland General Electric that requires data&nbsp;centers&nbsp;to pay a greater share of grid expansion costs, with minimum billing commitments and exit fees to prevent cost-shifting to residential consumers.&nbsp;
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Water is proving equally contentious. The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority in Michigan approved a 12-month moratorium on supplying water and sewer services to new data&nbsp;centers. A utility near Minneapolis did the same, citing capacity and environmental strain from high-demand AI and hyperscale facilities. The Denver City Council approved a one-year moratorium on new permits and zoning applications, covering energy use, water consumption, zoning, and community impact. Minneapolis followed with a six-month pause on developments exceeding 350,000 square feet.&nbsp;
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None of&nbsp;these signals&nbsp;a market in retreat. It signals a market maturing &mdash; and one where operators who engage proactively with communities and regulators will&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;a competitive edge over those who do not.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW221820480 BCX8">Behind the meter: power independence as a strategy&nbsp;</h3>
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One clear industry response to grid constraints is to bypass the grid entirely.&nbsp;xAI&nbsp;deployed 19 natural gas turbines at its Colossus 2 data&nbsp;center&nbsp;in Southaven, Mississippi, expanding on-site generation to over 500MW to support Grok AI training workloads.&nbsp;TerraVolt&nbsp;secured 55,000 MMBTU per day of natural gas for its planned Idaho campus, supporting 200&ndash;240MW of behind-the-meter capacity designed to reduce grid reliance and accelerate development timelines.&nbsp;
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This approach offers speed and independence, but it comes with a sustainability trade-off that the industry should address honestly. Natural gas-fired generation supports short-term delivery timelines &mdash; it does not support long-term decarbonisation commitments.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW221820480 BCX8">Clean energy: the&nbsp;hyperscaler&nbsp;commitment&nbsp;</h3>
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The counterpoint is the scale and speed of clean energy procurement by the largest operators.&nbsp;
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Amazon signed its first-ever geothermal deal &mdash; a 700MW low-carbon power agreement with NV Energy in Nevada, including 100MW of geothermal capacity from Zanskar by 2030, alongside solar and battery storage. Google signed a 15-year, 500MW solar PPA with Linea Energy in Texas and a 200MW solar agreement in Oklahoma, both supporting data&nbsp;center operations and AI-driven demand growth. Meta is committed to 850MW of clean energy PPAs with DESRI across Oklahoma, Texas, and Mississippi, plus a 365MW solar and 1,600MWh battery storage project in Wyoming and a 250MW solar PPA in Arkansas &mdash; expanding its total US clean energy partnership to over 2.5GW.&nbsp;
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In South America, Omnia signed a $2 billion, 20-year wind energy deal to power a ByteDance data&nbsp;center&nbsp;in Brazil's Cear&aacute; region, backed by 630MW of wind capacity and a total project investment estimated at $39.9 billion.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW221820480 BCX8">What this means for hiring&nbsp;</h3>
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The Americas' data center&nbsp;market is generating significant demand for professionals who can&nbsp;operate&nbsp;across multiple disciplines simultaneously. Construction and commissioning engineers are needed at volume as large campuses accelerate towards delivery. Power engineers with experience in both grid-connected and behind-the-meter systems are scarce. Regulatory affairs and&nbsp;permitting&nbsp;specialists who understand state-level utility frameworks are increasingly critical to project timelines.&nbsp;
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Sustainability professionals who can credibly manage the tension between delivery speed and clean energy commitments are&nbsp;perhaps the&nbsp;most complex profile to fill &mdash; and the most consequential.&nbsp;
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Spencer Ogden places specialists across the Americas' data center&nbsp;value chain. If your pipeline is growing faster than your team, it is worth having that conversation sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
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Source: EIC Data Centre&nbsp;Newsbrief, 31 May 2026. Published by The EIC (Asia Pacific).&nbsp;
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Americas - Data Center Market Update: May 2026

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We recently asked 73 infrastructure and energy professionals:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7467470160036220928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What's the biggest barrier to delivering grid modernisation projects on time in 2026?</a>
The result was a dead heat. Engineering talent shortage and permitting &amp; regulatory delays are tied at 30% each. Financing gaps came in at 23%, supply chain constraints at 16%.
That split matters. It tells us this isn't a single-point failure &mdash; it's a multi-front delivery challenge. And critically, it means that solving the talent problem alone won't be enough if regulatory pipelines remain clogged and capital can't reach financial close. The grid is being held back on several fronts simultaneously.
With that context established, let's look at where the talent pressure is most acute &mdash; because across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, the hiring picture is reaching a critical juncture.
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<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">The Americas: investment is surging, but the workforce is not.</h3>
S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence forecasts US investor-owned utility capex to reach $227.8 billion in 2026, up from approximately $173 billion in 2024. In March 2026, the US Department of Energy announced approximately $1.9 billion in additional grid infrastructure investment to meet electricity demand growth, funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In the US, 86 GW of new utility-scale capacity is expected this year alone &mdash; solar leading at 43.4 GW, followed by 24 GW of battery storage and 11.8 GW of wind.&nbsp;
The workforce picture has not kept pace. Power systems and smart grid engineers are now the most sought-after candidates across multiple competing industries simultaneously &mdash; with data centers, grid operators, and renewable developers all recruiting the same profiles at the same time. The 30% of our respondents who flagged talent as the primary barrier will recognise this immediately.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">Europe: &euro;580 billion committed, but projects are stalling on skills and permits.</h3>
The permitting tie in our poll is particularly telling in the European context, where regulatory complexity across member states routinely adds years to project timelines. But even where permits are secured, the workforce isn't waiting.
Over 90% of European transmission system operators reported skills shortages directly delaying projects in 2025. By 2026, more than 30% of new European transmission capex is tied to high-voltage direct current links &mdash; pushing recruitment away from traditional AC network planners and toward protection engineers, converter-station specialists, and control-systems engineers.&nbsp;
In the UK alone, Ofgem approved a &pound;24 billion investment programme for Britain's gas and electricity networks over 2026&ndash;2031, including &pound;8.9 billion for high-voltage transmission. Demand for substation engineers, protection and control specialists, and commissioning engineers in this market is at levels not seen in a generation.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">APAC: growth is fast, pipelines are thin.</h3>
The 23% who flagged financing gaps in our poll reflects a tension playing out acutely across Southeast Asia and Australia &mdash; markets where project ambition is high but bankable deal structures remain harder to assemble than in more mature regulatory environments.
Solar installation projects in India and Southeast Asia are being delayed because qualified electricians and safety-certified workers are not available in sufficient numbers. Across Malaysia, Australia, and Singapore, grid connection work is accelerating &mdash; but local talent pools have not scaled to match, and international mobility is increasingly the only near-term solution.
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<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">The compounding problem nobody budgeted for.</h3>
The 16% supply chain figure in our poll is arguably the most underappreciated barrier of the four. Equipment lead times for transformers, switchgear, and HV cables have extended significantly &mdash; and the engineers qualified to specify, procure, and commission that equipment are the same engineers every sector is competing for.
Data centers need grid upgrades to support their power loads. Grid upgrades need power systems and engineers. Data centers are actively recruiting those same engineers. The shortage compounds itself.
Across all three regions, the roles generating the most intense competition right now are HV and transmission engineers, protection and control engineers, substation engineers, commissioning engineers, grid connection specialists, and project managers with live grid delivery experience.
Demand for grid modernisation specialists has surged by 20%, with firms increasingly targeting bridge skills from adjacent sectors &mdash; particularly oil and gas &mdash; to fill the gap.
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<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">What good hiring looks like right now.</h3>
The poll results make one thing clear: organisations waiting for a single barrier to resolve before scaling their teams will be waiting a long time. The multi-front nature of this challenge means the firms that move fastest on talent &mdash; while navigating permitting and supply chain in parallel &mdash; are the ones that will deliver.
To stay competitive, some firms are already moving from interview to offer within a week to secure top candidates before they are hired elsewhere. Speed matters, but so does strategy. Organisations winning the talent competition right now have clear employer value propositions, genuine international mobility pathways, and recruitment partners with specialist grid expertise.
The grid is being rebuilt. The engineers to build it are the scarcest resource in the energy transition. Whoever solves that problem at scale determines the pace of everything else.
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Spencer Ogden places grid and power engineering talent across APAC, EMEA, and the Americas &mdash; from HV transmission specialists to project managers on live grid programmes. Get in touch to discuss your hiring requirements.

From the US to Europe to APAC, the grid is being rebuilt at scale. The engineers to do it are in short supply everywhere — but that's only half the story.

Grid Modernisation: Who's Hiring, What Skills Are in Demand, and Why the Talent Gap Is Now a System-Level Risk

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The Data Center construction sector is now one of the most significant infrastructure growth markets in North America.&nbsp;
Driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital transformation, the United States is expected to account for over 40% of global Data Center investment through 2030.&nbsp;
This scale is fundamentally reshaping construction careers.&nbsp;
<h2>Multi-year visibility is changing career expectations&nbsp;</h2>
Unlike traditional commercial construction, Data Center programmes are increasingly characterised by:&nbsp;
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<li>Multi-phase, multi-year delivery pipelines &nbsp;</li>
<li>Repeat builds across standardised hyperscale facilities &nbsp;</li>
<li>Greater forward visibility of workload across regions &nbsp;</li>
</ol>
This combination is contributing to improved continuity between projects and is enabling more structured long-term career planning for construction professionals.&nbsp;
<h2>Evolving workforce strategies in hyperscale delivery&nbsp;</h2>
Leading General Contractors are placing greater emphasis on long-term workforce planning, supported by:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Sustained Data Center development pipelines &nbsp;</li>
<li>Repeat hyperscale client relationships &nbsp;</li>
<li>Increasing programme-based delivery models &nbsp;</li>
</ol>
As a result, there is a gradual shift toward more structured engagement models and stronger focus on retention of experienced delivery talent, alongside traditional project-based contracting.&nbsp;
<h2>Scale is unlike anything in traditional construction&nbsp;</h2>
Modern hyperscale Data Centers can exceed 100&ndash;200MW of continuous power demand, comparable in scale to critical infrastructure systems operating around the clock.&nbsp;
At a national level:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>US Data Center electricity demand is forecast to rise significantly through 2030 &nbsp;</li>
<li>Certain regions are already experiencing grid capacity constraints and infrastructure bottlenecks &nbsp;</li>
<li>Site selection is increasingly influenced by energy availability and resilience, alongside land and planning considerations &nbsp;</li>
</ol>
This level of complexity requires highly experienced construction leadership teams capable of managing large-scale, multi-disciplinary delivery environments.&nbsp;
<h2>The Americas is the global centre of growth&nbsp;</h2>
Key US Data Center expansion corridors include:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Northern Virginia &ndash; the world&rsquo;s largest Data Center hub &nbsp;</li>
<li>Texas &ndash; rapid growth driven by energy capacity and land availability &nbsp;</li>
<li>Midwest expansion zones &ndash; including Kansas City, Omaha, and Bowling Green &nbsp;</li>
<li>Southeast corridor &ndash; including Atlanta and Dallas &nbsp;</li>
</ol>
These locations are evolving into long-term infrastructure ecosystems, rather than standalone project sites.&nbsp;
<h2>Why professionals are making the move now&nbsp;</h2>
Across the market, experienced construction professionals are prioritising:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Greater long-term stability within programme-based environments &nbsp;</li>
<li>Exposure to large-scale, technically complex infrastructure delivery &nbsp;</li>
<li>Clear progression pathways into senior Mission Critical leadership roles &nbsp;</li>
<li>Participation in one of the most resilient growth sectors in global construction &nbsp;</li>
</ol>
With US Data Center investment projected to approach $300 billion by 2030, the sector is expected to remain structurally strong over the long term.&nbsp;
<h2>Final takeaway&nbsp;</h2>
Data Center construction is no longer a niche segment of the industry. It is becoming one of the most significant infrastructure growth markets across the Americas.&nbsp;
For experienced General Contractor professionals, the opportunity is increasingly defined by timing, positioning, and alignment with a rapidly scaling, long-duration asset class.&nbsp;
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Why Experienced Construction Professionals Are Moving Into Long-Term Data Center Careers Across the Americas 

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<h3>Lessons from the Fastest-Growing Infrastructure Market in the US&nbsp;</h3>
As Data Center construction accelerates across the Americas, General Contractors are becoming significantly more selective in how they build delivery teams. This is not a broad construction hiring market. It is a high-performance, execution-led infrastructure environment where experience, stability, and delivery capability are non-negotiable.&nbsp;
<h3>General Contracting experience is essential&nbsp;</h3>
The strongest professionals consistently come from established US General Contractors, including: Turner Construction, DPR Construction, Hensel Phelps, Mortenson, Skanska, McCarthy Building Companies, Holder Construction, Clark Construction, and Whiting-Turner.&nbsp;
These organisations are responsible for delivering the majority of hyperscale Data Center capacity across the United States. With Data Center vacancy rates at approximately 1.6% in core markets, competition for proven delivery talent is extremely high.&nbsp;
<h3>Mission Critical and Data Center exposure defines market value&nbsp;</h3>
The US hyperscale Data Center market is currently valued at approximately $188 billion and is projected to reach nearly $291 billion by 2030.&nbsp;
This level of investment means professionals with experience in:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Data Center construction &nbsp;</li>
<li>Mission Critical environments &nbsp;</li>
<li>Industrial EPC delivery</li>
</ol>
are significantly more transferable and highly valued across the sector.&nbsp;Importantly, this experience must come from delivery environments, not advisory or client-side exposure.&nbsp;
<h3>Execution capability is the key differentiator&nbsp;</h3>
In this market, success is defined by on-site delivery capability.&nbsp;
Strong candidates typically demonstrate:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Site-based construction leadership &nbsp;</li>
<li>End-to-end project ownership from mobilisation through commissioning &nbsp;</li>
<li>Trade coordination across mechanical, electrical, and civil scopes &nbsp;</li>
<li>Ability to operate in fast-moving, high-pressure construction environments &nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Roles that are primarily design-led, consultancy-based, or office-focused rarely translate into hyperscale delivery environments.&nbsp;
<h3>Stability is a core hiring signal&nbsp;</h3>
Given the length and complexity of Data Center projects, hiring teams prioritise professionals who demonstrate consistency.&nbsp;
The strongest candidates typically show:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Long-term project tenure &nbsp;</li>
<li>Around 3 or fewer roles over a 10-year period &nbsp;</li>
<li>Proven ability to deliver full lifecycle builds &nbsp;</li>
</ol>
This reflects the reality of Data Center construction, where continuity of leadership is critical to project success.&nbsp;
<h3>Why this matters now</h3>
US hyperscale demand is accelerating at approximately 7&ndash;8% investment CAGR, but operational demand is increasing far faster due to AI workloads and cloud expansion. This imbalance is creating sustained shortages of experienced construction delivery professionals across the Americas.
Explore the opportunities:&nbsp;

What Makes a Strong Data Center Construction Professional? Data Center Construction Spencer Ogden 

What Makes a Strong Data Center Construction Professional?

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<h3>Why Data Center Construction in the Americas Is Entering a New Era of Unprecedented Growth&nbsp;</h3>
Data Center construction across the Americas is no longer a specialist corner of the construction industry.&nbsp;
It has become one of the most strategically important infrastructure growth sectors in the world, sitting at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and national energy expansion.&nbsp;
The United States is now the dominant global market, accounting for approximately 36% of global Data Center capacity, with more than 4,000 operational facilities nationwide.&nbsp;
But what matters more than scale is speed.&nbsp;
The market is accelerating faster than construction capacity, labour supply, and even grid infrastructure can comfortably support.&nbsp;
<div class="SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">A market growing faster than the industry can deliver&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
Across the US and wider Americas region, demand is compounding at an unprecedented rate:&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<ul>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">US Data&nbsp;Center&nbsp;demand is growing at&nbsp;20&ndash;25% annually through 2030&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Primary data center&nbsp;vacancy rates in key markets such as Northern Virginia have fallen to&nbsp;around 1.6%, effectively full occupancy&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Hyperscale Data Center&nbsp;investment in the US is projected to exceed&nbsp;$290 billion by 2030&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">AI-driven workloads are expected to account for 40% of all Data&nbsp;Center&nbsp;demand growth this decade&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">North America continues to lead global Data Center&nbsp;construction, accounting for the majority of hyperscale expansion pipelines&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
This is not a cyclical construction boom.
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
It is structural infrastructure expansion driven by long-term digital demand.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Power demand is now the limiting factor&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
Unlike traditional construction markets, Data&nbsp;Centers&nbsp;are now directly constrained by energy infrastructure.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
This is reshaping how projects are designed, approved, and delivered:&nbsp;
</div>
</div>
<div class="SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<ul>
<li>Data&nbsp;Centers&nbsp;are responsible for&nbsp;up to&nbsp;50% of new US electricity demand growth in 2025&nbsp;</li>
<li>Hyperscale facilities now routinely exceed 100&ndash;200MW per site, equivalent to powering a mid-sized US city continuously&nbsp;</li>
<li>Regional grid constraints are now influencing site selection&nbsp;more than land availability in several states&nbsp;</li>
<li>Texas, Virginia, and parts of the Midwest are emerging&nbsp;as key expansion corridors due to energy capacity&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
For General Contractors, this means delivery capability is no longer&nbsp;just about construction&nbsp;execution, but also coordination with energy infrastructure, utilities, and long-term planning authorities.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">What this means for construction professionals&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
This level of growth is creating sustained, high-quality demand across core delivery functions:&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<ul>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Project Management&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Scheduling and Planning &nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Commissioning &nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Electrical and Mechanical Engineering &nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Site-based Construction Leadership &nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Health and Safety Management &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
Unlike traditional commercial construction, Data Center&nbsp;projects offer:&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<ul>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Multi-year delivery cycles with strong forward visibility&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Repeatable builds across standardised hyperscale models &nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">High capital investment with long-term certainty &nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">Strong demand for site-based execution leadership &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
This is a delivery environment built for experienced General Contractor professionals.&nbsp;
</div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW168482529 BCX8">The shift in mindset across the industry&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
The most experienced construction professionals are beginning to ask a different question.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
Not: &ldquo;What is my next project?&rdquo;&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
But instead:&nbsp; &ldquo;Where is the most stable, high-growth infrastructure sector for the next decade of my career?&rdquo;&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
Increasingly, the answer is the same:&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW168482529 BCX8">
Data&nbsp;Center&nbsp;construction across the Americas.&nbsp;
</div>
<h3>Explore the opportunities&nbsp;</h3>

Building the Infrastructure Behind the Digital Economy - Data Center -  Spencer Ogden 

Building the Infrastructure Behind the Digital Economy 

Closing the Gap: Building Pathways for Women Leaders in Infrastructure and Tech 

AI Is Driving a New Phase of the Energy Transition 

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Insights into the key people movements and shifts shaping the energy transition.
This report highlights finance moves&nbsp;across&nbsp;Private&nbsp;Equity,&nbsp;Independent&nbsp;Power Producers, Developers, and Owner/Operators across Power &amp; Utilities, Renewable Energy, and Infrastructure&nbsp;teams.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Key Insights:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Despite policy uncertainty and market volatility in 2025, the renewable energy sector proved resilient. Hiring became more strategic and volatility unlocked access to high-calibre professionals who would normally stay off-market.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Well-capitalized PE platforms leaned into capital formation, IR, and digital infrastructure. Those on the market prioritized stability, diversified mandates, and proximity to capital.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Project finance dominated IPP and portfolio company hiring through most of 2025, reflecting policy and tax credit uncertainty. By year-end, demand shifted toward M&amp;A, Corporate Development, and Portfolio Management.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Companies aren&rsquo;t hiring more people; they&rsquo;re hiring better ones. Senior talent is more open to moving, but only toward platforms with real capital, stability, and a seat at the strategic table.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
Explore the trends, hiring patterns, and strategic moves that defined 2025.&nbsp; 
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<h4>Stay ahead of the market. Register your interest to receive future Spencer Ogden reports directly to your inbox.&nbsp;</h4>

2025 People Moves in Renewable Energy & Infrastructure 

How AI Is Transforming Data Center Design, Construction and Operations 

The Data Center Skills Gap: The Biggest Risk to AI Infrastructure Growth 

AI Will Grow. Human Expertise Will Always Lead.

AI Is Accelerating a Global Data Center Investment Boom 

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Our recent webinar brought together Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulking04/">Paul King</a>, <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygabbott/">Emily Abbott</a>, and <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarlett-menzies-4ba84b209/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aorganization_admin_admin_page_posts_published%3B08f37181-22ad-4ca1-91e9-2c6a57e4ffe8">Scarlett Menzies</a>, alongside industry leaders <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcgrathjohn/">John McGrath</a> (LinkedIn), <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-brookes-959132170/">Chris Brookes</a> (Pentagon Technical Services), and <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspsolutionist/">Paul Mudd</a> (TRS and Energy Industries Council). 
Our panel explored the latest shifts across infrastructure, sustainability, and the wider energy markets in EMEA, and what these trends mean for hiring, skills, and workforce planning going into Q4.
Below is a roundup of the key themes and insights shared during the session.
Hiring Trends Across EMEA: A Stable but Selective Market
Paul King opened with an overview of Q3 hiring activity from Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/spencer-ogdens-global-market-update-q3-and-beyond/">market update</a>. While the quarter showed a slight softening in volume (around five per cent down quarter on quarter), much of this was linked to seasonal patterns and short term project cycles rather than a drop in confidence.
The overall sentiment remains positive. Clients are taking a more strategic, long term approach to building capability, focusing on the right roles rather than high volume hiring. As a result, engineering, commissioning, and project delivery roles continue to dominate demand, especially across data centres, grid modernisation, and nuclear activity.
Growth Areas: Data Centres, Grid Projects, and Energy Transition Roles
Infrastructure remains a major growth driver across the region, with strong activity in:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Data centre delivery, especially in the Nordics</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Grid modernisation projects, driven by increased electrification</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Nuclear recommissioning, creating demand for specialised engineering skills</li>
</ul>
On the sustainability side, hiring is steady across solar, wind, grid connection, energy storage, and commissioning roles. Many clients are now prioritising capability building and investing in core teams that can support multi year transition goals, rather than the rapid scaling seen in previous years.
Workforce Models and Retention: Balancing Flexibility with Stability
Contract hiring continues to dominate across EMEA due to fluctuating project timelines and overlapping delivery windows. Permanent hiring is still active but more targeted, usually focused on senior technical, finance, governance, and regulatory roles.
Across the panel, there was a clear theme: organisations are increasingly looking to retain skilled teams over the long term. Leadership development, mobility, and investment in core capability are becoming essential to workforce planning as transition projects expand.
LinkedIn Talent Insights: High Demand and a Growing Talent Pool
John McGrath shared real time data from LinkedIn Talent Insights showing strong growth across the EMEA talent market:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">16% increase in professionals year on year</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">13% movement in job transitions</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Almost 4,000 live roles across 40,000 platforms at the time of the webinar</li>
</ul>
Demand remains extremely high across engineering, commissioning, project management, and civil engineering. At the same time, attrition is rising, with many large employers seeing between six and fifteen per cent turnover in the last twelve months.
This creates a dual challenge: attracting new talent while strengthening retention. John highlighted the importance of employer brand, strategic sourcing, and a more predictive approach to workforce planning.
Data Centre Project Delivery: Practical Challenges on the Ground
Chris Brooks and Scarlett Menzies explored the realities of technical hiring across Europe&rsquo;s data centre market. Several practical issues are slowing down mobilisation:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Talent is available, but often based in the wrong locations, such as Middle East applicants for European roles</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Visa and compliance requirements delay mobilisation</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Short term project cycles make contractor retention difficult</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Severe skill shortages in MEP, electrical commissioning, and technical services</li>
</ul>
Chris described Pentagon&rsquo;s &ldquo;hire, train, deploy&rdquo; model as one solution. By training new hires directly on client projects, companies can build a stronger, more predictable talent pipeline. Modular construction and prefabrication were also noted as ways to reduce on site labour demand.
The Future Workforce: Retention, Returners, and Skills Gaps
Paul Mudd emphasised that the sector must shift from cyclical to structural workforce planning. He shared initiatives aimed at widening the talent pool, including flexible and part time roles to attract returners, particularly women in STEM.
However, upskilling remains difficult. Many experienced professionals are reluctant to move into new industries, choosing overseas opportunities or early retirement instead. Combined with ageing workforces in key technical areas, this creates bottlenecks for large infrastructure and energy transition programmes.
Without stronger planning, simultaneous project launches could create competition for the same talent pool, driving up costs and slowing delivery.
Regulation, Investment Patterns, and New Skills Demand
The panel also touched on the impact of shifting regulation, permitting, and funding. Delayed approvals continue to create &ldquo;cliff edge&rdquo; hiring spikes rather than predictable demand, making early planning crucial.
At the same time, investment patterns are shifting. Some private investors are moving away from offshore wind and into data centres. Manufacturing relocations from the US to Europe are also creating new clusters of hiring demand.
Security and compliance are becoming significant skill areas, with many smaller companies needing to recruit roles they have never hired for before.
Talent Mobility: Thinking Beyond Borders
Regional mobility continues to shape hiring in EMEA. The panel noted strong flows from the Middle East into Europe, and movement from Canada into France. The Netherlands is emerging as a digital economy hub with a particularly international workforce.
Local hiring is still preferred for long term stability, but in reality, skill shortages make international recruitment unavoidable. Early planning and realistic mobilisation timelines are key to successful delivery.
Key Recommendations for Q4 and Beyond
Paul King closed the session with several practical recommendations for clients and industry leaders:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Start planning earlier as approvals and mobilisation timelines lengthen</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Balance permanent and contract hiring to create both stability and flexibility</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Look beyond borders, especially for niche skills</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Lead with purpose, offering development, progression, and retention pathways</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Build strategic partnerships across the supply chain to stay competitive</li>
</ul>
Looking ahead to 2026, many organisations are already thinking about how to build resilient teams, plan earlier, and secure critical skills in a more selective market. If you would value an advisory session, are reviewing your workforce strategy, or need support with hiring across infrastructure, sustainability, or other energy sectors, we&rsquo;d be happy to help.
Please <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/branches/">contact us</a> or get in touch with your Spencer Ogden contact and we will assist you. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g_0feN7fWJw?si=itsRHdBo4s_NG6QJ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>&nbsp;

EMEA Energy Market Insights: Webinar Recap

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<h2 data-start="83" data-end="166"> Spencer Ogden Publishes Voluntary Climate-Related Financial Disclosures for 2024&nbsp;</h2>
At Spencer Ogden, we know that the future of the energy and infrastructure sectors depends on meaningful action on climate change. As a global recruitment specialist working at the heart of the energy transition, we understand our responsibility to lead by example. This year, we&rsquo;ve released our voluntarily disclosed climate-related financial report, aligned with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requirements and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework.
<h3 data-start="663" data-end="704">Our Commitment to a Net-Zero Future</h3>
In 2024, we strengthened our sustainability journey by pledging to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035. This target is supported by a clear, actionable roadmap that outlines the steps we will take to reduce our environmental impact across our global operations.
As a service-based organisation, most of our emissions come from Scope 3 sources &mdash; areas such as our supply chain and external services. This means collaboration is crucial. Achieving our goal will require working closely with suppliers, partners, and the wider industry to drive shared progress.
<h3 data-start="1284" data-end="1335">Understanding Climate Risks and Opportunities</h3>
Our latest report explores how climate change could impact our business and the clients we support. Using scenarios developed by the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), we assess potential risks and opportunities across three possible pathways for global climate development up to 2035.
We examine both physical risks &mdash; such as extreme weather events &mdash; and transitional risks that arise as the world moves towards a low-carbon economy. To understand the full landscape, we look at four key areas that may influence our business:
<ul data-start="1881" data-end="2144">
<li data-start="1881" data-end="1945">
Policy: How regulations and climate policies may evolve.
</li>
<li data-start="1946" data-end="2005">
Market: Shifts in demand as industries decarbonise.
</li>
<li data-start="2006" data-end="2067">
Technology: Advancements that support sustainability.
</li>
<li data-start="2068" data-end="2144">
Reputation: The expectations of clients, candidates, and stakeholders.
</li>
</ul>
<h3 data-start="2146" data-end="2180">Supporting a Greener Economy</h3>
This disclosure is more than a requirement &mdash; it&rsquo;s part of our ongoing commitment to support the global energy transition. By understanding the challenges and opportunities ahead, we can ensure our services remain resilient, relevant, and aligned with a sustainable future.
As the industries we serve continue to evolve, Spencer Ogden will remain committed to helping businesses and professionals shape a greener, more sustainable world.

Task-force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)  Report 2025

Women in Renewable Energy: Financing the Energy Transition - Event 

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Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s latest Global Market Update brings together exclusive data, expert insights, and first-hand intelligence from our teams across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas, offering a clear view of how global hiring evolved through Q3 2025.
This quarter reinforced a defining trend of the year: stability built on selectivity. Across most markets, contract demand remained strong, driven by project-critical hiring in grid, renewable, and infrastructure delivery. Permanent hiring continued to be strategic, with employers focusing on long-term value through leadership, finance, and technical capability. This was seen particularly within data centres, battery storage, and grid modernisation.
While the global market is adjusting to shifting policy landscapes and capital conditions, investment in energy transition and digital infrastructure remains robust. The growing intersection between power and data, from hyperscale projects to AI-driven energy demand, is reshaping where and how companies build their teams.
<blockquote data-start="1304" data-end="1566">
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve moved from cyclical trends of supply and demand into what I would call a secular acceleration, where technology, policy, and investment are converging at unprecedented speed.&rdquo; &ndash; Henry de Lusignan, CEO
</blockquote>
<h4 data-start="1573" data-end="1612">What you&rsquo;ll learn from the report</h4>
<ul data-start="1614" data-end="2400">
<li data-start="1614" data-end="1715">
Quarter-on-quarter hiring trends across Sustainability, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and US Energy Finance&nbsp;
</li>
<li data-start="1716" data-end="1833">
Contract and permanent hiring insights - where demand is growing and which skill sets remain most competitive
</li>
<li data-start="1834" data-end="1928">
Sector-specific breakdowns of in-demand roles, emerging technologies, and project hotspots
</li>
<li data-start="1929" data-end="2043">
Regional hiring outlooks across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas, supported by insights from our local experts
</li>
<li data-start="2044" data-end="2141">
Proprietary data and analysis drawn from our global database and LinkedIn Talent Insights
</li>
<li data-start="2142" data-end="2287">
Commentary on how factors such as energy security, investment shifts, and AI-led infrastructure growth are reshaping workforce strategies
</li>
<li data-start="2288" data-end="2400">
Forward-looking insights into how organisations are building resilience and planning for 2026 and beyond
</li>
</ul>
<h4 data-start="2407" data-end="2427">Why it matters</h4>
Hiring data remains one of the strongest early signals of market change. Whether you&rsquo;re planning investment, building capability, or managing workforce transitions, our quarterly updates are designed to help you make informed, confident decisions in an increasingly complex landscape.
Download the full Q3 2025 report now and get ahead of the trends shaping the future of global energy, sustainability, and infrastructure.

Spencer Ogden's Global Market Update: Q3 and Beyond

<h4 data-start="47" data-end="106">Connecting Industry Leaders Through Insightful Events</h4>
At Spencer Ogden, we believe the best ideas are sparked through connection. That&rsquo;s why we host a diverse range of events designed to bring together leaders, innovators, and change-makers from across the global energy landscape. From intimate breakfast roundtables and networking drinks to informative webinars, each event provides an opportunity to share perspectives, challenge assumptions, and collaborate on the issues shaping our industry&rsquo;s future.
To bring this to life, we&rsquo;ll be kicking off 2026 with our first Spencer Ogden Market Advisory Breakfast in New York, focused on finance and investment leaders who are driving and funding the next phase of the energy transition. The session will explore:
<ul data-start="832" data-end="1039">
<li data-start="832" data-end="893">
Where capital is flowing in the evolving energy landscape
</li>
<li data-start="894" data-end="971">
How investor strategies are shifting in response to policy and technology
</li>
<li data-start="972" data-end="1039">
What this means for talent across the global energy value chain
</li>
</ul>
This event marks the start of a series of Advisory Breakfasts and networking events we&rsquo;ll be hosting across EMEA and APAC in 2026, continuing the conversation on sustainable growth and talent in energy.
If you&rsquo;d like to be part of our upcoming events, share your insights, or stay informed about future sessions, we&rsquo;d love to hear from you:
&nbsp;

register your interest for our events

<h4 class="MsoNormal">Celebrating the women shaping the financial future of clean energy</h4>
As the world accelerates towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, financial innovation remains at the heart of that progress. Behind every successful renewable project are the women driving capital, partnerships, and policy forward - transforming ambition into action.
Join us at Sky Loft, 50 Hudson Yards, New York 17th&nbsp;November 2025, 18.00-20.00 RSVP <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-in-renewable-energy-financing-the-energy-transition-tickets-1872877078759?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>
That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re proud to partner with WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy) and sponsors EnergyRE, Arevon, Greenback, and Generate Capital for Women in Renewable Energy: Financing the Energy Transition - an exclusive evening dedicated to celebrating and empowering women across finance, energy, and sustainability.
Hosted at the stunning Sky Loft, 50 Hudson Yards, New York, the event will bring together industry leaders, investors, and emerging talent for an evening of networking and thought-provoking discussion on the evolving relationship between finance and renewable energy.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Shaping the future of sustainable finance</h4>
The event&rsquo;s central panel discussion will spotlight women at the forefront of financing clean energy - exploring how innovation, investment, and inclusion are working hand-in-hand to accelerate the global energy transition.
From green bonds and infrastructure funds to emerging technologies and policy shifts, the conversation will highlight how diverse perspectives are not just influencing, but redefining, how the sector operates.
This evening isn&rsquo;t just a celebration - it&rsquo;s a reminder of the collective effort needed to meet the world&rsquo;s climate ambitions, and the power of representation in driving progress.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Building connections that power change</h4>
Alongside the panel, guests will have the opportunity to network with peers, investors, and sustainability advocates while taking in breathtaking skyline views from one of New York City&rsquo;s most impressive venues.
It&rsquo;s a chance to exchange ideas, spark collaborations, and champion the voices of women shaping the future of renewable energy finance.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Why events like this matter</h4>
At Spencer Ogden, we believe progress in energy is powered by people. By creating spaces where diverse voices can connect, collaborate, and lead, we help build a more inclusive and resilient industry.
As we continue to partner with organisations like WRISE, our commitment remains clear - to empower talent, drive opportunity, and support the global transition to sustainable energy.
&nbsp;

Upcoming NYC Event - Women in Renewable Energy: Financing the Energy Transition

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dreakjones/">Drea&nbsp;Jones</a>,&nbsp;Senior Business Manager at Spencer Ogden recently attended the SIA CWS Summit in Dallas, where industry leaders shared their perspectives on the evolving world of workforce management.<span class="EOP SCXW106847509 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:322,&quot;335559739&quot;:322}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
The contingent workforce is becoming a strategic driver of business success,&nbsp;not just a&nbsp;tool,&nbsp;for filling short-term gaps. This shift was a clear theme at the summit, where industry leaders explored the trends shaping how&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;design and manage their talent strategies.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
Here are three insights shaping the future of talent strategy:&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW106847509 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="3">From Staffing to Strategy<span class="EOP SCXW106847509 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}">&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
Companies are increasingly shifting towards total talent solutions, bringing contingent workers, permanent hires, and statement of work (SOW) into a single, integrated strategy. This approach demands staffing partners who can deliver more than just headcount- they must provide&nbsp;workforce intelligence, agility, and data-driven insights&nbsp;that directly support business outcomes.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW106847509 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="3">AI &amp; Data as Differentiators<span class="EOP SCXW106847509 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}">&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
The role of&nbsp;AI in recruitment&nbsp;and workforce analytics is accelerating.&nbsp;Predictive analytics, automation, and real-time reporting&nbsp;are now essential to improving&nbsp;speed-to-hire,&nbsp;optimising&nbsp;candidate engagement, and managing performance at scale.&nbsp;Organisations&nbsp;that harness AI and data effectively will gain a clear competitive edge in attracting and&nbsp;retaining&nbsp;talent.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW106847509 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="3">Risk, Compliance &amp; Global Complexity<span class="EOP SCXW106847509 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}">&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
With more diverse worker types and cross-border talent engagement, compliance in workforce management is becoming a top priority. From navigating complex regulations to reducing contractor risk, businesses now view compliance as a strategic enabler of global growth&nbsp;vs&nbsp;ensuring resilience and consistency across markets.&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW106847509 BCX0">
At Spencer Ogden,&nbsp;we&rsquo;re&nbsp;committed to helping clients and MSP partners translate these insights into practice. By combining&nbsp;strategic workforce design, total talent management, and data-led solutions, we help&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;build resilient, compliant, and future-ready workforce&nbsp;programmes.&nbsp;You can&nbsp;get in touch with&nbsp;Drea at&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW106847509 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="mailto:drea.jones@spencer-ogden.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drea.jones@spencer-ogden.com</a>&nbsp;or on&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW106847509 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dreakjones/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>

Key Insights from the SIA CWS Summit in Dallas 

Transitioning from a temporary (contract) job to a permanent position is becoming one of the most common and rewarding career paths in the global energy, infrastructure, and natural resources sectors. At&nbsp;Spencer Ogden, we specialise in helping professionals and businesses make that transition successfully - building careers and teams that power a sustainable future.
Whether you&rsquo;re a candidate exploring your next step or an employer looking to retain high-performing talent, understanding how and why temp-to-perm transitions work can unlock new possibilities for growth and stability.
&nbsp;
<h4 style="margin: 0cm;">What Does &ldquo;Temp to Perm&rdquo; Mean?</h4>
A temp-to-perm role begins as a short-term or contract position, where an employee works for a company for a defined period. Over time, and often based on performance, the role can evolve into a permanent, full-time position.
This model offers both flexibility and opportunity. For candidates, it&rsquo;s a chance to prove their skills in real-world conditions. For employers, it&rsquo;s an effective way to identify top performers and reduce hiring risk.
At Spencer Ogden, we see this model thrive across our specialist sectors - from renewable energy projects and infrastructure builds to engineering, oil and gas, and sustainability programs worldwide.
&nbsp;
<h4 style="margin: 0cm;">Benefits for Candidates: From Flexibility to Career Growth</h4>
A temporary role doesn&rsquo;t have to be temporary forever. Many of our contractors go on to secure permanent employment with leading organisations after demonstrating their value. Here&rsquo;s how the temp-to-perm pathway supports professional growth:
&nbsp;
<h4 style="margin: 0cm;">1. Real-World Experience Before Commitment </h4>
Contract roles give you a firsthand understanding of a company&rsquo;s culture, leadership style, and team dynamics. You can decide if it&rsquo;s the right long-term fit while gaining valuable experience. 
<h4 style="margin: 0cm;">2. Faster Skill Development</h4>
Working on multiple projects exposes you to diverse systems, technologies, and problem-solving environments - accelerating your technical and soft skill growth. 
<h4 style="margin: 0cm;">3. Proving Your Value</h4>
Your contract performance is your best reference. When employers see reliability, adaptability, and technical excellence, they&rsquo;re more likely to offer a full-time role. 
4. Career Stability and Long-Term Benefits
Permanent employment provides access to structured development, career pathways, benefits, and a sense of belonging within a team. It allows you to plan your next steps confidently and grow with the business. 
<h4>Considerations for Candidates</h4>
While contract work offers flexibility, autonomy, and sometimes higher pay rates, permanent positions offer security, consistency, and a clear progression path. The right choice depends on your personal and professional priorities.
At Spencer Ogden, our consultants help you explore both options so your next move aligns with your long-term career goals. 
<h4>Benefits for Employers: Building Long-Term Value from Proven Talent </h4>
For businesses navigating fluctuating demand, project peaks, or expansion, hiring on a temp-to-perm basis provides flexibility and workforce continuity.
&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin: 0cm;">1. Proven Performance Reduces Risk</h3>
You already know how the contractor performs - their work ethic, collaboration style, and cultural fit. Converting them to a permanent employee removes the uncertainty often found in traditional recruitment. 
<h3 style="margin: 0cm;">2. Retention of Knowledge and Expertise</h3>
In technical sectors such as renewables, power generation, and engineering, knowledge retention is crucial. When contractors transition to permanent roles, your organisation retains valuable project insights and continuity. 
<h3 style="margin: 0cm;">3. Cost-Efficient Workforce Planning</h3>
Temp-to-perm hiring gives you time to assess long-term needs while maintaining delivery efficiency. It also reduces onboarding time and recruitment costs. 
<h3 style="margin: 0cm;">4. Strengthened Company Culture</h3>
Contractors who move into permanent positions often bring a fresh perspective and external experience, which can strengthen innovation and team collaboration. 
<h3 style="margin: 0cm;">5. Considerations for Clients</h3>
Contracting remains ideal for project-based or time-sensitive needs, while permanent hiring ensures long-term stability and leadership continuity. A balanced workforce strategy often combines both.
Spencer Ogden supports clients globally with strategic workforce planning, compliance, and data-driven insights to identify when a temp-to-perm transition adds the most value.
&nbsp;
<h4 style="margin: 0cm;">Why Partner with Spencer Ogden for Temp-to-Perm Hiring</h4>
As a global sustainability staffing leader, Spencer Ogden connects skilled professionals with employers shaping the future of energy, infrastructure, and resources.
We combine technical expertise, market insight, and a people-first approach to deliver temp-to-perm success stories every day.
Our approach includes:
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Personalised candidate support - guiding professionals through contract, extension, and permanent transitions.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Client workforce strategy - aligning staffing models with project pipelines and long-term business goals.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Global reach, local expertise - ensuring compliance, cultural fit, and talent continuity across borders.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sustainability focus - helping both candidates and clients contribute to a cleaner, more resilient future.
We don&rsquo;t just fill roles - we build partnerships that last.
&nbsp;
<h4 style="margin: 0cm;">The Future of Work: Flexibility Meets Stability</h4>
The world of work is changing fast. Projects are becoming more agile, technologies are advancing, and industries are converging. In this environment, temp-to-perm hiring offers a sustainable middle ground - combining the flexibility of contracting with the stability of permanent employment.
At Spencer Ogden, we believe talent is energy - and when that energy is nurtured, retained, and empowered, it drives innovation across the industries that matter most.
Ready to take your next step?
If you&rsquo;re a&nbsp;candidate looking to turn a contract into a career, or a employer ready to secure long-term value from top talent, speak to the experts at Spencer Ogden today.
👉 <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="https://spencer-ogden.com">Contact us</a> to learn how we&rsquo;re Creating Careers to Power a Sustainable Future.
&nbsp;

Moving from Temp to Perm with Spencer Ogden: How Contract Roles Lead to Long-Term Careers

We&rsquo;re thrilled to announce that Spencer Ogden has won the National Award for &lsquo;Transformation&rsquo; at the World Energy Supply Chain Awards (WESCAs), hosted by the Energy Industries Council (EIC).
Following our inclusion in the EIC&rsquo;s 2025 <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/spencer-ogden-featured-in-eic-s-2025-survive-thrive-report-leading-the-way-in-sustainability-staffing/">Survive and Thrive</a> publication, this award marks a major milestone in our journey, from a traditional oil and gas recruiter to a go-to partner for sustainable talent across the global energy sector.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Leading the Way in Sustainable Talent</h4>
Our transformation has been driven by a clear purpose: to connect talent with opportunity and help power a sustainable future. Over the past decade, we&rsquo;ve expanded into new markets, evolved our services, and continued to innovate - supporting clients through sophisticated workforce solutions that reflect the changing needs of the energy industry.
At the heart of this success is our client-centric approach. We&rsquo;re proud to be a trusted strategic partner, helping businesses achieve their goals and adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Recognition Among Industry Leaders</h4>
The Transformation category was one of the most competitive of the evening, with finalists including Amarinth, Bureau Veritas, Halton, LRQA, Sulzer, TWMA, and other leading names across the global energy supply chain. To be recognised among such a strong field - and to win - is an incredible honour and a testament to our people&rsquo;s hard work, adaptability, and commitment to driving positive change.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">A Celebration of Global Excellence</h4>
The WESCAs are the world&rsquo;s largest energy awards programme, recognising excellence in the global energy supply chain. Held annually across London, Houston, Rio, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur, the awards celebrate innovation, sustainability, and business growth across the sector.
Our Survive &amp; Thrive submission was led by <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdpipe/">James Pipe</a>, <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygabbott/">Emily Abbott</a>, and <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/regan-callender/">Regan Callender</a>, with James and Emily representing Spencer Ogden at the WESCAs ceremony. James also presented the award for the Service &amp; Solutions category on the night.
A huge thank you to our teams, clients, and partners who&rsquo;ve been part of this journey 
This recognition marks an exciting milestone in our mission to deliver real impact - for our clients, our candidates, and the future of energy.

Spencer Ogden Wins EIC National Award for Transformation

At this year&rsquo;s Sustainability Live in London, a standout panel brought together experts from across the energy ecosystem to tackle one of the most pressing questions of our time:&nbsp;what does the future of energy transition really look like?
Moderated by <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingunn-gunnarsdottir-9b8b1a91/">Dr Ingunn Gunnarsd&oacute;ttir</a> of ON Power, the session featured:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-toher-40924355/">Andrew Toher</a>, Director of Energy Advisory, Enel X</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-lord-906539180/">Tim Lord</a>, Head of Climate Change, HSBC UK</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiebadcockbroe/">Abbie Badcock-Broe</a>, Head of Corporate UK &amp; Decarbonisation Strategy, National Grid Group</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/selhattab/">Saleh ElHattab</a>, CEO, Gravity</li>
</ul>
Their conversation made one thing clear: the journey to net zero will be anything but straightforward. It will require unprecedented levels of investment, fresh innovation, and coordinated regulation - but it will also create opportunities for businesses bold enough to adapt.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Electrification is Inevitable - but Not Simple</h4>
Tim Lord opened with a reminder that predictions about energy are rarely perfect, but two trends are impossible to ignore. First, electrification is accelerating. Even in developed economies, electricity demand is expected to double within the next 25 years. Second, the so-called energy trilemma - the balance between affordability, security, and sustainability - will remain a defining challenge for decades to come.
The scale of investment required is staggering. Reaching global net zero by 2050 will demand around $155 trillion, highlighting just how capital-intensive the transition will be.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Policy and Market Design: A Tale of Two Worlds</h4>
For Abbie Badcock-Broe, the biggest challenge is the divergence in policy and regulation.
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">In Europe, governments are moving fast to set ambitious decarbonisation targets.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">In the US, the political environment is more fragmented, with some states rolling back regulations even as others surge ahead.</li>
</ul>
This patchwork makes it hard for international businesses to plan consistently. As Tim Lord pointed out, even where technology is available, market structures like electricity pricing often lag behind, slowing down investment.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Innovation Is Critical - But So Is Scaling What Works</h4>
While shiny new technologies make headlines, the panel agreed that much of the heavy lifting will come from scaling proven solutions: solar, battery storage, and heat pumps.
That said, innovation remains vital. National Grid is already backing early-stage ideas through its venture capital arm, funding everything from AI-driven grid management to modular substations. For Gravity&rsquo;s Saleh ElHattab, the biggest untapped win may be efficiency. &ldquo;We waste $2 trillion of energy every year in the US alone,&rdquo; he noted - savings that could transform both emissions and costs.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Breaking Down Barriers</h4>
So what&rsquo;s standing in the way? Three themes dominated the discussion:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Infrastructure bottlenecks, particularly grid capacity and slow connection queues.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Supply chain challenges, with the need to build renewable infrastructure at scale.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Uncertainty, leaving many businesses unsure when, and how, to invest.</li>
</ul>
Still, companies that take a proactive approach are seeing results. As Andrew Toher shared, businesses integrating sustainability, finance, and procurement functions are not just decarbonising faster, but also gaining greater cost stability and resilience.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">The Hydrogen Question</h4>
No energy debate is complete without mention of hydrogen. Audience members pushed the panel on whether green hydrogen could be the silver bullet for net zero.
The answer? Not quite. While hydrogen has potential in hard-to-electrify sectors, its costs remain high, and uncertainty around offtake continues to hold back momentum. For now, it&rsquo;s part of the puzzle, but not the solution.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Looking Ahead</h4>
If there was one takeaway from the session, it was this: the future of energy transition isn&rsquo;t about waiting for breakthroughs. It&rsquo;s about action today - scaling the technologies we already have, fixing bottlenecks in regulation and infrastructure, and ensuring businesses play their part.
The path is complex, but incremental steps, from boosting efficiency to innovating grid design, can build the foundations for long-term change. And for those ready to adapt, the opportunities are as great as the challenges.
For current market intel, check out Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s Q2 Market Update report <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/spencer-ogden-s-q2-2025-global-market-update/">here</a>. 
&nbsp;

The Future of Energy Transition: Insights from Sustainability Live London

Following our feature in the EIC (Energy Industries Council) 2025 Survive and Thrive publication, we&rsquo;re proud to announce that Spencer Ogden has been shortlisted as a finalist in the National Awards for &lsquo;Transformation&rsquo; at the upcoming World Energy Supply Chain Awards (WESCAs).
This recognition reflects our journey of growth, from a traditional oil and gas recruiter to becoming a go-to partner for sustainable talent across the global energy sector. We have expanded into new markets and built on our core values to deliver sophisticated workforce solutions. At the heart of this transformation is our commitment to client centricity - ensuring that we remain a strategic partner to clients as they navigate the energy transition.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Celebrating Global Excellence in Energy</h4>
The WESCAs are the world&rsquo;s largest energy awards programme, recognising excellence in the global energy supply chain. Organised annually by the Energy Industries Council, the awards are hosted across five key energy hubs - London, Houston, Rio, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur. With categories celebrating sustainability, innovation, business growth and transformation, the WESCAs shine a spotlight on organisations driving positive change across the sector.
To be recognised among global leaders at this year&rsquo;s National Awards is an honour that reflects our team&rsquo;s dedication to innovation, resilience, and partnership.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Looking Ahead to the Ceremony</h4>
This week, Global Client Services Director James Pipe and Senior Marketing Manager Emily Abbott will attend the ceremony to represent Spencer Ogden, as well as proudly present the award for the &lsquo;Service &amp; Solutions&rsquo; category.
We are excited to celebrate the achievements of industry peers and look forward to continuing our journey as a partner of choice for clients and candidates across the energy landscape.
At Spencer Ogden, we&rsquo;re creating careers to power a sustainable future, join our team <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/jobs#/internal-jobs">here</a>. 
&nbsp;

Spencer Ogden Named Finalist in EIC’s National Awards for Transformation

With nearly a decade of renewable energy experience, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/janalee-coyle/">Jan Coyle</a> has built a career that blends technical expertise with leadership and a passion for sustainability. In this interview with <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-cann-135372104/">Ella Cann</a>, Team Manager at <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/spencerogden/?viewAsMember=true">Spencer Ogden</a>, Jan shares her journey from land development to leading engineering teams at <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ulteig/">Ulteig</a>, delivering utility-scale solar and battery projects across the US. Armed with a civil engineering degree from Penn State and a master&rsquo;s in organisational leadership from the University of Denver, her story is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the power of finding purpose in the clean energy transition.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">A career shaped by intention, not accident&nbsp;</h4>
Jan didn&rsquo;t stumble into renewable energy- she sought it out. After starting in land development and forensic engineering, she found herself unfulfilled.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I wanted to feel like I was making a real difference,&rdquo; she explains. &ldquo;Renewables gave me that sense of purpose.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Her entry point came through Sunrun, where she joined the residential solar sector despite having little direct experience. The steep learning curve only fuelled her ambition, and she quickly rose through the ranks into leadership. Eventually, she transitioned into the utility-scale space at Ulteig, expanding her scope and impact.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Overcoming barriers in a male-dominated industry&nbsp;</h4>
Like many women in engineering, Jan faced challenges early on- from being overlooked in meetings to doubting her own confidence.&nbsp;
&ldquo;There were times when I was the only woman in the room, and it was easy to feel like I didn&rsquo;t belong,&rdquo; she recalls.&nbsp;
Working with a coach helped her build confidence and sharpen her ability to advocate for herself. She also leaned on professional networks such as WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy), which provided community and mentorship. Those experiences strengthened her belief in the importance of representation and support systems.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Defining moments of leadership&nbsp;</h4>
One of Jan&rsquo;s proudest milestones was stepping into her first leadership role at Sunrun.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I always knew I wanted to lead teams and help others grow in their careers,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Being able to take that step was incredibly meaningful to me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Today, she continues to lead with that same philosophy- empowering her team while pushing for technical excellence and innovation.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Advice for the next generation&nbsp;</h4>
For those looking to break into the energy sector, Jan stresses the importance of building a strong network and embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Networking has been key to every step of my career,&rdquo; she notes. &ldquo;And putting yourself in uncomfortable situations is how you grow.&rdquo;&nbsp;
She also encourages aspiring professionals to practice situational interview questions and connect their past experiences to future opportunities- advice she followed herself when moving from residential to utility-scale renewables.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Driving change through resilience and innovation&nbsp;</h4>
When asked about what excites her most, Jan doesn&rsquo;t point to one technology, but rather the sector&rsquo;s ability to adapt.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The resilience of this industry inspires me,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Renewables have faced so many challenges, yet companies keep pivoting, innovating, and finding solutions.&rdquo;&nbsp;
At Ulteig, she is proud of the company&rsquo;s commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly its strong representation of women in leadership. She plays an active role in the company&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s employee resource group and serves on the WRISE Colorado engagement committee, helping to create opportunities for mentorship and development.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Inspired by collective mentorship&nbsp;</h4>
Jan credits much of her progress to the women who have mentored, guided, and advocated for her along the way.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been fortunate to have incredible women in my corner who not only shared their knowledge but also created opportunities for me,&rdquo; she reflects. &ldquo;That kind of support is invaluable- and it&rsquo;s exactly what I want to give back to others.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Final thoughts: leading with bravery&nbsp;</h4>
For Jan, the renewable energy industry is more than a career- it&rsquo;s a mission. Her story is one of perseverance, purpose, and paying it forward.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This industry is about building a sustainable future,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re willing to be brave, step out of your comfort zone, and advocate for yourself, you&rsquo;ll not only grow as a professional but also help shape the future of energy.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Join the Career Conversations series&nbsp;</h4>
To learn more about our Career Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future series or to nominate an inspiring individual in the industry, read more <a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/nominations-open-career-conversations-powering-a-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;

Career Conversations: Leading with Purpose in Renewables with Jan Coyle, Engineering Supervisor at Ulteig

Spencer Ogden Wins Best ESG Business Strategy at the 2025 Recruiter Awards 

<h5>As the year draws to its final quarter, the seasonal hiring rush is fast approaching. For businesses in critical sectors like Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, this period can bring both opportunities and challenges. At Spencer Ogden, we believe that proactive planning is key to navigating this landscape successfully.&nbsp;</h5>
<h5>Why Early Planning Matters&nbsp;</h5>
The demand for specialized talent is intensifying. Spencer Ogden's Q2 2025 Global Market Update reveals significant quarter-on-quarter hiring trends:&nbsp;
Infrastructure: A 24% increase in job openings, driven by investments in grid resilience and AI-driven infrastructure solutions.&nbsp;
Sustainability: A 22% decrease in job openings, indicating a tightening talent pool.&nbsp;
Natural Resources: A 15% increase in job openings, reflecting growth in energy transition projects.&nbsp;
These shifts highlight the growing competition for skilled professionals. Waiting until the last minute can lead to limited candidate availability and rushed hiring decisions.&nbsp;
<h5>Tailored Solutions for Every Need&nbsp;</h5>
Whether you're looking for short-term contract support or permanent team members, Spencer Ogden offers targeted solutions to help your business stay ahead of seasonal demand:&nbsp;
Contract Hiring &ndash; Quickly fill temporary gaps with highly skilled specialists, ensuring projects stay on track and teams remain fully supported during peak periods. Our flexible approach allows you to scale up or down based on real-time business needs.
Permanent Recruitment &ndash; Secure long-term talent to start the new year strong. We connect you with professionals who not only have the right skills but also align with your company culture and long-term goals, helping you build high-performing teams.
Strategic Advice &ndash; Benefit from our sector-specific insights, including market trends, talent availability, and emerging skill demands, to optimize your hiring strategy. Our consultants guide you in balancing contract and permanent hires for maximum impact.
End-to-End Support &ndash; From talent sourcing and screening to onboarding and retention advice, Spencer Ogden provides comprehensive support to ensure a smooth hiring process and measurable outcomes.
Our approach combines global reach with local expertise, giving you access to the best talent worldwide while understanding the nuances of your specific market. With Spencer Ogden, you can hire smarter, faster, and with confidence &ndash; keeping your teams ready for whatever the season brings.
<h5>Insights from the Q2 2025 Market Update&nbsp;</h5>
The Q2 2025 report underscores the importance of early action:&nbsp;
&ldquo;Hiring trends are often the earliest indicator of industry change. Whether you're investing in new markets, scaling delivery teams, or building long-term workforce plans, our quarterly market updates are designed to give you clarity and confidence.&rdquo; &ndash; Spencer Ogden Q2 2025 Global Market Update&nbsp;
The report also highlights in-demand roles such as permitting specialists, commissioning engineers, ESG professionals, and battery storage experts. These insights can inform your hiring strategy and help you stay ahead of the competition.&nbsp;
<h5>Take Action Now&nbsp;</h5>
The holiday season is approaching fast, but there&rsquo;s no need to wait. By planning ahead, you can avoid the pitfalls of last-minute hiring and position your organization for continued success.&nbsp;
At Spencer Ogden, we&rsquo;re here to help you navigate seasonal demand with confidence, delivering the talent you need to keep projects on track and teams performing at their best.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t wait for the rush &ndash; get ahead today.&nbsp;
<h5><a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/spencer-ogden-s-q2-2025-global-market-update/">Read the Full Q2 Report here&nbsp;</a></h5>
<h5><a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/branches/">Contact Us </a>to discuss your seasonal hiring needs.&nbsp;</h5>

Getting Ahead: How to Stay Ahead of the Seasonal Hiring Rush 

Insights from RE+ Las Vegas  

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At Spencer Ogden, we know the energy transition is powered by people. That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re excited to share the launch of our new partnership with<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://lutw.org/"> Light Up the World (LUTW)</a>- and a special video that captures their inspiring work in action.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW120211940 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="2">A Partnership with Purpose<span class="EOP SCXW120211940 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}">&nbsp;</h4>
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LUTW is a Canadian charity that has spent nearly three decades delivering off-grid solar power and internet access to some of the most remote communities in Peru. By replacing polluting kerosene lamps and diesel generators with clean energy, LUTW not only reduces carbon emissions but also improves health, education, and economic opportunity for families that previously lived without electricity.&nbsp;
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Together with LUTW, our goal is to expand this impact- supporting projects that power homes, schools, and medical posts while bridging the digital divide through satellite connectivity. This partnership isn&rsquo;t just about funding; it&rsquo;s about working side by side to deliver lasting change where it&rsquo;s needed most.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW120211940 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="2">Watch the Story Unfold<span class="EOP SCXW120211940 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}">&nbsp;</h4>
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To celebrate the start of our partnership, we&rsquo;ve interviewed <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/grady-semmens/">Grady Semmens</a>, Board Member and <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaroncohenyyc/">Aaron Cohen</a>, Executive Director from LUTW, showcasing their mission, the communities they serve, and the impact of bringing light to places where it&rsquo;s never existed before.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;We changed the community forever. And it was just a magical moment where I realised there were so many pieces that had to happen to make the project possible&hellip; and we all did it together.&rdquo; -&nbsp;Aaron, Executive Director, Light Up the World&nbsp;
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The video captures these moments of transformation- from the first light switch being turned on to the joy of children seeing their homes illuminated for the very first time.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW120211940 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="2">Looking Ahead<span class="EOP SCXW120211940 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}">&nbsp;</h4>
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This partnership is only the beginning. With more than 50 communities in one Peruvian river valley alone still waiting for access to clean energy, the opportunity to make an impact is vast. Together, Spencer Ogden and LUTW will continue to light the way- delivering sustainable energy solutions that change lives.&nbsp;
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Watch the full video bellow and follow our journey as we bring clean energy and connectivity to the people who need it most.&nbsp;
<iframe style="display: table; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TOZ9ez5oWj0?si=BSqwUkXBR2cLB_9l" width="716" height="403" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW120211940 BCX0">&nbsp;</div>

Lighting the Way: Our Partnership with Light Up the World 

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Insight-led hiring trends across Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Natural Resources.&nbsp;
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Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s latest Global Market Update brings together exclusive data, expert insights, and on-the-ground intelligence from our teams across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas - providing a clear, sector-by-sector view of how the second quarter of 2025 unfolded.&nbsp;
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Q2 confirmed what many have anticipated: volatility is here to stay. Infrastructure growth held firm, offsetting slowdowns in other markets, while contract hiring once again proved resilient. Permanent hiring remained selective but high-impact, with companies focusing on grid integration, compliance, and leadership talent to strengthen long-term capability.&nbsp;
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As AI continues to accelerate global electricity demand and reshape investment in data centres and grid capacity, hiring is increasingly focused on niche skill sets - from battery storage and permitting specialists to commissioning engineers and ESG professionals.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve accepted - and our clients are starting to accept - that we&rsquo;re operating in a VUCA environment. Volatility is the new normal, and people are learning to move within it, not wait it out.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ndash; Henry de Lusignan, CEO&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW109021694 BCX0">What you&rsquo;ll learn from the report:&nbsp;</h4>
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<li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW109021694 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">
Quarter-on-quarter hiring trends across three critical sectors: Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Natural Resources&nbsp;
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</ul>
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<li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW109021694 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">
Contract and permanent hiring insights - including where demand is strongest and which roles are proving hardest to fill&nbsp;
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</ul>
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Sector-specific breakdowns of in-demand roles, technical skill sets, and project hotspots&nbsp;
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Regional hiring outlooks across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas, with quotes from our local experts&nbsp;
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Proprietary data insights from our global database and LinkedIn Talent Insights&nbsp;
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Commentary on how global trends - from tariff shifts and nuclear investment to grid resilience and data-driven infrastructure - are shaping workforce strategies&nbsp;
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Predictions for the months ahead and how businesses are adapting to secure the talent they need&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW109021694 BCX0">Why it matters:&nbsp;</h4>
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Hiring trends are often the earliest indicator of industry change. Whether you&rsquo;re investing in new markets, scaling delivery teams, or building long-term workforce plans, our quarterly market updates are designed to give you clarity and confidence.&nbsp;
</div>
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Download the full Q2 2025 report now and stay ahead of the trends shaping the future of energy and infrastructure.&nbsp;
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Spencer Ogden's Q2 2025 Global Market Update 

At this year's London Climate Action Week, industry leaders and innovative startups converged to explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionising the energy sector. The session, hosted by Sustainable Ventures, highlighted the critical role of AI in accelerating the energy transition. 
&lsquo;AI x Energy: Rewiring the System so that Clean Energy Works for Everyone&rsquo;, brought together corporate leaders and innovative startups to unpack the complex challenges and unprecedented opportunities in the energy sector. 
From predictive energy management to intelligent grid optimisation, one thing was clear: AI isn&rsquo;t just a tool - it&rsquo;s a game-changer in the race towards a smarter, more inclusive energy system.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Big Energy, Bigger Vision</h4>
<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/josedavila77/">Jose Davila</a> of E.ON opened the session with a powerful message: the energy transition must work for everyone, not just those with the resources to access clean tech. For legacy energy providers like E.ON, this means shifting the focus beyond infrastructure and towards building intelligent, adaptive systems.
Jose underlined the importance of open collaboration - encouraging corporates to partner with startups and embrace fresh thinking, even when it challenges the status quo.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Startups Taking the Lead</h4>
Several forward-thinking startups demonstrated how AI is already disrupting the energy landscape for the better:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.solivus.com/">Solivus</a> introduced lightweight solar technologies that bypass traditional structural limitations. By using AI to optimise energy management, they&rsquo;re pushing the boundaries of efficiency.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="https://www.powervault.co.uk/">Powervault</a> showcased AI-powered battery storage solutions that can cut energy costs by up to 80% through intelligent local optimisation.</li>
</ul>
These aren&rsquo;t just technological upgrades - they represent a new way of engaging with energy systems, putting control and cost-savings in the hands of users.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Where AI is Making the Biggest Impact</h4>
The panel explored five key areas where AI is driving real progress:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Predictive Energy Management - Accurately forecasting generation and demand</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Grid Flexibility - Creating more responsive, adaptable distribution systems</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Consumer Empowerment - Making energy use simpler and more intuitive</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Cost Reduction - Driving efficiency and eliminating waste</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Virtual Power Plants - Aggregating distributed resources for smarter control</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Navigating the Challenges</h4>
While the potential is huge, the conversation also tackled the real-world barriers to scaling AI in energy:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Bridging the gap between corporate pace and startup agility</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Ensuring accessibility across all communities</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Continuously refining algorithms for performance and fairness</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Minimising the environmental impact of new technologies</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Putting People First</h4>
A key takeaway from the discussion was the need to keep end-users at the heart of innovation. It&rsquo;s not just about creating cutting-edge systems - it&rsquo;s about building solutions that are simple, affordable, and impactful for real people.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">What&rsquo;s Next?</h4>
The session left attendees with a clear message: the future of energy will be intelligent, collaborative, and radically transformative. With AI leading the charge, we&rsquo;re not just replacing fossil fuels - we&rsquo;re redesigning entire systems to be smarter, cleaner, and more equitable.
As the climate crisis intensifies, events like London Climate Action Week highlight what&rsquo;s possible when innovation, technology, and collaboration come together with purpose.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Key takeaway: </h4>
The energy transition isn&rsquo;t just about clean power - it&rsquo;s about smarter systems, inclusive innovation, and ensuring everyone benefits from the shift to a more sustainable future.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

AI x Energy: Transforming the Future of Sustainable Power 

At Spencer Ogden, our ESG mission is: to leverage our global position and conduct socially and environmentally responsible business which benefits communities and follows clear principles of equitability, diversity, progression, and sustainability.
Aligned with this we are extremely excited to announce the start of a new impact partnership with Canada-based charity Light Up The World (LUTW).
The organisation operates in rural parts of Peru to bring reliable, clean energy and jobs to off-grid communities, significantly improving living and environmental standards. Their work has multiple benefits to the people and environment they serve:&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Safety: Reliable lighting reduces health and security risks&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Education: Students gain access to online learning and digital tools&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Economic Growth: powering businesses creates new economic opportunities&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
LUTW&rsquo;s projects target solar installations and sustainable satellite internet in villages where their impact can be felt the most. A recent project they completed brought clean energy to 494 direct and indirect beneficiaries of the newly introduced technology, located at an altitude of 4,600m above sea level. With no previous access to reliable electricity, treated water, or the internet, LUTW was the first organisation to implement a project for the remote community, empowering 16 teachers to teach 124 children with access to technology in the classroom. They provided an off-grid solar system with 15kWh of battery storage and satellite internet to power 20 classrooms and 20 living spaces, enabling 10 computers to mobilise e-learning for the school children.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Without LUTW&rsquo;s renewable energy infrastructure installations, rural communities are reliant on traditional energy sources, such as gas generators, candles, animal fat, and kerosene. Notwithstanding the pollution that these methods produce, the socioeconomic effects of not having energy and internet access prevents educational progress as children are unable to access modern online techniques and learning materials. For the community itself, the lack of energy access restricts economic development in remote areas which lack the technology and infrastructure to communicate with the rest of the world. Consequently, entrepreneurship and business opportunities stagnate, halting the potential for living standards to increase. Not only, then, is LUTW reducing the environmental cost of these communities&rsquo; use of energy, they are actively providing the foundations from which educational and economic development can thrive.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Our Partnership&nbsp;</h4>
This collaboration speaks directly to who we are and what we stand for.
As a global recruitment business rooted in the energy and infrastructure sectors, celebrating 15 years this year, partnering with an energy-focused charity was a natural choice. Our work to support the world&rsquo;s leading renewable energy and infrastructure companies in driving the energy transition makes this partnership especially meaningful.
LUTW&rsquo;s mission to expand access to clean, reliable energy perfectly aligns with our purpose: creating careers to power a sustainable future. It&rsquo;s a cause that inspires our people and reflects the impact we aim to have - through our work, our partnerships, and the way we give back.
This partnership has been met with huge enthusiasm across our teams, and we&rsquo;re proud to align our charitable giving with a purpose-driven organisation that&rsquo;s helping build a brighter, more sustainable future.
We&rsquo;re committed to leading the way in sustainable staffing, and this is just one of the many steps we&rsquo;re taking to make a lasting impact.
Overseeing the new partnership, Regan Callender (Global ESG Manager) comments:&nbsp;&nbsp;
&lsquo;Partnering with LUTW is the next step in our ESG development and aligns closely with goals to support global decarbonisation, whilst also promoting socioeconomic development. LUTW&rsquo;s work is invaluable in modernising rural Peruvian communities and we&rsquo;re looking forward to seeing the impact of our donations. The targets we&rsquo;ve set will go towards employing and training a local engineer to manage the solar electricity infrastructure and keep the lights on! We&rsquo;re confident that our partnership with LUTW will engage our staff even more, as well as providing additional value and contentment for our clients knowing that by working with us, they&rsquo;re also supporting such an important cause. We aim to develop our combined vision to endorse sustainable development to help LUTW to grow, increasing our impact and enabling them to expand their operations to give clean energy access to more and more communities.&rsquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;LUTW add:
&lsquo;Light Up The World are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Spencer Ogden. This partnership strongly aligns with Spencer Ogden's commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles and LUTW's mission to bring essential access to underserved communities. By showcasing our collaboration, we hope to inspire others and demonstrate how corporate partners like Spencer Ogden can drive meaningful social and environmental progress. This partnership represents a significant step in our ongoing commitment to making a positive difference through a scalable approach. We look forward to a successful collaboration with Spencer Ogden as we work together to power a brighter, more sustainable, more connected, and more successful future for indigenous peoples.&rsquo;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Our Combined Impact &amp; Targets&nbsp;</h4>
Our decision to partner with LUTW deliberately aims to propel our impact forward to deliver sustainable energy solutions to rural communities, whilst growing alongside a rapidly developing charity. As mentioned, our donations will support an entire village to gain access to clean electricity by allocating funding for a local engineer to be trained and employed to sustain the energy infrastructure. With each donation, we will track and report on the impact generated for the community across the following metrics:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Clean energy production in kWh&nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">CO2 avoided in kgCO2e&nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Community reach &ndash; looking at the number of people &nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Internet access &ndash; number of people provided with this&nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Systems improved &ndash; tracked by the amount&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
We have set targets across each metric to motivate our employees and network to engage with LUTW - the more we engage, the more we can raise to support clean energy infrastructure. By aligning our donations to our internal people-focused approach, we&rsquo;re empowering our people to get involved in giving back, whilst promoting our culture and their development.&nbsp;At Spencer Ogden we will make a direct impact through; internal promotions, our peer recognition scheme and tenure milestones.
Our second partnership with Seven Clean Seas is still in full effect, where we remove 1kg of ocean plastic for every placement we make. When we win, our impact partners win too.
We&rsquo;re excited to keep you up to date on our new journey with LUTW, be sure to <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/spencerogden/?viewAsMember=true">follow us</a> on LinkedIn where we will be releasing further updates over the coming weeks and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7178763196172787714">subscribe</a> to our IMPACT newsletter where we give insights into our strategic operations in renewables markets, partnerships, challenges, and the personal experiences of our people every quarter.
If you would like to make your own donation to LUTW, you can do so <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://lutw.org/donate/">here</a>.

Spencer Ogden Spark New Impact Partnership with Light Up The World 

<h4>Spencer Ogden, a global recruitment specialist in sustainability, natural resources and infrastructure, today announces that Geoff Lloyd has stepped down from his role as Chair after five years of dedicated service.&nbsp;</h4>
Geoff&rsquo;s tenure has seen the business navigate significant moments, including the challenges of the Covid-19 period and a period of rapid international expansion. His calm, strategic leadership has helped shape Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s growth trajectory and position the business for continued success.&nbsp;
&ldquo;As Chair, Geoff helped lay the foundations for Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s next chapter. His belief in our purpose and steady guidance have been instrumental in shaping who we are today. We thank him for his dedication and wish him every success in what comes next.&rdquo; &ndash; The Board&nbsp;
In a personal statement, Geoff reflected on his time with the company:&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a journey marked with both high points and challenges. Through it all, I&rsquo;ve had the privilege of working alongside a dedicated and resilient team who continue to give their all in a demanding market. The business now requires a level of Chair time that, at this stage of my career, I&rsquo;m unable to commit to. I step aside with a heavy heart, but also with deep pride in what we&rsquo;ve built together.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Following Geoff&rsquo;s departure, Spencer Ogden is pleased to welcome Jason Allen as the new Chair. Jason is an accomplished Chair, CEO, and Non-Executive Director with decades of international experience leading private equity-backed and high-growth organisations across tech-enabled people services, workforce solutions, and digital transformation. &nbsp;
In addition, Alex Smith has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director. A senior business leader and board advisor with over 30 years of experience. He will chair Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s Audit &amp; Risk Committee and will work closely with the executive team on strategic planning and execution.&nbsp;
These appointments mark an exciting new chapter for Spencer Ogden as the business sharpens its focus on long-term value creation and sustainable growth. With strong leadership in place and a resilient team behind it, Spencer Ogden remains committed to powering a sustainable future alongside clients and candidates across the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors.&nbsp; 
Media Contact:&nbsp; Becca Ly&nbsp; Global Head of Marketing&nbsp; becca.ly@spencer-ogden.com&nbsp; spencer-ogden.com&nbsp;

Spencer Ogden Announces Board Transition

We&rsquo;re proud to share that Spencer Ogden has been featured in the <a href="https://www.the-eic.com/MediaCentre/Publications/SurviveandThrive?utm_campaign=2951561_Survive%20%26%20Thrive%20Insight%20Report%20vol.%20IX%20out%20now%21&amp;utm_source=The%20Energy%20Industries%20Council&amp;dm_i=4E8P,1R9FT,8S1GCJ,89IOP,1&amp;utm_medium=email">EIC Survive &amp; Thrive Insight Report 2025</a> &ndash; now in its ninth year as one of the energy industry&rsquo;s most anticipated annual publications.
The report spotlights 139 success stories from across the global energy supply chain, exploring how companies are growing in uncertain markets and evolving alongside the energy transition. This year&rsquo;s insights underline the rising demand for long-term, purpose-driven strategies &ndash; and we&rsquo;re honoured to be recognised for the transformational journey we&rsquo;ve taken to become a sustainability staffing leader.
Our inclusion focuses on how Spencer Ogden has pivoted from a traditional oil and gas recruiter to a go-to partner for sustainability talent, with renewables now making up over 70% of our global operations &ndash; a 53% increase in just one year. It also highlights how we&rsquo;ve embedded client centricity throughout the business and ESG initiatives to create a real impact in the staffing world of today, delivering sophisticated workforce solutions. 
The piece features insights from our Global Client Services Director James Pipe, Global ESG Manager Regan Callender, and Emily Abbott, Senior Marketing Manager, as we shared how our business model has evolved &ndash; not just to meet market demand, but to lead it.
Some highlights from our story:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">A 53% growth in our renewables business in 2023</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">We restructured operations around three core sectors (sustainability, natural resources and infrastructure) and created dedicated teams with specialised expertise</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Key ESG milestones, including removing 12,240kg of ocean plastic and donating &pound;15,000+ to climate charity Cool Earth</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">We made key hires to strengthen our global client services team and better support different client needs</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">The launch of our sector-first sustainability training programme for sales teams, contributing to new business</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">A 35% reduction in office electricity emissions and a 107% increase in employee volunteering</li>
</ul>
Being featured in this year&rsquo;s report is a milestone that reflects the incredible work of our people, the trust of our clients, and our commitment to delivering workforce solutions that align profit with purpose.
You can read the full EIC Survive &amp; Thrive Insight Report 2025 <a href="https://issuu.com/the-eic/docs/survive_thrive_ix/">here</a>. Go to page 160 to skip straight to the Spencer Ogden feature <a href="https://issuu.com/the-eic/docs/survive_thrive_ix/160">here</a>.
&nbsp;

Spencer Ogden Featured in EIC’s 2025 Survive & Thrive Report: Leading the Way in Sustainability Staffing

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At Spencer Ogden, sustainability isn&rsquo;t just a value- it&rsquo;s at the core of our business. Our 2024 ESG Report outlines the progress we&rsquo;ve made across environmental, social, and governance priorities, reinforcing our purpose: Creating Careers to Power a Sustainable Future.&nbsp;
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From global volunteering days to partnerships tackling ocean plastic, this year&rsquo;s milestones reflect how we&rsquo;re making meaningful, measurable impact through our people, clients, and communities.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">2024 ESG Highlights&nbsp;</h4>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>340 tonnes of carbon offsets delivered across verified global projects&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">11,900kg of ocean plastic removed through our partnership with Seven Clean Seas&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">&pound;14,150+ raised for rainforest communities via Cool Earth&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">55% global female representation across our workforce&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">42% of employees identify as minority-ethnic&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">35.5 days of volunteering taken by our teams worldwide&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Powering Progress&nbsp;</h4>
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As a global sustainability staffing leader, our ESG approach aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and supports the sectors driving global transformation.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Environmental&nbsp;</h4>
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<ul>
<li>Net zero by 2035 with a rigorous roadmap to achieve it&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Carbon offset projects focused on high-impact, nature-based removals&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Reduced emissions through improved supply chain data and low-emission travel policies&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Social&nbsp;</h4>
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</div>
<ul>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">ESG training embedded into all employee development frameworks&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Launch of the 100 Brilliant Women in Renewables campaign&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Partnerships with WRISE and Programme One to support inclusive hiring&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Paid volunteering days for every employee&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Governance&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
</div>
<ul>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">ISO-certified environmental and quality management systems&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Bronze status in our first EcoVadis assessment&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Strong compliance across data protection, anti-bribery, and human rights&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Supporting the Energy Transition&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Working with Clients&nbsp;</h4>
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</div>
<ul>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Prioritising excellence service delivery and client-centrism in everything we do&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Embodying and aligning our values to our clients&rsquo; sustainability goals as leaders of the energy transition&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Upskilling our teams to become experts in their niche and to deliver the ESG value add of our sustainability principles with our clients&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Scaling Our Impact Through Partnerships&nbsp;</h4>
</div>
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Cool Earth&nbsp; Employee recognition is directly linked to rainforest conservation. Every peer-to-peer PACE nomination triggers a donation, making ESG part of our daily culture.&nbsp;
</div>
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Seven Clean Seas&nbsp; We remove 1kg of plastic for every placement we make. In 2024, our APAC team joined cleanup efforts in Indonesia, removing over 200kg of waste from local beaches.&nbsp;
</div>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">A Commitment to Inclusive Growth&nbsp;</h4>
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We&rsquo;re committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.&nbsp;
</div>
</div>
<ul>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">55% of our employees are women&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">42% identify as minority-ethnic&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">On track to reach 50% multi-ethnic leadership representation by 2028&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">Our Women in Leadership network and tools like AssessFirst are helping to reduce bias and support merit-based progression across all roles. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0">ESG Leadership and Accountability&nbsp;</h4>
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&ldquo;ESG is not a standalone initiative- it governs into how we operate. Our strategy is built on ambitious targets, consistent reporting, and leadership accountability.&rdquo;- Regan Callender, Global ESG Manager&nbsp;
</div>
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Our ESG Committee, led by senior leadership, ensures progress is embedded across all departments and decisions.&nbsp;
</div>
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<h5 class="Paragraph SCXW182644926 BCX0"><a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGpTECV0_I/pskUEPXH6jGviMJ2giy0qA/view?utm_content=DAGpTECV0_I&amp;utm_campaign=designshare&amp;utm_medium=link2&amp;utm_source=uniquelinks&amp;utlId=h70d1a77fe2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the Report Here</a></h5>
&nbsp;
</div>

ESG Report 2024: Future-focused Sustainability-Driven 

With more than two decades of construction management experience spanning three continents,&nbsp;<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/varunmahajan27/">Varun Mahajan</a> has led major developments across commercial, institutional, hospitality, infrastructure, and data centre sectors. Today, he&rsquo;s applying that global perspective to projects that drive the renewable energy transition - infusing sustainability into every stage of the build process.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">A career built on evolution, not accident</h4>
Varun&rsquo;s entry into the renewable energy sector wasn&rsquo;t a dramatic career pivot, but a steady evolution of his values and expertise. His background in traditional construction laid the foundation, but it was the broader environmental and industry shifts that ultimately drew him in.
&ldquo;A strong personal or societal commitment to combat climate change was the main reason I transitioned from traditional construction to renewable energy alternatives,&rdquo; he explains.&nbsp;
As he began managing more projects with sustainability components, Varun became increasingly driven by what he saw as a unique opportunity to combine traditional project delivery with climate-conscious innovation.
&ldquo;I found a deeper meaning in building infrastructure that contributes to a sustainable future and contributes to society.&rdquo;
Working on renewable energy builds in the Middle East exposed him to new technologies like floating solar and offshore wind, innovations that underscored the exciting challenges of the sector.
&ldquo;Rapid advancements in energy tech create new opportunities all the time. Staying on top of these changes is part of the job - and part of the appeal.&rdquo;
But the shift wasn&rsquo;t without its hurdles. He recalls grappling with complex regulations, remote project locations, and the need to understand not just engineering but energy systems, environmental science, and public policy.
&ldquo;Success in this space requires interdisciplinary knowledge. And since this approach is still new to many in traditional construction, it can be a real challenge.&rdquo;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Purpose-driven progress</h4>
For Varun, the move into renewable energy also unlocked a new sense of purpose. It wasn&rsquo;t just about delivering successful projects; it was about making a tangible contribution to the world.
&ldquo;Exposure to renewable projects gave me a sense of pride - this is a once-in-a-generation shift in global infrastructure.&rdquo;
His passion for sustainable construction reached a milestone when he led the delivery of a LEED Platinum-certified office complex in a major Indian city. Spanning more than 150,000 square feet, the project raised the bar for sustainable real estate in the region.
&ldquo;We integrated everything - from smart HVAC systems and energy-efficient glazing to rooftop solar and greywater recycling. Every decision was aligned with LEED criteria, without compromising budget, timeline, or aesthetics.&rdquo;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Bridging the gap between ambition and execution</h4>
Varun is no stranger to the tension between sustainability goals and financial constraints, a reality many energy professionals face. One of his proudest problem-solving moments came when he successfully made the case for an energy-efficient HVAC system by creating a detailed cost-benefit analysis with his team.
&ldquo;Budget versus sustainability is one of the biggest challenges. But when you present a clear plan that shows reduced operational and maintenance costs over time, it becomes easier for stakeholders to commit.&rdquo;
<h4>Advice for the next generation of leaders</h4>
Having worked across markets and technologies, Varun is eager to share insights with those just beginning their journey in energy.
&ldquo;Start by understanding the fundamentals of construction, energy systems, and sustainability principles - and get certified. Then, gain international experience and collaborate with environmental engineers, consultants, and regulatory bodies.&rdquo;
And most importantly, don&rsquo;t let inexperience hold you back.
&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t wait to be an expert before you take action. Start learning, start contributing, and grow into the leader the sector needs.&rdquo;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Shaping the future with smart tech</h4>
Today, Varun is particularly energised by the emergence of Smart Grids - digital energy networks that allow for two-way energy flow and smarter consumption.
&ldquo;Smart grids reduce waste, manage demand more effectively, and integrate renewables in a way we&rsquo;ve never seen before. We&rsquo;re piloting this on one of our projects right now - it&rsquo;s a game-changer.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s also keeping a close eye on how AI is being used to optimise energy systems, from predicting renewable energy output to improving building efficiency.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Driving change from within</h4>
At TD, Varun plays a key role in leading the company&rsquo;s Green Construction Commitment, an initiative that embeds sustainability into the DNA of every commercial project.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a cross-departmental effort that ensures we prioritise sustainability from procurement all the way through to project handover.&rdquo;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Inspired by collective leadership</h4>
When asked who has influenced him most, Varun doesn&rsquo;t point to a single mentor. Instead, he draws inspiration from the organisations leading by example in the transition to greener practices.
&ldquo;The companies breaking away from traditional models and embracing green technology - they inspire me. It&rsquo;s their commitment to doing things the right way: ethically, sustainably, and with people in mind.&rdquo;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Final thoughts: a call to lead with purpose</h4>
As the energy sector continues to evolve, Varun believes the industry must go beyond innovation - it must lead with intent.
&ldquo;Green technology and sustainability are no longer optional - they are the foundation of a resilient, forward-thinking future. As we confront the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity, our ability to innovate, collaborate, and lead with purpose will define our legacy.&rdquo;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Join the Career Conversations series </h4>
To learn more about our Career&nbsp;Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future&nbsp;series or to nominate&nbsp;an inspiring&nbsp;individual&nbsp;in the industry read more <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/nominations-open-career-conversations-powering-a-sustainable-future/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Career Conversations: Building a Sustainable Future with Varun Mahajan, Senior Project Manager at TD

Beyond the Basics: How Spencer Ogden Is Tackling Scope 3 Emissions 

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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW54842345 BCX8">We&rsquo;re proud to announce that Spencer Ogden has once again been recognised by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) as one of the Fastest Growing US Staffing Firms in 2025. </h4>
This marks our<a href="https://www.staffingindustry.com/lists/fastest-growing-staffing-firms/fastest-growing-us-staffing-firms"> </a><a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/spencer-ogden-recognized-on-staffing-industry-analysts-2024-list-largest-engineering-staffing-firms-in-the-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second consecutive year</a><a href="https://www.staffingindustry.com/lists/fastest-growing-staffing-firms/fastest-growing-us-staffing-firms"> </a>earning a place on one of SIA's prestigious lists &ndash; a testament to our people, our partnerships, and our purpose.&nbsp;
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Each year, <a href="https://www.staffingindustry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SIA </a>celebrates the staffing firms demonstrating the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over a defined period. We've ranked X and inclusion alone is a significant milestone and a powerful reflection of the momentum we&rsquo;ve built across the US market.&nbsp;
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What This Recognition Means to Us<span class="EOP SCXW54842345 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}">&nbsp;
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At Spencer Ogden, we believe Talent is Energy &ndash; and this award underscores the impact of the incredible people who power our business every day. From our New York and Orlando teams, to the global support functions that enable their success, this achievement is shared by everyone.&nbsp;
</div>
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&ldquo;Our continued growth in the US reflects the passion, discipline, and resilience of our people. We&rsquo;ve built trust with clients in fast-moving, high-impact sectors, and this recognition by SIA shows we&rsquo;re on the right track. It&rsquo;s another milestone in our journey to become the global leader, creating careers to power a sustainable future&rdquo;&nbsp;
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&nbsp;&mdash; Henry De Lusignan, CEO, Spencer Ogden&nbsp;
</div>
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Our success is not only about numbers. It reflects the growing demand for our specialist recruitment services in clean energy, infrastructure, and natural resources, and the strength of the long-term relationships we&rsquo;re building with clients who are shaping the future.&nbsp;
</div>
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This recognition aligns directly with our mission to be a Sustainability Staffing Leader, delivering tailored recruitment solutions that place the right people in roles that make a difference.&nbsp;
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Powering a Sustainable Future<span class="EOP SCXW54842345 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}">&nbsp;
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We are incredibly proud to support clients who are driving the energy transition and building critical infrastructure across the US. Whether it's enabling solar and wind projects, delivering sustainable construction, or placing top-tier talent into climate-resilient initiatives, we remain committed to creating careers that power a sustainable future.&nbsp;
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As we look ahead, our focus is on deepening strategic partnerships, developing our people, and continuing to deliver excellence across every market we serve.&nbsp;
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To our clients, candidates, and colleagues &ndash; thank you for your trust and support. Here&rsquo;s to what comes next.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW54842345 BCX8">Interested in working with one of the fastest-growing staffing firms in the US?&nbsp;</h4>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW54842345 BCX8"><a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/branches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact us today&nbsp;</a></h4>
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Spencer Ogden Named One of SIA’s Fastest Growing US Staffing Firms for Second Year Running 

Energy Asia 2025: What Our Consultants Learned on the Ground 

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Spencer Ogden was on the ground at one of the industry&rsquo;s largest global gatherings- Intersolar 2025 in Munich. With thousands of energy professionals and innovators in attendance, the conference covered the full spectrum of solar, energy storage, e-mobility, and battery/BESS manufacturing. Fraser Torrance, Head of Search EMEA and Jack Solman, Principal Consultant from our Glasgow office, were there to connect with clients and candidates, uncover new opportunities, and capture insights shaping the future of clean energy.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW211005917 BCX0">Battery Storage Takes Centre Stage&nbsp;</h4>
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Unlike previous years, the spotlight this time wasn&rsquo;t on solar; it was on the rapid rise of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Stability and scalability improvements, coupled with falling deployment costs, are driving fierce competition for top technical and commercial talent in this space. The message is clear: the race to deploy energy storage at scale is accelerating &ndash; and talent will be the differentiator.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW211005917 BCX0">A Shifting Global Landscape&nbsp;</h4>
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As uncertainty continues to challenge the US market, we&rsquo;re seeing APAC-headquartered manufacturers pivot towards Europe. With expansion plans evolving, the focus is shifting to building in-region teams that can offer strong, localised service support. This strategic shift highlights the growing demand for energy professionals with both technical capability and regional market insight.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW211005917 BCX0">What&rsquo;s Driving the Market Right Now?&nbsp;</h4>
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From technology talks to client meetings, several consistent themes emerged across the event:&nbsp;
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<ul>
<li>Technology is surging ahead - especially in BESS, where the pace of innovation is relentless.</li>
<li>Safety and geopolitics are real concerns - but they&rsquo;re not slowing investment. Instead, they're shaping smarter, more resilient strategies.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Solar is maturing - with commoditisation putting pressure on price. However, new opportunities are opening up in O&amp;M and repowering as the installed base ages.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The Middle East is emerging as a key growth region - expected to lead in battery storage deployment over the next 5-7 years.&nbsp;</li>
<li class="Paragraph SCXW211005917 BCX0">Grid infrastructure is under pressure - particularly in Germany, the UK, and Spain. Bottlenecks in connecting new projects underline the urgent need for reform.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW211005917 BCX0">Fair Competition &amp; Global Ambition&nbsp;</h4>
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Talks throughout the week also touched on the rise of Chinese players in the market. While there&rsquo;s a call for fair competition, the underlying message is one of ambition and advancement - and a shared desire across the industry to keep pushing boundaries.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW211005917 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="3">Looking Ahead&nbsp;</h4>
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Intersolar 2025 made one thing clear: the clean energy transition is evolving fast - and it&rsquo;s people who will drive the change. Whether it&rsquo;s future-focused engineers or commercially savvy consultants, the market needs talent that can keep up with innovation and lead with impact.&nbsp;
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To explore more insights from the event or connect with the team, reach out to&nbsp;<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-solman-706249220/">Jack Solman</a> and&nbsp;<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fraser-torrance-27a62a46/">Fraser Torrance</a>.&nbsp;
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Powering Progress: Key Insights from Intersolar 2025 

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At Spencer Ogden, Women in Engineering Day is more than just a date in the calendar- it's a powerful reminder of the innovation, resilience, and impact women bring to engineering roles across the energy sector.&nbsp;
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The energy transition depends on diversity of thought, perspective, and leadership. And that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re proud to support, celebrate, and elevate women working across renewables, infrastructure, and natural resources.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW105856988 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="3">Our Commitment to Representation<span class="EOP SCXW105856988 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}">&nbsp;</h3>
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Earlier this year, on International Women&rsquo;s Day, we launched <a class="Hyperlink SCXW105856988 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/accelerate-action-women-leading-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy</a> - a content series spotlighting the voices of women who are breaking ground in engineering, policy, and project leadership roles across the global energy industry. Their stories didn&rsquo;t just inspire - they challenged long-standing perceptions of who belongs in engineering, and why diverse teams drive better outcomes for the energy transition.&nbsp;
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But our support doesn&rsquo;t stop there.&nbsp;
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Through our global recruitment network, inclusive hiring practices, partnerships with organisations such as <a class="Hyperlink SCXW105856988 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://wrisenergy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WRISE</a> and internal DEI initiatives, Spencer Ogden is actively working to reduce gender disparity across the industry. Whether it&rsquo;s placing women in mission-critical engineering roles, providing our clients with data-driven diversity insights, launching campaigns and holding events to raise awareness, we&rsquo;re committed to building a future where talent - not stereotypes - determine success.&nbsp;
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<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW105856988 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level="3">Help Us Recognise Brilliance<span class="EOP SCXW105856988 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}">&nbsp;</h3>
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To mark Women in Engineering Day, we're inviting you to shine a spotlight on the women who are transforming the energy sector as we bring back our <a class="Hyperlink SCXW105856988 BCX0" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/100-brilliant-women-in-renewable-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">100 Brilliant Women in Renewable Energy list</a> for 2025, following its success last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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In a field historically underrepresented by women, this campaign seeks to shine a spotlight on those who are breaking barriers and leading the charge toward a more sustainable future. By honouring these extraordinary individuals, we not only acknowledge their achievements but also encourage diversity and inclusivity within the renewable energy community.&nbsp;
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📢 Nominate an extraordinary peer for our 100 Brilliant Women in Renewable Energy Engineering campaign.&nbsp;
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Whether they&rsquo;re designing future-proof infrastructure or mentoring the next generation of engineers, we want to share their story with the world.&nbsp;
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👉 <a class="Hyperlink SCXW105856988 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://cop28.spencer-ogden.com/women-in-engineering-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nominate here</a>&nbsp;
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Together, let&rsquo;s celebrate the women shaping the future of energy- and ensure their impact is visible, valued, and amplified.&nbsp;
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We look forward to celebrating 2025&rsquo;s nominees with you.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Championing Women in Engineering: A Day to Celebrate, A Future to Accelerate 

Men’s Health Month: Powering Sustainable Futures Starts With Wellbeing 

Psychological Safety at Work: Why It Matters This Pride Month, and Every Month 

Relocating to Perth with Spencer Ogden: Your Next Big Move 

We&rsquo;re pleased to announce that Spencer Ogden has been shortlisted for Best ESG Strategy at this year&rsquo;s Recruiter Awards - a recognition of the real, measurable impact of our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy.
From upskilling our teams on ESG principles to embedding climate risk management in our operations, we&rsquo;ve spent the past year turning our sustainability commitments into action. And we&rsquo;re excited to be recognised on one of the industry&rsquo;s biggest stages.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">ESG That Powers Progress</h4>
As a global recruitment partner in Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, ESG is a cornerstone of our business strategy. In 2024, we aligned our commercial goals with our ESG objectives under one unifying ambition: to be the global Sustainability Staffing Leader. That means:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Increasing revenue from sustainable markets (59% in 2024 - and growing)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Publishing our first-ever public <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/2023-esg-report-building-a-sustainable-future/">ESG Report</a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Establishing a Net Zero by 2035 <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/esg/environmental/">target and roadmap</a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Upskilling all staff through a global ESG training framework</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Launching the <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-spencerogden-slfue/?trackingId=0usZXJfwpoVxn0tErKY9LA%3D%3D">IMPACT ESG</a> newsletter, now with over 110,000 subscribers</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Measurable Impact, Real Results</h4>
This year, our teams have:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Increased employee volunteering days by&nbsp;108%, with global initiatives from beach cleans to food banks</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Removed 1,513kg of ocean plastic through our partnership with Seven Clean Seas, with a rolling total at 13,016kg - and pledged to remove 1kg for every job placed</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Donated over $2,500 to rainforest protection through our peer recognition programme&nbsp;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Achieved ISO 14001 accreditation, in 2023, streamlining our environmental governance</li>
</ul>
We&rsquo;re also proud to be reporting in line with TCFD guidelines, ensuring we proactively manage climate risks and opportunities - well ahead of regulatory requirements.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">A Culture of Accountability</h4>
Behind these results is a clear governance framework and passionate teams driving it forward. From our ESG and Energy Champions Committees to ISO-aligned management systems, we&rsquo;ve created the infrastructure for long-term, high-integrity ESG performance.
Crucially, our ESG initiatives aren&rsquo;t just making us better as a business, they&rsquo;re also helping our clients meet their own sustainability goals. Our consultants are now better equipped than ever to align with client values and deliver commercial value in the process.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Looking Ahead</h4>
We&rsquo;re proud of how far we&rsquo;ve come, but we know there&rsquo;s more to do. As we continue powering a sustainable future, this shortlisting is a reminder that progress is possible - when people, purpose, and performance come together.
Thank you to everyone who has helped shape our ESG journey so far. We&rsquo;ll see you at the awards ceremony in September!
&nbsp;

Spencer Ogden Shortlisted for Best ESG Strategy at the 2025 Recruiter Awards

The EIC, in collaboration with international partners, hosted the Fifth Annual North Sea Decarbonisation Conference on 23-24 April 2025 in London. This two-day event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators to explore the critical steps needed to accelerate the North Sea&rsquo;s transition to a low-carbon future.
With participation spanning the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Denmark, discussions tackled key themes such as expanding offshore wind, advancing hydrogen and CCUS technologies, electrifying offshore oil and gas, and future-proofing regional supply chains.
Senior Marketing Manager, Emily Abbott attended day two of the conference and recaps the sessions and some of the key themes: 
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Opening Address &ndash; Michael Shanks MP</h4>
Michael Shanks MP opened the conference by reinforcing the long-term role of oil and gas in the UK&rsquo;s energy mix but stressed the urgent need to seize the North Sea&rsquo;s opportunity to deliver clean power. He noted the fast pace of change and the importance of positioning the UK as a stable investment destination. Thousands of clean energy jobs are expected, but UK supply chains must scale to meet demand. A successful transition will rely on shifting workers from declining oil and gas roles into new opportunities in renewables and low-carbon technologies.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Electrifying the North Sea</h4>
Chair: Chris Shirley, EIC Panel: ABB (Iain Cumming), Greenvault (Matthew Green), Turner &amp; Townsend (Faye Banks)
This session focused on the role of electrification in decarbonising offshore assets. Key insights included:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Innovation in infrastructure, such as ABB&rsquo;s subsea transformers and the evolution of OEM business models.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Policy and investment gaps remain a barrier. Panellists stressed the need for government support to enable electrification projects to move forward.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Long lead times and supply chain delays continue to challenge progress.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">A skills transition is vital as emerging sectors like data centres and clean tech place new demands on talent.</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Hydrogen: Unlocking the North Sea&rsquo;s Potential</h4>
Speakers: Chris Manson-Whitton (Progressive Energy), Hannah Lawson (Worley), James Collins (ITM Power)
Hydrogen was highlighted as a game-changing opportunity, but one currently constrained by project delays and funding uncertainty. Despite the UK&rsquo;s ambitious target of 10GW by 2030 (half from green hydrogen), panellists expressed doubt this will be met without acceleration. Key points:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">ITM Power is deploying UK-made electrolyser technology in projects across Europe.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">There&rsquo;s a need for standardisation, clearer safety frameworks, and faster project timelines &ndash; or skilled workers may shift abroad.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Hydrogen also ties closely to carbon capture, especially for industrial emitters seeking solutions for their CO₂.</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Offshore Wind and Supply Chain Growth</h4>
Chair: Erika Askeland, Energy Voice Speakers: Duncan Ayling &amp; Marco Meloni (The Crown Estate), Helen K Thomas (RWE)
While there is huge potential for offshore wind, concerns remain about slow project pipelines and the impact of political uncertainty.
 The Crown Estate outlined its long-term plans for seabed use to 2050, including the launch of a &pound;50m Supply Chain Accelerator Fund to boost UK capability.
 RWE focused on practical supply chain development, including:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">A new procurement portal and engagement platform.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">The &ldquo;clean industry bonus&rdquo;- an incentive to back British supply chains.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Innovations like electric vessels and offshore charging to reduce operational emissions.</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW): Tapping Deeper Waters</h4>
Chair: Peter-Jan Provoost, Energy Tech Belgium Panel: Cerulean Winds (Dan Jackson), Siemens Energy (George Mabey)
Floating wind was positioned as a transformative force for the North Sea - especially for deeper waters. Highlights included:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Cerulean Winds outlined their upstream-style approach to FLOW, seeing a competitive race between UK and European supply chains.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Siemens Energy highlighted advances in wet-mate connectors, which can reduce both CAPEX and OPEX.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">There&rsquo;s a strong emphasis on skills transfer from oil and gas and leveraging existing infrastructure for offshore green energy.</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Key Takeaways</h4>
Across the sessions, several common themes emerged:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Skills transition is urgent and essential, especially from oil and gas to renewables.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Policy clarity and investment confidence are needed to unlock large-scale decarbonisation projects.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">The supply chain must be strengthened and scaled up to meet future demand.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">While optimism remains high, there is widespread concern about the pace of progress toward 2030 and 2050 targets.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s North Sea Decarbonisation Conference made it clear: the ambition is there - but collaboration, investment, and long-term thinking will be critical to delivering a sustainable, secure energy future for the region.

Event Recap: EIC North Sea Decarbonisation Conference 2025

Mental Health Awareness Month: Prioritising People, Always

Insight-led hiring trends across Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Natural Resources
Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s latest Global Market Update brings together exclusive data, expert insights, and on-the-ground intelligence from our teams across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas - providing a clear, sector-by-sector view of how the first quarter of 2025 unfolded.
As AI accelerates the global demand for electricity and reshapes infrastructure investment, and the energy transition enters a more complex delivery phase, the hiring landscape is evolving fast. This report helps employers and professionals alike stay ahead of these shifts - identifying where talent demand is growing, what roles are in focus, and how companies are navigating challenges from permitting delays to skills shortages.
<h4 class="MsoNormal">What you&rsquo;ll learn from the report:</h4>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Quarter-on-quarter hiring trends across three critical sectors: Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Natural Resources</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Sector-specific breakdowns of in-demand roles, technical skill sets, and project hotspots</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Regional hiring outlooks across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas, with quotes from our local experts</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Proprietary data insights from our global database and LinkedIn Talent Insights</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Commentary on how global trends - from AI and data centres to grid resilience and energy security - are impacting workforce strategies</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Predictions for the months ahead and how businesses are adapting to secure the talent they need</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Why it matters:</h4>
Hiring trends are often the earliest indicator of industry change. Whether you're investing in new markets, scaling delivery teams, or building long-term workforce plans, our quarterly market updates are designed to give you clarity and confidence.
View the full Q1 2025 report <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGmwjbA5ZA/jiMvDMR-OtOyy-oW8yqU1g/view?utm_content=DAGmwjbA5ZA&amp;utm_campaign=designshare&amp;utm_medium=link2&amp;utm_source=uniquelinks&amp;utlId=h15177c31d4">here</a> now and get ahead of the trends shaping the future of energy and infrastructure.
<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/spencer-ogden-s-q2-2025-global-market-update/">Download our Q2 Report</a>

Spencer Ogden's Q1 2025 Global Market Update

The data centre landscape is shifting.
Major players like Microsoft and AWS are pausing some early-stage projects as they reassess priorities and focus on existing builds. While this change may signal a slower construction pipeline for 2025, it also opens the door to more agile, strategic resourcing decisions.
And that&rsquo;s where contractors come in.
<h3 data-start="624" data-end="669">Staying Flexible in a Fast-Changing Market</h3>
For many businesses, relying solely on permanent teams can create challenges- especially when timelines change and projects stall. Long notice periods and rigid headcounts make it harder to pivot quickly.
Contractors offer a smart, flexible alternative.
With short notice periods and specialised expertise, they provide the adaptability needed to keep projects on track without long-term commitment.
<h3 data-start="1073" data-end="1112">Why Contractors Make Sense Right Now</h3>
<h4 data-start="1114" data-end="1353">1. Flexibility Without the Red Tape</h4>
Contractors give you the ability to scale teams up or down quickly. That means no lengthy exit processes or complex redundancies - particularly valuable in regions with strict employment regulations.
<h4 data-start="1355" data-end="1601">2. Ready-to-Go Expertise</h4>
Today&rsquo;s data centres require advanced technical skills across construction, commissioning, design, and upgrades. Contractors bring in-depth knowledge and hit the ground running - saving you time, cost, and disruption.
<h4>3. Smarter Spend in Uncertain Times</h4>
While day rates may appear higher at first glance, the true cost of permanent hires - think onboarding, bonuses, benefits, and severance - can quickly add up. Contractors often deliver more value with fewer overheads, especially when future pipelines aren&rsquo;t crystal clear.
<h3 data-start="1915" data-end="1958">Strong Demand in the Nordics and Benelux</h3>
We&rsquo;re still seeing consistent hiring needs across Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Roles in demand include:
<ul>
<li data-start="2085" data-end="2104">PMO professionals</li>
<li data-start="2107" data-end="2129">Discipline engineers</li>
<li data-start="2132" data-end="2162">Project delivery specialists</li>
</ul>
These are mission-critical positions - and companies using a contractor model are keeping momentum, even when new projects slow down.
<h3 data-start="2297" data-end="2334">What We&rsquo;re Seeing at Spencer Ogden</h3>
At Spencer Ogden, we&rsquo;re actively supporting clients across the region by placing skilled contractors into high-impact roles. While some projects have been delayed, later-stage and upgrade works remain essential- and that&rsquo;s where contractor talent is driving real progress.
By choosing flexibility now, businesses are positioning themselves to lead when activity ramps back up.
<h3 data-start="2714" data-end="2730">The Takeaway?</h3>
Permanent teams remain important. But right now, contractors offer the agility, experience, and value that businesses need to stay ahead.
If you&rsquo;re rethinking your 2025 workforce strategy or you&rsquo;re a contractor ready for your next opportunity in the data centre space - we&rsquo;re here to help.
Let&rsquo;s talk about how we can support your next move - contact Scarlett Menzies,EMEA Business Manager on <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarlett-menzies-4ba84b209/">LinkedIn</a> or<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://calendly.com/scarlett-menzies/contract-solutions?month=2025-05"> book a call</a>.
&nbsp;

Why Contractors Could Be The Smartest Investment Right Now For Data Centers

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At the beginning of April, Spencer Ogden and WRISE Colorado co-hosted Power Up Your Job Hunt in Energy - a high-impact networking event to empower job seekers navigating today&rsquo;s rapidly evolving energy landscape.&nbsp;
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Held in our office in the heart of Colorado&rsquo;s energy corridor, the event brought together a diverse crowd of industry professionals, federal employees affected by recent layoffs, early-career talent, and seasoned energy experts. Guests had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with HR managers, recruiters, and hiring leaders from across the sector.&nbsp;
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As global recruitment experts in sustainability, natural resources, and infrastructure, Spencer Ogden has spent 15 years building career-defining connections across the energy value chain. With WRISE&rsquo;s deep community ties and mission to promote diversity and equity in energy, this event was a space for people to network, gain practical insights, and take the next step in their careers.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW244827912 BCX0">What We Covered&nbsp;</h4>
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Attendees joined a practical, solution-focused panel discussion led by <a class="Hyperlink SCXW244827912 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-cann-135372104/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ella Cann</a>, Manager, Renewable Energy at Spencer Ogden exploring how to navigate the job search process with confidence. Key takeaways included:&nbsp;
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Crafting a compelling resume - Tailoring content, highlighting achievements, using industry-specific keywords, and keeping formatting clean and Applicant Tracking System friendly.&nbsp;
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Optimising the application process - Setting up job alerts, refining LinkedIn profiles, researching companies, and connecting intentionally with recruiters and employees.&nbsp;
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<li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW244827912 BCX0" role="listitem" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">
Effective networking strategies - Reaching out to 1st-degree LinkedIn connections, joining professional associations, and booking informal chats with industry peers.&nbsp;
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<li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW244827912 BCX0" role="listitem" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">
Preparing for interviews - Understanding the company, reviewing job descriptions in detail, and following up with personalised thank-you notes.&nbsp;
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Negotiating offers - Being transparent about expectations, reviewing full compensation packages, and confidently advocating for your needs.&nbsp;
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</ul>
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Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed wine, cheese, and networking with their peers.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW244827912 BCX0">Why This Matters Now&nbsp;</h4>
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As the energy sector undergoes unprecedented change, the demand for top talent - and the competition for it - has never been higher. At Spencer Ogden, we recognise that the future of energy depends on the people behind it. That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re proud to invest in events like this, helping job seekers build meaningful careers and giving employers access to exceptional talent.&nbsp;
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Whether you're navigating layoffs, exploring new opportunities, or looking to grow your career in sustainability, natural resources, or infrastructure - we&rsquo;re here to support you.&nbsp;
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If you&rsquo;re exploring your next career move or are hiring talent across our key sectors and would like a confidential chat, reach out <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-cann-135372104/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directly to Ella</a> for Denver and the US or to our global offices <a class="Hyperlink SCXW244827912 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/branches/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Event Recap: Power Up Your Job Hunt in Energy - A Networking Evening by Spencer Ogden & WRISE 

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Our Global Client Services Director <a class="Hyperlink SCXW28532971 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdpipe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Pipe</a> recently attended WindEurope 2025 in Copenhagen, where industry leaders convened to discuss the future of offshore wind energy in Europe. The conference highlighted both the immense potential of offshore wind and the pressing challenges that need to be addressed to realise this potential.&nbsp;
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Key Takeaways:&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW28532971 BCX0">1. Coordinated Action is Crucial&nbsp;</h4>
The industry is advocating for a clear roadmap, including the auctioning of 100GW of offshore wind capacity between 2031 and 2040. Implementing two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfDs) is seen as essential to provide investors with the confidence and visibility needed to commit to large-scale projects.​&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW28532971 BCX0">2. Addressing Urgent Challenges&nbsp;</h4>
Europe faces a confluence of challenges: geopolitical instability, rising energy costs, supply chain uncertainties, and increased global competition. To navigate these, the industry is calling for predictable and de-risked auction processes to ensure projects are bankable and sustainable.​&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW28532971 BCX0">3. Restoring Investor Confidence&nbsp;</h4>
Despite a strong demand for clean, domestic energy, concerns about the commercial viability of offshore wind projects persist. The industry has pledged to reduce costs by 30% by&nbsp;2040, but achieving this requires supportive policies and the right tools to deliver on these commitments.​&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW28532971 BCX0">4. Offshore Wind as Industrial Policy&nbsp;</h4>
Beyond energy production, offshore wind is poised to play a significant role in industrial policy. With the right conditions, the sector can deliver 15GW of annual installations by the 2030s, creating long-term, high-quality jobs, particularly in coastal communities.​&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW28532971 BCX0">5. Learning from Past Successes&nbsp;</h4>
&Oslash;rsted's white paper, "<a class="Hyperlink SCXW28532971 BCX0" href="https://orsted.com/en/what-we-do/insights/white-papers/making-green-energy-affordable/executive-summary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Making Green Energy Affordable</a>", emphasises the importance of scale in reducing costs. Historically, each time the installed capacity of offshore wind power doubled, the levelized cost of electricity declined by approximately 18%. This underscores the need for continued expansion and innovation to drive affordability.​&nbsp;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW28532971 BCX0">6. Navigating Market Adjustments&nbsp;</h4>
 <a class="Hyperlink SCXW28532971 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e; text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/orsted-cuts-offshore-wind-ambition-to-give-high-priority-to-value-creation-ceo/2-1-1464365" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Recent reports</a> indicate that &Oslash;rsted is recalibrating its offshore wind ambitions, now targeting 28GW of capacity by 2030, down from 30GW, to prioritise value creation. This adjustment reflects the broader industry's need to balance growth with financial sustainability.&nbsp;
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At Spencer Ogden, we are committed to supporting organisations across the offshore wind supply chain. Our expertise in providing skilled professionals and workforce strategies is vital to underpinning the sector's growth and navigating the evolving energy landscape.​&nbsp;
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If we connected during the event, thank you for the engaging discussions. If not, we welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation and explore how we can support your initiatives in the offshore wind sector. You can get in touch via<a class="Hyperlink SCXW28532971 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdpipe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> LinkedIn</a> or email at <a class="Hyperlink SCXW28532971 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="mailto:james.pipe@spencer-ogden.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">james.pipe@spencer-ogden.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
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WindEurope 2025: Offshore Wind at a Crossroads - Key Takeaways from Copenhagen

The re-election of Donald Trump into the White House will cause a ripple effect across the global energy sector. In the recent edition of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-reshaping-energy-transition-navigating-change-us-vhi1c/?trackingId=I7Ip5l3lQ9%2BG%2FO%2BQ1OTApA%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMPACT</a>, our LinkedIn newsletter, with Head of External Affairs <a class="DgyYRhiNYAgnOCxRZXaozXbEhNkWmmmFogVQ " style="color: #84a44e;" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-groundwater-16400943/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Rebecca Groundwater</a> from the <a class="DgyYRhiNYAgnOCxRZXaozXbEhNkWmmmFogVQ " style="color: #84a44e;" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-industries-council-the-eic-/posts/?feedView=all" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Energy Industries Council</a>, we are focusing on the opportunities that the new US energy landscape brings for the energy transition. Client Services Director <a class="DgyYRhiNYAgnOCxRZXaozXbEhNkWmmmFogVQ " style="color: #84a44e;" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/seangoldenberg/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Sean Goldenberg</a> adds an approach from Spencer Ogden, looking at how our clients are navigating the new political landscape and what we are doing to support them.
<h3 id="ember8041" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">Where Supply Chain Opportunities Lie in the US Energy Transition</h3>
Written by <a class="iDnVmHHNAJlvEVnDtbeuHZogHkrorPrZNxnz " tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-groundwater-16400943/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Rebecca Groundwater</a>, Head of External Affairs at the <a class="iDnVmHHNAJlvEVnDtbeuHZogHkrorPrZNxnz " tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-industries-council-the-eic-/posts/?feedView=all" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Energy Industries Council</a> (EIC)
<div class="reader-image-block reader-image-block--resize"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/i8vpjhgnzyvwzyphmp0u4yfbeikk" alt="" width="500" height="500"></div>
<h4 id="ember8044" class="ember-view reader-text-block__paragraph">The Current US Energy Landscape</h4>
Over the past five years or so, energy transition projects have steadily advanced across various technologies, driving consistent year-on-year growth, largely fuelled by the cleantech industries. The mature renewable sector has been primarily led by solar, with a significant number of onshore wind developments also contributing. Other mature renewable sectors, however, have seen fewer project announcements during this period.
In the U.S., nearly 75% of projects under development fall within the cleantech space, with Energy Transition and Renewables dominating the landscape. Oil &amp; Gas accounts for just over 13% of developments, while the Midstream sector represents close to 8% of the projects currently being tracked by the Energy Industries Council (EIC). The growth in renewable projects is overwhelmingly driven by the solar sector, which has maintained a steady stream of project announcements. Many of these projects are now underway across the country and are increasingly being co-located with other renewable developments.
<h4 id="ember8047" class="ember-view reader-text-block__paragraph">Trending Sectors</h4>
There is an estimated $1.18 trillion of CAPEX up to 2030 on the projects that have been announced to date and, should all of the energy transition projects that have been announced proceed, investment in those sectors would exceed $409 billion, with energy storage alone seeing $150 billion of CAPEX. While oil and gas project numbers are relatively low, oil and gas investment is high, with the sectors covered seeing an estimated $338 billion of CAPEX should all projects proceed. This investment is largely driven by the midstream sector and, in particular, the LNG liquefaction sector.
LNG liquefaction stands out as one of the most significant growth markets for our members in terms of future investment. Currently, 28 developments are proposed, and despite the Biden administration&rsquo;s freeze on LNG export permit approvals, developers have continued proposing new projects. What they haven&rsquo;t done, however, is make final investment decisions (FID) during this period. That said, a small number of projects are expected to come online between now and 2028, with a larger wave of projects anticipated to enter operation toward the end of the decade, assuming approvals and FIDs are secured.
Rising demand for U.S. gas, particularly from Europe, has been a key driver. Future LNG investments will be fuelled by the anticipated global increase in energy demand. Baseload energy is critical to meeting this demand, and gas is poised to play a central role, especially given the surge in investments in data centre projects.
<h4 id="ember8051" class="ember-view reader-text-block__paragraph">A Projected Rise in Hydrogen?</h4>
Hydrogen in the U.S. is emerging as a promising growth sector. Project announcements have surged year-over-year, driven primarily by green and blue hydrogen production projects. This momentum accelerated following the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the 45V clean hydrogen production tax credits, which are disbursed once hydrogen is produced. These incentives have given developers the confidence to invest, and in 2023 alone, 11 projects - with an estimated CAPEX exceeding $10 billion - reached FID. The U.S. is rapidly positioning itself as a global leader in clean hydrogen production, aided by these policies, and unlike other countries with similar ambitions, it is advancing projects to the construction phase. While near-term projects are modest in scale, larger developments are expected to come online toward the latter part of the decade, aligning with projected demand increases.
<h4 id="ember8053" class="ember-view reader-text-block__paragraph">Carbon Capture &amp; Alternative Fuels</h4>
In the CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage) sector, there has been a sharp rise in project proposals since the start of the decade, with momentum continuing into 2025, bolstered by the IRA and the 45Q tax credit for carbon sequestration. A clear pipeline of projects exists, with tens of billions of dollars poised for investment. The U.S. has demonstrated leadership in this space, with several projects reaching the critical FID stage, though most remain relatively small-scale. Over 92% of proposed projects are still in the engineering phases, with only a handful under construction.
Alternative fuel projects, much like other Energy Transition sectors, have seen a notable increase in announcements. Biofuels and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) projects have been the primary drivers of this growth, with a significant number reaching FID. SAF investments, in particular, have been supported by IRA tax credits. The Biden administration has also set a target for 10% of all aviation fuel to come from SAF, and airlines have made ambitious commitments to reduce emissions through SAF adoption.
<h4 id="ember8056" class="ember-view reader-text-block__paragraph">The International Picture</h4>
Globally, the picture is unsettled: offshore wind faces delays or cancellations (as margins remain too slim to be sustainable), while interest in SAF is growing. Hydrogen&rsquo;s trajectory, however, remains uncertain, both in terms of pace and form.
In the U.S., the outlook is mixed. LNG and SAF are relatively safe bets, while hydrogen&rsquo;s future is less clear. Carbon capture appears more certain than hydrogen, though uncertainties persist. Policies are well-intentioned, but without tangible execution, our members will pursue business opportunities where they arise. In the Middle East, for instance, significant opportunities remain for our companies, as they deploy multiple technologies in parallel - precisely the approach we&rsquo;ve advocated for in the UK and elsewhere.
Our supply chain isn&rsquo;t siloed, and neither should energy policy be - yet it often is. Until this changes, we won&rsquo;t see the meaningful rollout of projects or the completion of the long-term puzzle needed to provide business certainty and solid plans for growth.
<h4 id="ember8060" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">Navigating Change: The US Energy Market Under Trump - Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s Perspective</h4>
<a class="iDnVmHHNAJlvEVnDtbeuHZogHkrorPrZNxnz " tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/seangoldenberg/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Sean Goldenberg</a>, US Client Services Director, comments on his experience of the US energy and infrastructure market thus far under Trump&rsquo;s administration.
<div class="reader-image-block reader-image-block--resize"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/j7qpx31sy3p3jpttsdl7k8gcmtwz" alt="" width="500" height="500"></div>
<h4 id="ember8063" class="ember-view reader-text-block__paragraph">What are the impacts of the new US administration for Spencer Ogden and our clients?</h4>
The Trump administration&rsquo;s deregulation efforts are reshaping the U.S. energy market, favouring fossil fuels while creating uncertainty for renewables. Rolling back environmental rules and reducing federal support for clean energy have slowed the momentum of wind and solar projects. Offshore wind, in particular, faces challenges as federal backing declines, with companies like <a class="iDnVmHHNAJlvEVnDtbeuHZogHkrorPrZNxnz " tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gevernova/" data-test-app-aware-link="">GE Vernova</a> and <a class="iDnVmHHNAJlvEVnDtbeuHZogHkrorPrZNxnz " style="color: #84a44e;" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/siemens-energy/" data-test-app-aware-link="">Siemens Energy</a> experiencing fewer turbine orders and project delays. Rising interest rates and supply chain issues add further complications.
Meanwhile, oil and gas producers are benefitting from looser regulations, increased drilling activity, and infrastructure expansion. Coal and natural gas are also seeing reduced compliance costs, making them more competitive. However, global investors continue to push for ESG commitments, leaving the long-term future of fossil fuels uncertain.
For utilities and infrastructure companies, deregulation lowers short-term costs but complicates clean energy strategies. Companies like NextEra and Duke Energy must balance regulatory shifts with investor expectations.
For Spencer Ogden, this evolving landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. Clients need the right talent to adapt, and our expertise in both conventional and renewable energy positions us as a key partner in this transition.
<h4 id="ember8068" class="ember-view reader-text-block__paragraph">How is Spencer Ogden adapting to the new energy landscape in the US?</h4>
Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s role as a sustainability-focused staffing agency extends beyond renewables. The energy transition requires balancing grid reliability with clean energy goals, creating new opportunities. Investment in smart grids, battery storage, and high-voltage transmission lines is driving demand for engineers, project managers, and grid operators. The push for domestic battery manufacturing is also creating jobs in R&amp;D, production, and system integration.
We are able to focus on staffing solutions that support both traditional and renewable energy projects. Our strength lies in connecting clients with specialist talent across the full energy spectrum - helping businesses seize new market opportunities, build resilient teams, and deliver on their ESG commitments.
You can connect with Sean on LinkedIn to discuss more or reach out to him via email at <a class="iDnVmHHNAJlvEVnDtbeuHZogHkrorPrZNxnz " style="color: #84a44e;" tabindex="0" href="mailto:sean.goldenberg@spencer-ogden.com" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">sean.goldenberg@spencer-ogden.com</a> 
&nbsp;
View the full Q1 2025 edition of IMPACT <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-reshaping-energy-transition-navigating-change-us-vhi1c/?trackingId=I7Ip5l3lQ9%2BG%2FO%2BQ1OTApA%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Subscribe to be notified about the next edition and leave your comments. For any additional information about ESG at Spencer Ogden or partnership opportunities, get in touch with <a id="ember1051" class="ember-view" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/regan-callender/">Regan Callender</a> our Global ESG Manager.

Reshaping the Energy Transition: Navigating Change in the US

<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'DengXian Light'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s &lsquo;Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy&rsquo; series, celebrates the achievements of women who are shaping the future of the energy sector. Throughout this campaign, we have spoken with trailblazing professionals, sharing their insights, challenges, and triumphs to inspire the next generation.
For our final piece in this series, we would like to share <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-groundwater-16400943/">Rebecca Groundwater&rsquo;s</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'DengXian Light'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'DengXian Light'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">story<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'DengXian Light'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'DengXian Light'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Head of External Affairs at the Energy Industries Council (EIC). With a career at the intersection of politics and energy, Rebecca&rsquo;s journey - from advising policymakers in Scotland, Westminster, and Brussels to advocating for the global energy supply chain - has given her a unique perspective on the industry&rsquo;s evolving challenges and opportunities. She discusses the realities of the energy transition, the need for greater inclusivity, and why meaningful action is crucial in driving real progress.
A Career Rooted in Policy and Advocacy
Raised in the Highlands of Scotland, Rebecca was acutely aware of the energy sector&rsquo;s role in her community. &ldquo;We were very dependent on the industry for jobs and stability,&rdquo; she reflects. Experiencing the sector&rsquo;s highs and lows firsthand shaped her understanding of energy&rsquo;s economic and social impact.
After completing a degree and master&rsquo;s in librarianship - an unexpected foundation for a career in energy - she moved into politics. Working for MPs, MSPs, and MEPs across different parliaments, Rebecca developed expertise in policymaking and community engagement. &ldquo;After what felt like a relentless run of elections - council, Scottish, UK, and two referendums - I was ready for a new challenge.&rdquo; Transitioning into the energy sector was a natural fit, combining her policy background with her desire to drive meaningful change.
Bridging the Gap Between Old and New Energy
Rebecca&rsquo;s work at the EIC spans the entire energy supply chain, from fossil fuels to cutting-edge renewable technologies. She sees immense value in the industry&rsquo;s evolution. &ldquo;Renewables are the future, but right now, many companies are still reliant on fossil fuels because there simply isn&rsquo;t enough work in renewables yet,&rdquo; she explains. &ldquo;I like that balance - the old and the new growing together.&rdquo;
However, she acknowledges the public narrative often paints a stark contrast between traditional and renewable energy. &ldquo;The conversation is frequently framed as &lsquo;good versus bad,&rsquo; which oversimplifies a very complex transition. That&rsquo;s part of the challenge - helping policymakers and the public see the bigger picture.&rdquo;
Proudest Achievements and Industry Impact
Rebecca has met three presidents and worked at the highest levels of policy-making, but her proudest moments come from shifting perceptions. &ldquo;I see real progress when I sit down with policymakers, NGOs, and industry leaders, and we bring in our incredible companies to explain their work,&rdquo; she shares. &ldquo;When the realisation dawns - that this transition is complex and requires the expertise of our supply chain - I know we&rsquo;re making a difference.&rdquo;
Challenges as a Woman in Energy
While she has encountered obstacles, Rebecca is a firm believer in learning from every experience. &ldquo;There have been challenges, of course. But if you have the space to reflect, even the difficult moments can teach you something valuable,&rdquo; she notes.
Increasing Female Representation in Energy
Rebecca is passionate about engaging young women in energy, but she believes outreach needs to start earlier. &ldquo;A lot of STEM initiatives target girls in secondary school, but by then, many have already decided what they&rsquo;re interested in. We need to engage them in primary school, to show them from the start that this industry isn&rsquo;t just for boys.&rdquo;
She also raises an important point about the broader conversation on gender equity. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve sometimes made diversity a &lsquo;women&rsquo;s issue&rsquo; rather than bringing everyone along in the discussion. If we&rsquo;re serious about increasing female leadership, we need to address the structural barriers, things like childcare and work-life balance, not just talk about representation.&rdquo;
Advice for the Next Generation
Rebecca&rsquo;s advice to those entering the energy sector is simple: just go for it. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be intimidated by the technical side or the endless acronyms - energy loves its jargon! Skills are transferable, and knowledge can be learned.&rdquo;
She also encourages women to seek mentors. &ldquo;Find the women who are leading the way. They may not always be the loudest voices in the room, but they&rsquo;re there, and they want to help. We&rsquo;ve all made mistakes, and we want to share those lessons.&rdquo;
Exciting Trends and the Road Ahead
With a global view of the industry, Rebecca sees promise in all emerging technologies but emphasises the importance of execution. &ldquo;Every innovation has the potential to be game-changing, but we have to get it right.&rdquo;
Accelerating Action in Energy
This year&rsquo;s International Women&rsquo;s Day theme, &lsquo;Accelerate Action,&rsquo; resonates with Rebecca. &ldquo;We talk a lot about progress, but at some point, those conversations need to drive real change. We also need to acknowledge where current initiatives might have unintended consequences and challenge ourselves to improve them.&rdquo;
Inspirational Figures and Final Reflections
Rebecca is grateful for the strong women she has worked alongside, highlighting Amanda Duhon and Clarisse Roche, EIC&rsquo;s Regional Directors in Houston and Rio. &ldquo;They are leading the way in their regions, and it&rsquo;s inspiring to see.&rdquo; She also credits a mentor from the oil and gas sector for guiding her early career. &ldquo;He was a huge support -someone to whom I owe a lot.&rdquo;
As a final thought, Rebecca highlights the power of conversation. &ldquo;There are always challenges in any career. Find people who challenge and inspire you, and don&rsquo;t be afraid to ask for a chat. Half an hour over a cup of tea can make a world of difference.&rdquo;
Celebrate With Us:
To learn more about our Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy series or to nominate&nbsp;an inspiring&nbsp;individual&nbsp;in the industry&nbsp;for our ongoing&nbsp;Career&nbsp;Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future&nbsp;series view our intro piece&nbsp;<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/accelerate-action-women-leading-energy/">here</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy. Rebecca Groundwater, Head of External Affairs at the Energy Industries Council (EIC)

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As part of our "Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy" series, we continue to highlight the stories of inspiring women making an impact in the energy sector. In this instalment,&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW67400295 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbougias/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Bougias</a>, Principal Consultant in Melbourne, speaks with <a class="Hyperlink SCXW67400295 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/inna-kulawiec-4566093/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Inna Kulawiec</a>, Contracts and Commercial Leader at OX2, about her career journey, achievements, and thoughts on the future of female representation in the industry.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">A Passion for Energy Markets&nbsp;</h4>
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From the start, Inna Kulawiec was captivated by the complexity of energy markets. With a finance degree from the University of Melbourne, she was drawn to numbers, patterns, and the strategic decision-making involved in energy trading. Her first role as an Energy Trader at Loy Yang, a coal-fired power station in Victoria&rsquo;s Latrobe Valley, gave her an early insight into network constraints and how they impact market fluctuations. &ldquo;I loved trading energy derivatives across different nodes,&rdquo; she recalls. &ldquo;Understanding how supply and demand influence pricing fascinated me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Yet, her ambition stretched beyond trading alone. Inna sought broader exposure to the sector, eventually transitioning to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). There, she moved from risk management into transactions, gaining her first experience in renewable energy projects. &ldquo;At the time, renewables were only just starting to penetrate the grid,&rdquo; she explains. &ldquo;It was fascinating to see both the opportunities and the challenges that lay ahead.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">Breaking New Ground in Renewables&nbsp;</h4>
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Her next major career move was joining the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), where she took on a critical role in managing generator connections. One of her proudest achievements was leading the connection of Macarthur Wind Farm&mdash;the largest wind farm in Australia at the time. &ldquo;It was an intense and complex project,&rdquo; she reflects. &ldquo;But being part of something that would significantly contribute to the country&rsquo;s clean energy future made it all worthwhile.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Beyond project execution, Inna also played a pivotal role in streamlining Victoria&rsquo;s connection process, ensuring more renewable projects could integrate smoothly into the grid. Her efforts demonstrated not just technical acumen but a deep commitment to driving systemic improvements in the industry.&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">Finding Purpose at Vestas&nbsp;</h4>
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While her work in renewables had always been engaging, it wasn&rsquo;t until she joined Vestas that she found true passion in the sector. &ldquo;Vestas was where everything clicked for me,&rdquo; she shares. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t just solving technical problems; I was actively contributing to a cleaner planet.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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At Vestas, every day presented a new challenge, and Inna&rsquo;s problem-solving mindset thrived. But beyond the technical aspects, she credits the company&rsquo;s focus&nbsp;on results for fuelling her motivation. &ldquo;Having leaders who genuinely invested in my growth made a huge difference,&rdquo; she notes. &ldquo;It reinforced my drive to push boundaries and deliver impactful results.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">The Power of Leadership and Mentorship&nbsp;</h4>
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While she has celebrated many career achievements, it&rsquo;s the growth of her teams that brings Inna the most pride. &ldquo;Seeing individual high achievers transform into a high-performing team is incredibly rewarding,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;That transition isn&rsquo;t easy, but when it happens, the impact is undeniable.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Her leadership journey, however, hasn&rsquo;t been without its challenges. Recalling her time at Alcoa, she shares how, despite being an Energy Manager and part of the Regional Leadership Team, many initially assumed she was a secretary. &ldquo;It took time for people on-site to see me as an equal,&rdquo; she admits. &ldquo;But once I was able to demonstrate my expertise - helping them achieve their targets and working alongside them - it changed perceptions.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">Accelerating Female Representation in Energy&nbsp;</h4>
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While progress is being made, Inna believes the industry must do more to attract and retain women in energy. &ldquo;Companies need to focus not just on hiring women, but on creating an environment where they want to stay and grow,&rdquo; she emphasises. &ldquo;Mentoring programs and networking events are key to making that happen.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Looking ahead, she is optimistic about the next decade, foreseeing greater gender diversity and inclusion in leadership roles. However, she stresses that action must be taken now. &ldquo;If we&rsquo;re serious about accelerating change, we need to cut the red tape and deliver projects faster,&rdquo; she asserts. &ldquo;That requires focus and determination from everyone in the industry.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">Advice for Future Leaders&nbsp;</h4>
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For those considering a career in renewable energy, Inna&rsquo;s message is clear: passion and resilience are essential. &ldquo;This sector is set to grow significantly over the next five to ten years,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;We need people who are driven to make an impact and willing to push through challenges.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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She is particularly excited about innovations in circularity - ensuring wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage are fully recyclable. &ldquo;Sustainability doesn&rsquo;t end with generation,&rdquo; she points out. &ldquo;Finding ways to recycle components without harming the environment is the next big step.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">Recognising Inclusive Leadership&nbsp;</h4>
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Reflecting on her career, Inna acknowledges the mentors who have shaped her path. One leader stands out, a former mentor at Vestas. &ldquo;She wasn&rsquo;t afraid to show vulnerability,&rdquo; Inna recalls. &ldquo;Her leadership made every team member feel valued and aligned toward a common goal.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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As she looks to the future, Inna is grateful for the journey that has brought her here and remains committed to building diverse, high-performing teams that will drive the energy transition forward. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m honoured to be part of this industry and excited for what&rsquo;s ahead,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Now is the time to accelerate action and make a lasting impact.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW67400295 BCX0">Celebrate With Us:&nbsp;</h4>
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To learn more about our Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy series or to nominate an inspiring individual in the industry for our ongoing Career Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future series view our intro piece <a class="Hyperlink SCXW67400295 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/accelerate-action-women-leading-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. &nbsp;
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 Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy. Inna Kulawiec, Contracts and Commercial Leader at OX2

The energy sector is evolving rapidly, driven by innovation, sustainability, and the need for a cleaner future. But behind every breakthrough, every transition, and every step forward, there are the people making it happen. Their stories, experiences, and career paths shape the industry and inspire the next generation of energy leaders.
That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re launching Career Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future, an ongoing series that spotlights professionals from across the energy sector. From engineers and project managers to sustainability leaders and finance experts, we want to share the diverse perspectives that drive progress in renewable energy, natural resources, and infrastructure as we progress on the energy transition journey together. 
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-outline-level: 3;">Why Get Involved?</h4>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Share Your Story &ndash; Your career journey could provide invaluable insights to those looking to enter or grow in the energy sector.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Build Your Network &ndash; Feature alongside industry peers and engage in meaningful discussions.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Showcase Your Leadership &ndash; Highlight the skills and expertise needed to navigate the energy transition.</li>
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<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-outline-level: 3;">How It Works</h4>
Getting involved is quick and easy. We&rsquo;ve designed a simple Q&amp;A format that allows you to share your insights with minimal time commitment. Once featured, your story will be published and shared widely, helping to elevate your voice and impact in the industry.
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-outline-level: 3;">Nominate Yourself or Someone You Admire</h4>
We&rsquo;re looking for energy professionals at all levels who have inspiring career stories to tell. If you or someone in your network is making a difference in sustainable energy, we&rsquo;d love to hear from you.
Nominate yourself or a colleague here:&nbsp;
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We&rsquo;re excited to partner with our community and amplify the voices shaping the future of energy. 
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Nominations Open - Career Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future

As we continue our "Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy" series in celebration of International Women&rsquo;s Day, we are proud to highlight the stories of remarkable women shaping the energy sector. In this instalment,&nbsp;<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-cann-135372104/">Ella Cann</a>, Manager for Renewable Energy in our Denver office, interviews <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/poojashah157/">Pooja Shah</a>, Senior Consultant in the Renewables and Power Grids Advisory at DNV, discussing her career journey, achievements, and insights into increasing female representation in the industry.
Introduction to Pooja Shah
When Pooja first entered the energy sector, the intersection of engineering and finance in renewables was still evolving. Now a Senior Consultant at DNV, she plays a crucial role in managing technical and financial risk for solar and energy storage projects. &ldquo;My team conducts technical due diligence to support project development and finance, ensuring projects operate safely and reliably while meeting their performance and revenue expectations&rdquo; she explains. Having spent three years at DNV and nearly eight years in the industry, Pooja has navigated a path that blends technical expertise with financial acumen.
Her Path into the Energy Sector
Growing up in India, where coal was the dominant energy source, Pooja was acutely aware of the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions. "From a young age, I saw clean energy as a key solution to climate change," she shares. This passion led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in Power Electronics, eventually moving to the U.S. for a master&rsquo;s in Energy Systems Engineering at Syracuse University, focusing on renewable energy.
Her early career at Kiewit Engineering placed her at the forefront of emerging renewables. "I was part of their growing renewables team, working on some of the first solar and energy storage projects in the U.S.," she recalls. Gaining hands-on field experience, she soon realised the importance of understanding both the technical and financial sides of projects. A fellowship with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute broadened her expertise in policy and finance, setting her up for her current role at DNV, where she bridges the gap between engineering and financial analysis.
Achievements and Career Highlights
One of Pooja&rsquo;s proudest accomplishments is her contribution to large-scale renewable energy projects. "I&rsquo;ve had the privilege of working on some of the largest and most innovative renewable energy projects in North America, impacting local communities positively," she says. But beyond the technical successes, mentorship stands out as a defining aspect of her career. "Seeing young professionals I&rsquo;ve mentored thrive and also become my colleagues is deeply rewarding. Many people supported my journey, and I believe in paying it forward."
Challenges in the Energy Industry
Like many women in energy, Pooja has encountered hurdles. "Early in my career, I was often the only woman in the room," she notes. At times, her ideas were overlooked - only to be acknowledged when repeated by someone else. She also struggled with a common confidence gap: "I hesitated to apply for roles unless I met every requirement. Over time, I built confidence in my voice, thanks to mentors and sponsors who guided me through these challenges."
Increasing Female Representation in Energy
Pooja believes that increasing female representation requires a multi-faceted approach. "Improving hiring and recruitment efforts is just the start. Retention is equally important&mdash;creating an inclusive culture where women feel supported is key," she emphasises. Mentorship and sponsorship programs, she argues, can be transformative in helping women advance into leadership roles. "We also need policies that promote work-life balance to make the industry more accessible for women at different career stages."
Final Thoughts and Advice
For women aspiring to grow within the energy industry, Pooja offers clear advice: "Believe in yourself and apply for opportunities, even if you don&rsquo;t meet every requirement. Seek out mentors and sponsors who can advocate for you. Most importantly, stay curious&mdash;there are so many paths in this industry, and each step expands your impact on the energy transition."
Pooja&rsquo;s journey is a testament to the power of determination, mentorship, and continuous learning. As we celebrate the achievements of women in energy, we hope her story inspires the next generation of leaders to pursue impactful careers in the sector.
Celebrate With Us:
To learn more about our Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy series or to nominate&nbsp;an inspiring&nbsp;individual&nbsp;in the industry&nbsp;for our ongoing&nbsp;Career&nbsp;Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future&nbsp;series view our intro piece&nbsp;<a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/accelerate-action-women-leading-energy/">here</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy. Pooja Shah, Senior Consultant at DNV

The energy sector is evolving fast and we can help you explore your career options.&nbsp;
 <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/">Spencer Ogden</a>, global recruitment experts in sustainability, natural resources, and infrastructure, is partnering with <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://wrisenergy.org/">WRISE</a> to bring together job seekers, hiring managers, and industry leaders for an evening of career growth and connection.
 What to Expect: &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;A session on job search strategies, resume building, and self-advocacy &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Direct access to HR managers and recruiters in the energy sector &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Networking over drink and nibbles&nbsp; Whether you're affected by recent industry layoffs or simply exploring new opportunities, this event is designed to help you navigate the job market with confidence. WRISE has reached out their expansive network of HR Managers and hiring managers to attend the event. If you are active in the market, bring your resume.&nbsp;
 Register now to secure your place to this free event: <a class="Hyperlink SCXW188104324 BCX0" style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/job-networking-in-energy-with-wrise-co-spencer-ogden-tickets-1256837267099?aff=ebdssbdestsearch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/job-networking-in-energy-with-wrise-co-spencer-ogden-tickets-1256837267099?aff=ebdssbdestsearch</a>&nbsp;
If your plans change after you register, we kindly ask that you cancel your event registration in Eventbrite (instructions are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/575010/how-to-cancel-your-free-registration/) to allow others the opportunity to participate. WRISE Colorado events are open to all people who support our mission of advancing women in the renewable energy and sustainability industries and creating equity and fostering inclusion.
 By attending this event, I (i) consent and grant to Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) Colorado and its representatives the right to take photographs and video of me and my property at the WRISE Colorado event I attend, (ii) authorize WRISE Colorado and its affiliates to copyright, use, and publish the same in print and/or electronically, and (iii) I agree that WRISE may use such photographs and video of me with or without my name and for any lawful purpose, including for example such purposes as publicity, illustration, social media, advertising, and web content. Event location: 3530 Brighton Blvd Denver, CO 80202
&nbsp;

Power Up Your Job Hunt in Energy: A Networking Event by Spencer Ogden and WRISE

In continuation of our International Women's Day campaign&nbsp;Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy, we are highlighting the women shaping the future of energy. In this instalment, <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaseymiegel?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACDeQvIB76n4ibJjMFSUcZxFO_Gi05vBHws&amp;lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3BUi%2FS8KjWSD2OOhZeVLl8pA%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kasey Miegel</a>, Team Lead, Perth shares <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-bishop-012b6742" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louise Bishop</a>'s story, Operations Manager &ndash; South at Zinfra, whose career journey has spanned over two decades in the industry. &nbsp;
Before entering the energy sector, Louise spent several years in the finance industry, working in Deloitte&rsquo;s Sales and Marketing Division across Tasmania and Victoria. With a Diploma of Project Management and an alumni status from the Tasmanian Leaders Program, she developed a strong foundation in leadership and strategic thinking. She was also a founding member of the not-for-profit organisation Dress for Success Tasmania. Her passion lies in building and developing strong delivery teams - something that has been central to her success in the energy industry.&nbsp;
A Two-Decade Journey in Energy&nbsp;
Louise recently celebrated 24 years in the energy sector. After moving from Melbourne back to her hometown in Tasmania, she took on a role in the Zinfra project team constructing the gas transmission pipeline between Victoria and Tasmania. From there, she transitioned into operations, returned to Melbourne, and embarked on a career in project management. Now managing $97 million worth of work, Louise is playing a vital role in supporting Australia&rsquo;s evolving energy network as it shifts towards renewable energy solutions.&nbsp;
Finding Purpose in a Changing Industry&nbsp;
Louise admits that 25 years ago, she never envisioned herself working in the energy sector. However, her passion for working with teams and helping others grow seamlessly translated into project management. "I enjoy working with a team of people, helping them develop and grow confidence in themselves and what they&rsquo;re doing," she says. The dynamic nature of the industry, coupled with the continuous opportunities for learning and development, drew her in. Over the years, she has held diverse roles in project management, business development, and operational leadership, always driven by a commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the sector, industry partners, and the wider Australian community.&nbsp;
Proudest Career Achievements&nbsp;
For Louise, the trust and reputation her team has built with clients stand out as one of her greatest professional accomplishments. "We have worked hard to develop trust and demonstrate our capability, which has led to greater opportunities to be involved in the planning and development phase of a number of significant projects," she reflects. With multiple renewable energy initiatives connecting to Victoria&rsquo;s network, Louise is passionate about ensuring sustainability remains at the core of every project. Beyond infrastructure, she is committed to supporting local communities and fostering leadership development within the industry.&nbsp;
Overcoming Challenges and Building Support Systems&nbsp;
Louise acknowledges that her experience in the energy sector has been overwhelmingly positive. She has felt supported and encouraged by her colleagues - many of whom have been male allies who actively set her up for success. "I&rsquo;ve been very fortunate that I have felt supported and encouraged to take on new challenges," she shares. In moments of uncertainty, she has leaned on mentors and female peers for advice and guidance. Recognising the industry&rsquo;s need for more female representation, Louise is proud to work for a company that prioritises diversity and inclusion, ensuring women are not only welcomed but also set up to thrive.&nbsp;
Paving the Way for Future Generations&nbsp;
Looking ahead, Louise believes female representation in energy will continue to grow as women already in the industry share their experiences and uplift others. "I believe that female representation will increase significantly in the coming years, as females currently within the industry use their experiences to encourage and set others up for success," she says. She is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of female leaders and ensuring clear pathways exist for women entering the sector. While energy remains male-dominated, she sees progress and hopes to one day witness project teams where women outnumber men.&nbsp;
Advice for Women Considering a Career in Energy&nbsp;
Louise encourages women to seek out mentors within the industry to understand the vast opportunities available. "The extent of opportunity is enormous, and what Zinfra does really well is utilise your existing skills as the foundation for your career in energy," she explains. The energy sector values diverse skill sets, and Zinfra has successfully integrated professionals from backgrounds in sales, healthcare, agriculture, and even the defence force. Her message to aspiring professionals is simple: "If you are passionate about being part of a growing sector, don&rsquo;t hesitate&mdash;there is a place for you in energy."&nbsp;
Exciting Innovations and Industry Trends&nbsp;
Louise is particularly interested in the potential for greater collaboration between delivery partners, network owners, and developers through holistic risk management approaches. "This would drive better environmental, cultural, sustainable, and innovative project outcomes," she notes.&nbsp;
Championing Change at Zinfra&nbsp;
Currently, Louise is working towards creating a female-majority project delivery team. She is rethinking how projects are structured, especially those that require travel, to improve work-life balance for employees. "Do we have to be away Monday to Friday every week? Or can we work on consolidated blocks to give families a better work-life balance?" she asks.&nbsp;
Accelerating Action for Gender Equality&nbsp;
For International Women&rsquo;s Day, Louise is focused on tangible initiatives to increase female participation in energy. She actively supports recruitment efforts, apprenticeships, and graduate programs to identify and eliminate barriers preventing women from entering the industry. She also challenges energy leaders to integrate diversity and equality as core components of project development strategies. "Challenging everyone in the industry to have diversity and equality as a discipline that is considered in project development and execution strategies is essential," she asserts.&nbsp;
Her Insipirations
Louise draws motivation from the many women she works alongside, observing their adaptability and leadership. "The women I work with and around are my inspiration. Any leader, male or female, needs to be always evaluating and reflecting on their leadership styles," she says. In a constantly evolving sector like energy, she believes that strong leadership - regardless of gender - requires continuous learning and reflection.&nbsp;
A Future of Possibilities&nbsp;
Louise is proud of the progress being made in the energy industry and remains committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable future. As she continues to drive change at Zinfra, she hopes to see more women entering and thriving in the sector. Through mentorship, advocacy, and strategic leadership, she is helping to shape the next generation of energy professionals - ensuring that the industry is not only equipped for the future but also representative of the communities it serves.&nbsp;
Celebrate With Us:
To learn more about our Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy series or to nominate&nbsp;an inspiring&nbsp;individual&nbsp;in the industry&nbsp;for our ongoing&nbsp;Career&nbsp;Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future&nbsp;series view our intro piece&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/accelerate-action-women-leading-energy/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy. Louise Bishop, Operations Manager - South at Zinfra

<h4 class="MsoNormal">Ruth Wilson&rsquo;s Journey in Recruitment and Advocacy&nbsp;</h4>
As part of Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s&nbsp;Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy campaign, we continue to spotlight inspiring women in the energy sector. Through their stories, we celebrate their achievements, challenges, and contributions to the industry while inspiring future generations. In this edition, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarlett-menzies-4ba84b209?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAADT8AQ4BqEmhuUCu4oS_usHY477q17vhfVc&amp;lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3BqdR9TCsQQ%2BKvft%2FGzVS9yg%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scarlett Menzies</a>, Business Manager at Spencer Ogden shares <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-wilson-95b18aa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ruth Wilson's</a> journey, an In-House TA Recruiter at Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions. With a dynamic career spanning recruitment, education, and advocacy, Ruth is making a tangible impact in the sector.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">A Non-Traditional Path into Energy: Ruth's Journey&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>
Ruth&rsquo;s journey into the energy sector wasn&rsquo;t conventional. After graduating from Essex University with a BA Hons in American Studies, she was uncertain about her career path and fell into recruitment. Since 2008, she has worked extensively in the engineering sector, recruiting globally both as an agency and in-house recruiter. However, her career took a temporary shift in 2017 when she returned to university to earn her PGCE and later pursued a Master&rsquo;s in Special Educational Needs while on maternity leave. Though she initially aimed to transition into a specialist teaching role, she found herself drawn back to recruitment, applying her newfound knowledge in an engineering and recruitment capacity.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Navigating Challenges and Breaking Stereotypes&nbsp;</h4>
When Ruth first entered the sector, women were scarce, particularly in technical roles. Her early experiences highlighted a lack of inclusivity - she recalls visiting a site and having to wear male overalls as that was all that was available, with thoughts of inclusion and gender diversity rare. Beyond the physical barriers, she also faced scepticism regarding her understanding of engineering. &ldquo;Many hiring managers didn&rsquo;t think I knew the difference between a piping and mechanical engineer,&rdquo; she shares. &ldquo;It was hard to gain credibility as an external recruiter.&rdquo; Fortunately, a mentor in the industry guided her, teaching her the nuances of engineering disciplines. However, societal expectations persisted, with unsolicited advice such as being told to "dress to impress."&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Finding Purpose in a Dynamic Field&nbsp;</h4>
Despite the challenges, Ruth finds immense fulfilment in her role. &ldquo;No day is the same,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;We work with people, and people are ever-changing.&rdquo; Working for companies that are committed to sustainability and climate action has deepened her passion. At Veolia, she is particularly proud of their mission to fight climate change and develop clean energy solutions. &ldquo;As a parent, this vision really hits home. Our children are the future,&rdquo; she emphasises.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Proudest Achievements: Empowering Women &amp; Overcoming Barriers&nbsp;</h4>
Ruth takes pride in being a role model for young women. &ldquo;I feel I empower others by simply being approachable, real, and matter-of-fact,&rdquo; she says. Her personal achievements include completing a Master&rsquo;s degree during the COVID-19 pandemic while on maternity leave and caring for four children. &ldquo;If that doesn&rsquo;t show project management skills, I don&rsquo;t know what does!&rdquo;&nbsp;
However, her journey has not been without challenges. She has faced stigma due to assumptions about her availability as a parent and was even excluded from promotions and opportunities to travel. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve missed out because decisions were made for me, without my input,&rdquo; she explains. Then a year ago, redundancy reminded her of the biases still present in the industry when being skipped over for opportunities due to being seen as "too senior".&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Driving Change: Increasing Female Representation in Energy&nbsp;</h4>
Ruth believes that change must begin in schools by empowering young girls and providing them with female role models in the sector. However, companies also need to take action. &ldquo;How can businesses claim to prioritise diversity when senior leadership teams are still 80% male-dominated?&rdquo; she asks. She also advocates for mid-career transition programs to help women enter the sector at later stages in life. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d love to see initiatives that support career changes - I might even consider a third career switch myself!&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Words of Advice for Professionals Entering the Sector&nbsp;</h4>
For those considering a career in energy, Ruth&rsquo;s advice is simple yet powerful: &ldquo;Do not be afraid. Use your voice.&rdquo; She encourages those new to the sector to challenge outdated perceptions of engineering and find mentors who can help guide their careers. &ldquo;Network, be open-minded, and always maintain a work-life balance.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Industry Innovations That Excite&nbsp;</h4>
As a proud Northerner from Hartlepool, Ruth is particularly excited about the Net Zero project happening in Teesside. She is eager to see how regional initiatives contribute to the broader sustainability goals of the UK.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Championing Gender Equity at Veolia&nbsp;</h4>
Ruth is deeply involved in driving gender diversity within her company. As the Membership Champion for Veolia&rsquo;s Gender Equity ERG group in the EMEA region, she focuses on growing the group and ensuring it is an equitable space for all employees. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s rewarding to be part of something bigger, pushing for real change,&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Accelerating Action for Women in Energy&nbsp;</h4>
Reflecting on this year&rsquo;s International Women&rsquo;s Day theme, Accelerate Action, Ruth sees the need to "buckle up the seat belt and ensure you are strapped in because real change is needed and we need to get there faster and quicker than ever before" to achieve gender equity. Along with the need to challenge gender roles "As women we are normally the main caregiver and our career tends to stagnate when we have children. But why should it?"  Within Veolia&rsquo;s steering committee, she has helped organise events such as external speaker sessions, menopause workshops, and even a self-defence class to support women in the workplace.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Closing Thoughts: Celebrating Women in Energy&nbsp;</h4>
Though Ruth herself is not an engineer, she takes pride in recruiting professionals who drive change in the sector. &ldquo;I am so flattered to be nominated and so many worthy women deserve the recognition. I am proud of all of us women. Let us continue to be change makers and let us 'accelerate action' in this sector!"&nbsp;
Through her advocacy, leadership, and passion for inclusion, Ruth Wilson is shaping the future of energy recruitment. As we continue this series, we look forward to sharing more stories of remarkable women who are driving progress in the energy sector.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Celebrate With Us:</h4>
To learn more about our Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy series or to nominate&nbsp;an inspiring&nbsp;individual&nbsp;in the industry&nbsp;for our ongoing&nbsp;Career&nbsp;Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future&nbsp;series view our intro piece&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/accelerate-action-women-leading-energy/">here</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy. Ruth Wilson, In-House TA Recruiter at Veolia Water Technologies

<h4 class="MsoNormal">Yasmin Ali on Pioneering the Energy Transition</h4>
As we celebrate International Women&rsquo;s Day, Spencer Ogden is proud to launch Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy, a campaign highlighting the achievements of women making a significant impact in the energy sector. Through this initiative, we are sharing career conversations with some of the trailblazing professionals in the industry, some of which were featured in our <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/100-brilliant-women-in-renewable-energy/">100 Brilliant Women in Renewable Energy</a> list. By amplifying their stories, we aim to inspire the next generation of leaders and celebrate the invaluable contributions of women in the industry.&nbsp;
One such leader is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-ali-a9655426/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yasmin Ali</a>, a Project Development Manager for Batteries at RWE. With a career that has spanned fossil fuels, government energy initiatives, and now large-scale energy storage, Yasmin is a driving force behind the energy transition. She is also the author of <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.amazon.com/Power-Up-Hardcover-Yasmin-Ali/dp/1529382971" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Power Up: An Engineer&rsquo;s Adventures into Sustainable Energy</a>, a book aimed at demystifying the energy sector for non-technical readers. In this conversation, she shares her journey, insights, and vision for the future of renewable energy.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">From Fossil Fuels to Renewables: Yasmin&rsquo;s Journey&nbsp;</h4>
Yasmin&rsquo;s introduction to the energy sector came during a summer work placement at a gas-fired power station. This experience gave her a firsthand understanding of energy&rsquo;s critical role in modern society. Her early career saw her working across coal, oil, and gas, but a growing passion for sustainability led her to pivot towards the energy transition.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The switch was more challenging than I expected,&rdquo; Yasmin reflects. &ldquo;It took nearly a year to find another role, and I had to start from a more junior position. But looking back, I&rsquo;m glad I made the move.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Since then, she has worked on government-led energy innovation programmes, developed green hydrogen projects, and now focuses on battery storage solutions at RWE.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Inspiration and Motivation&nbsp;</h4>
Although Yasmin&rsquo;s entry into energy was somewhat serendipitous, she quickly realised the sector&rsquo;s societal importance. &ldquo;As professionals, we have a responsibility to shift the energy system from fossil fuels to renewables,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;That mission motivates me every day.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Beyond her own work, she has dedicated herself to public engagement&mdash;delivering over a hundred talks, writing for major publications, and appearing on TV and radio to make energy topics more accessible.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Career Milestones and Challenges&nbsp;</h4>
When asked about her proudest career achievements, Yasmin doesn&rsquo;t single out a particular project. Instead, she highlights the success of those around her. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m most proud when I see my team members progressing in their careers, knowing I played a part in their development.&rdquo; She also takes pride in publishing Power Up, a feat that required immense patience and perseverance alongside her demanding career.&nbsp;
However, challenges have been part of the journey too. Breaking into renewables after years in fossil fuels was not easy, but she credits her resilience and professional network for helping her navigate the transition.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Driving Change: Women in Energy&nbsp;</h4>
Yasmin believes that increasing female representation in energy requires more than just hiring more women - it&rsquo;s about creating truly inclusive workplaces. &ldquo;In government, I saw some great initiatives like job shares for senior positions and all roles being advertised as part-time,&rdquo; she notes. &ldquo;At RWE, we&rsquo;ve introduced 12-week paternity leave, which is a great step toward leveling the playing field for career breaks.&rdquo;&nbsp;
She hopes to see a cultural shift over the next decade, ensuring that diversity and inclusion remain at the forefront of industry evolution.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Advice for Aspiring Professionals in Energy&nbsp;</h4>
For those looking to enter the energy space, Yasmin&rsquo;s advice is clear: build a strong support network. &ldquo;Surround yourself with trusted people&mdash;both within and outside your company&mdash;who can offer guidance when you face challenges.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Exciting Industry Innovations and Trends&nbsp;</h4>
As an energy storage professional, Yasmin is particularly interested in the evolution of long-duration energy storage solutions. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s batteries, pumped hydro, or another innovation, I&rsquo;m eager to see which technology becomes the frontrunner,&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;
She is also intrigued by developments in green hydrogen, particularly the electrolysis of saltwater, which could solve fresh water supply issues in hydrogen production. Additionally, she is closely watching how the industry tackles rising energy demands from data centres and decarbonising domestic heating in the UK.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Accelerating Action for a Sustainable Future&nbsp;</h4>
This year&rsquo;s International Women&rsquo;s Day theme, Accelerate Action, resonates with Yasmin. &ldquo;Accelerating action on the energy transition is critical, and to even get close to achieving it, we need participation from everyone in society - including women.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As for role models, Yasmin credits a long list of inspiring women in energy, including colleagues at RWE and pioneers in green hydrogen development. &ldquo;I have worked with and been guided by some incredible role models: Fiona Auty, who heads up the company's power station decarbonisation, Gill Hunter, who leads the UK environment team, and the women pushing green hydrogen forward in the UK: 
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Louise McDonnell</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Zoe Harrison</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Nicole Tang</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Cara Yates</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Karen Fox</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Claire Woodward</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Jasmine Ng</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Erika Sicad</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Amy Bradley</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Becky Simpkins.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Final Thoughts: Communication is Key&nbsp;</h4>
Yasmin concludes with a powerful message: &ldquo;Public engagement is a critical piece of the energy transition. We need people to understand what&rsquo;s being done and why - and to actively participate in the conversation.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, advocacy, and passion for a sustainable energy future. As we celebrate International Women&rsquo;s Day, we recognise the trailblazers like Yasmin Ali who are accelerating action and shaping the future of renewable energy.&nbsp;
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Celebrate With Us: </h4>
To learn more about our Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy series or to nominate an inspiring&nbsp;individual in the industry&nbsp;for our ongoing Career&nbsp;Conversations: Powering A Sustainable Future series view our intro piece <a style="color: #84a44e;" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/blogs/accelerate-action-women-leading-energy/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy. Yasmin Ali, Project Development Manager for Batteries at RWE 

Accelerate Action: Women Leading Energy 

Spencer Ogden: Celebrating 15 Years of Excellence. Creating Careers to Power a Sustainable Future. 

With offices in the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and the US we deliver first-rate recruitment services to key clients across our core sectors - Natural Resources, Sustainability &amp; Infrastructure. Whether you’re thinking about contract positions or permanent roles, we lead the market when it comes to placing talent where it’s needed.  Spencer Ogden’s consultants are experts across our core sectors, knowing the right people for the job – and the right jobs for our people.

Going beyond transactional recruitment

<h2>Going beyond transactional recruitment</h2>

In a landmark moment for the global energy transition, the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreed to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable power and double energy efficiency by 2030. The right talent with the right skills will be key to the energy transition. Spencer Ogden set the standard; we were the first recruitment business to focus on the renewables sector which accounts for over 70% of our business. Along with Sustainability our other two core sectors; Natural Resources and Infrastructure are a continuing part of the energy value chain. The global energy transition is an extremely important and ambitious undertaking, and our depth of experience enables us to partner with and advise our clients who are on this journey.

The Global Energy Transition

We have been setting the PACE since 2010. Our core values: People, Accountability, Collaboration and Excellence have guided us to become the award-winning market leading business that we are today.

As a business cognisant of our impact on the environment and one that is working towards a sustainable future, we are proud to work with two impact partners: Seven Clean Seas, a Bali-based Ocean impact organisation dedicated to ridding the oceans of plastic pollution and Cool Earth; a UK based charity which works with rainforest communities to halt deforestation, increase carbon storage potential, and develop the local community. Read more about our partnerships and the work we are doing with both organisations.

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We love what we do - and we’re proud of it

As global recruitment experts in sustainability, natural resources and infrastructure we are working&nbsp; with our clients and candidates to create careers to power a sustainable future.

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Candidates partner with Spencer Ogden for their next career move for several reasons:

Why Choose Us?

Spencer Ogden supports its contractors throughout the assignment cycle. This includes onboarding through our bespoke contractor portal and a dedicated point of contact who will respond to any queries that arise during an assignment away from your home location.<h4> We're here to support you.</h4>We are committed to ensuring our contractors feel safe and supported and we offer access to our risk preparation tools, as well as emergency SMS or email updates should the assignment be in a high risk location. 24/7 emergency support is also provided for any contractor travelling outside their home country or to an offshore location. We understand that moving somewhere new for a short-term job can be stressful, so we make this as seamless as possible by giving contractors access to our country specific app. This includes information on cultural practices, emergency service information and key local facts and figures, including weather reports. This allows you to focus on your assignment without having to spend time researching your new location.For more information, get in touch with your regional support centre:ASIA: <a href="mailto:ccs.asia@spencer-ogden.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ccs.asia@spencer-ogden.com</a> AUSTRALIA: <a href="mailto:ccs.au@spencer-ogden.com">ccs.au@spencer-ogden.com</a> EMEA: <a href="mailto:emeacompliance@spencer-ogden.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emeacompliance@spencer-ogden.com</a> Germany: <a href="mailto:germanycompliance@spencer-ogden.de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">germanycompliance@spencer-ogden.de</a>

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Spencer Ogden has implemented a seven-step formal recruitment process that is followed by all our&nbsp; consultants globally to ensure an effective recruitment process.

The Recruitment Process

Testimonials

We are proud to provide consistent, high-quality services to our clients and candidates. The case studies below showcase our depth of experience across Sustainability, Natural Resources and Infrastructure.

Case Studies

As global recruitment experts in sustainability, natural resources and infrastructure we are working with our clients to create careers to power a sustainable future. We connect our clients with the right talent and skillset to take your organisation forward. Clients choose to work with Spencer Ogden for several reasons:

Accreditations:

<h6>Bids &amp; Tenders:</h6>Interested in working with Spencer Ogden on a bid or project? Email us <a href="mailto:bids@spencer-ogden.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BIDS@SPENCER-OGDEN.COOM</a>

<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 483.334px;" border="1"><colgroup><col style="width: 50%;"><col style="width: 50%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 466.667px;"><td style="height: 466.667px;">The ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally renowned certification. It recognises the presence of stringent quality-management systems functioning within the operational structure of an organisation. This accreditation emphasises to clients that optimised customer service is a direct result of the management procedures in place. Spencer Ogden was awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification based on the rigorous quality-control procedures and policies built into the company&rsquo;s global framework. The extensive criteria cover the key areas contributing to the delivery of quality management. All levels of management within the company are holistically committed to ensuring these high standards are regularly maintained and</td><td style="height: 466.667px;">monitored; carrying out regular auditing processes such as individual appraisals, team meetings, and management reviews. The company&rsquo;s business objectives have been effectively integrated into the company&rsquo;s long-term quality plan. Not only does this highly respected accreditation provide additional reassurance of Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s operational infrastructure, it also underlines the quality of service we offer. From project inception to delivery, quality is of utmost importance with substantial importance and demonstrated in all areas of the business.</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.6667px;"><td style="height: 16.6667px;">&nbsp;</td><td style="height: 16.6667px;">&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><h6>Bids &amp; Tenders:</h6>Interested in working with Spencer Ogden on a bid or project? Email us <a href="mailto:Bids@spencer-ogden.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BIDS@SPENCER-OGDEN.COM</a>

The ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally renowned certification. It recognises the presence of stringent quality-management systems functioning within the operational structure of an organisation. This accreditation emphasises to clients that optimised customer service is a direct result of the management procedures in place. Spencer Ogden was awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification based on the rigorous quality-control procedures and policies built into the company&rsquo;s global framework. The extensive criteria cover the key areas contributing to the delivery of quality management. All levels of management within the company are holistically committed to ensuring these high standards are regularly maintained and

monitored; carrying out regular auditing processes such as individual appraisals, team meetings, and management reviews. The company&rsquo;s business objectives have been effectively integrated into the company&rsquo;s long-term quality plan. Not only does this highly respected accreditation provide additional reassurance of Spencer Ogden&rsquo;s operational infrastructure, it also underlines the quality of service we offer. From project inception to delivery, quality is of utmost importance with substantial importance and demonstrated in all areas of the business.

ISO 9001:2015 certified

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Our global offices in key areas around the world give our dedicated Mobilisation teams the ability to offer a broad range of support services for the mobilisation, assignment period and de-mobilisation of all contractors. We are here to consult on what you need to do prior to mobilisation, sharing our extensive knowledge of other geographies and different cultures. We are here to make sure the transition into a new territory and job role is a seamless one.&nbsp; We&nbsp; also help you to manage challenging situations for our candidates upon arrival&nbsp; in a new country, so they can&nbsp; feel confident upon starting work when expected.

Over 40% of our contractors have extended or remobilised onto new projects with Spencer Ogden more than once. Our international knowledge, high-risk support and compliant solutions provide the pillars for an exceptional level of service which, in turn, allows us to offer a bespoke end-to-end solution to meet our client’s' needs.

Comprehensive global mobilisation services

Our dedicated Contractor Team offers a flexible range of contractor solutions and global mobilisation. They’ll manage everything or just fill the gaps, from payroll and immigration to accommodation and driving licences. A note on sponsorship: If there’s a suitable contract position available, we can sponsor overseas nationals for the role, subject to the relevant Codes of Practice.

A flexible, autonomous approach

We have invested in providing our clients with support in high-risk locations before travel, during assignment and de-mobilisation post assignment. Working with our partners, Ace and Red24, we provide 24/7 worldwide support for our contractors, which includes the ability to monitor contractor’s locations and provide constant security updates relevant to their assignment. The features we can offer in high risk locations include but are not limited to:<ul><li>Pre-travel risk assessments</li><li>Live travel monitoring</li><li>24/7 emergency support</li><li>Local security support</li><li>Insurance</li><li>Travel support&nbsp;</li></ul>

High-risk locations

<h2>Here to break new ground</h2>Our consultants have access to a unique pool of proactively sourced candidates, building relationships in order to continuously develop our extensive database of&nbsp; hard to find, highly skilled professional technical contractors. Our consultants understand that speed and process is key. By understanding our contractors’ specialist skill sets and aspirations, alongside client requirements, we only get in touch when a job suits both parties. Our clients have exclusive access to our wide network of niche and specialist talent.

Employers &amp; Candidates, find your perfect match. Let’s talk now.

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Our international network of 13 offices ensures we’re registered to operate in your&nbsp; local market. This also means we can provide 24/7 support to contractors and clients in the world’s most challenging locations.

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We pride ourselves on delivering a high quality service to our clients and contractors.

Contractor Care

We pride ourselves on delivering a high quality service to our clients and contractors. We appreciate our reputation is underpinned by our people and always endeavour to make sure the set-up and continuation of a contract goes smoothly. We place equal emphasis on supporting you throughout your contract as we do in securing the role for you in the first place.&nbsp; We will always be available if you need anything along the way, and our integrated Recruitment, HR and Time-sheeting systems means that our consultants and finance teams can answer and deal with any queries quickly, with key information about your contract always on-hand.&nbsp; Explore below to help guide you, whether you are new to contracting, or an existing or seasoned contractor.

A reputation underpinned by our people.

<h2>Here to break new ground</h2> Our consultants have access to a unique pool of proactively sourced candidates, building relationships in order to continuously develop our extensive database of&nbsp; hard to find, highly skilled professional technical contractors. Our consultants understand that speed and process is key. By understanding our contractors’ specialist skill sets and aspirations, alongside client requirements, we only get in touch when a job suits both parties. Our clients have exclusive access to our wide network of niche and specialist talent.

Contractor Solutions

Our recruiters are experts in their field so they can help you with your job search.

Sectors

​We are proud to highlight our open recruitment process in each job advert that we share. We encourage individuals within neurodiverse or LGBTQIA+ communities, or those with any other protected characteristic, to apply to our job advertisements. We understand the difficulties that some individuals face in applying for work, therefore we commit to ensuring any reasonable adjustments are granted.

Recruitment and selection

We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees, contractors, workers, and job applicants. We believe a diverse workforce powers innovation and is vital to our success and we recognise the importance in creating an environment where everyone is treated fairly. ​We ensure our hiring and internal development processes are inclusive and meritocratic, recognising the importance of equity in the success of our teams. Our ED&amp;I board regularly review ways that we can improve, with representation from all areas of our business leading these discussions. As of 2023, we are a Disability Confident Employer (level 1) and are in the process of achieving level 2 status. ​By putting ED&amp;I at the heart of our development, we create a safe and welcoming environment to work in.

We mean business when it comes to the development of our people. We strive to create diverse, and inclusive teams worldwide. Our global award-winning learning and development function is designed to give our people the opportunity to thrive in their chosen roles at Spencer Ogden.

Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion

Workforce composition and promotions are monitored to ensure equality of opportunity at all levels of the company. Where appropriate, steps are taken to identify and remove unjustified barriers and to meet the requirements of disadvantaged or underrepresented groups. Managers are given appropriate training on equal opportunities and selection best practice.

Progression and development

In November 2020, Spencer Ogden joined forces with seven other recruitment companies to create Programme One; A revolutionary initiative which works to remove entry barriers for underrepresented, Black minorities across the recruitment industry. Through a structured mentorship programme, members of our teams have benefitted, both as mentors and mentees, to gain the help they need to succeed in recruitment.&nbsp; ​Programme One&rsquo;s strategic ambition sets out to remove the barriers to recruitment for 500 or more Black recruiters into our sector annually.&nbsp;In 2023, our partnership developed even further, and we now actively work with Programme One to recruit into our offices. We hope to build this relationship further and continue to promote diversity and opportunity. ​If you would like additional information, support, or advice, please contact us at: <a href="mailto:info@programmeone.com">info@programmeone.com</a>

Programme One

​LGBTQIA+ is our newest network. We encourage our employees both new and old are to get involved in when they join! Our LGBTQIA+ Network&rsquo;s mission is to celebrate and embrace the LGBTQ+ community while providing a support network for LGBTQ+ employees. This network aims to drive individual and collective accountability for progressive workplace change. The network has achieved a lot since beginning its journey, the types of changes are below.<ul><li>Joined forces to attend the first ever peer-to-peer LGBTQ+ professional business network, &lsquo;Campaign&rsquo; launched by Pod Talent, specifically for professionals in the recruitment industry</li><li>Raised understanding internally, including the importance of pronouns on email signatures and LinkedIn</li><li>Celebrating awareness days such as LGBTQ+ history month and Pride&nbsp;</li><li>Fundraising through our peer-to-peer recognition scheme to support LGBTQ+ Mosaic Young Persons Trust who works to support, educate and inspire London&rsquo;s LGBTQ+ youth</li><li>Sharing LGBTQ+ language internally to educate our people on LGBTQ+ language</li></ul>

Our Networks

We are powering the global energy transition by creating careers across the entire energy value chain from generation to distribution and the infrastructure to support this and the growing population.

Powering the global energy transition

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Making A Positive Impact

Environmental, Social &amp; Governance

We are always looking to demonstrate our market expertise to help fine tune your recruitment plans and business strategies.

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The case studies below demonstrate the exceptional service we apply to every placement.

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Specialists in placing Leading Talent across the world in

Partnerships to Power a Sustainable Future

Over the past 13 years, our business has had a positive impact on candidates and clients in parallel with our own journey to success. Our ESG pillars support us in our endeavours as we focus on corporate social responsibility, supporting the natural environment in which we live and work, while upholding high ethical standards. ​At Spencer Ogden, we commit to going beyond standard requirements to support our sustainability objectives. We hold ourselves accountable for the environmental impact our business operations have on the environment, recognising that elements such as heating and business travel negatively impact on our CO2 emissions. Therefore, we have invested in carbon credits to offset that impact. In 2021, we successfully became a carbon neutral business, certified by Climate Partner. However, we want to go further and do more.

Making A Positive Impact

​This year, we proudly pledge to become carbon net-zero by 2030 and have signed up to the Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi) to achieve this goal. We have purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in addition to carbon credits, to actively reduce our scope two emissions. Our Denver office&rsquo;s electricity supply runs solely from 100% wind-sourced renewable energy. &nbsp; Additionally, as of 2021, we are a carbon neutral business. As we continue our development in the renewable energy industry, we understand the value in integrity of environmental consciousness in business. That is why we have also added the below initiatives to reduce our environmental impact: <ul><li>Established an ESG Committee with global, cross-departmental, and multi-level representation</li><li>Outlined a clear sustainable travel policy governing the requirements of essential business travel</li><li>Assigned Energy Champions in each region to lead our transition to green energy</li></ul>

​Our Pledge To Net-Zero

Our mission is 'To leverage our global position and conduct socially and environmentally responsible business which benefits communities and follows clear principles of equitability, diversity, progression, and sustainability'.

Environmental, Social &amp; Governance

Spencer Ogden is proud to work with two impact partners who both support environmental and social development to create a better world for future generations. To increase our positive impact, and donations, each partnership is creatively integrated with the internal performance of our teams.

Our Charity Partners

Improving our global impact and the projects we support is governed in line with our endorsement of the following UNSDGs:

​UN Sustainable Development Goals

When we think about what defines us, we think about the way in which our business is governed and the standards we hold ourselves accountable for. Our resolute compliance team strive continuously to ensure our contractors, bids and overall processes protect the best interests of our clients, candidates, and employees. Our ESG team ensures environmental standards are governed and maintained with integrity. The quality of our business operations has been reinforced by our ISO 9001:2015 accredited status which we have held since 2015. Our Quality Management team rigorously audit internal performance across relevant departments to ensure our standards, from onboarding to leadership and introduction to agreement, is the highest it can be. Our commitment to reducing our environmental impact is bolstered by our ISO 14001:2015 accreditation. It forms the basis for our environmental governance and wider environmental strategy, focusing on emissions reductions, waste management, and transitioning to renewable energy. We aim to facilitate environmental change through our work with clients leading the energy transition, as well as our actions internally. Following the challenges presented by the Covid 19 pandemic, we have updated and expanded our risk register and mitigation framework to ensure we anticipate and plan for future liabilities. Our commitment to our people and partners rests upon our ability to ensure our longevity in developing surroundings and markets. As a result of this, we regularly review and calculate our responses to all risks we encounter as a business

Governance

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People.

Over 65% of our current leadership team started as trainee consultants.

Spencer Ogden offers unparalleled progression opportunities and is recognised as the best in class learning and development curriculum worldwide. It&rsquo;s designed to support the advancement and growth of our people by aligning our training programs at every level of employment.

When you join Spencer Ogden, you will be provided with a dedicated career framework and supported by a development plan. This clearly outlines what you need to do to achieve your next promotion, gain a pay increase and where and how you can develop yourself as you progress through the stages.

#GrowWithSo

We mean business when it comes to the development of our people. Our global award-winning learning and development function is designed to give all our people the opportunity to thrive in their chosen roles at SO.

Grow with us

Success Stories.

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Grow with Spencer Ogden

<h2>Featured Jobs</h2>

Featured Jobs

Creating Careers to Power a Sustainable Future

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We celebrate our success with regular competitions, incentives and parties. From top biller&rsquo;s lunches at some of the best restaurants local to your Spencer Ogden office, to an all-expenses paid weekend away where you can expect to visit some of the most desirable places. Previous locations have included Las Vegas, Morocco and Bali.

Our Rewards

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/spencerogden_apac/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow us #LIfeatSO</a>

Find Us

Life at SO is more than recruitment. We’re a collective group of doers, movers and shakers and our culture is a crucial aspect to our success. While we do work hard, we also know how to have fun along the way.

Life at SO

#LifeAtSO

A career at Spencer Ogden is more than just recruitment. We have created a culture and an environment where the development of our people and their wellbeing is at the forefront of our focus.

It's more than just recruitment.

Our Perks.

With decades of experience our senior leaders manage the strategic direction and operations of our company.

Our Leadership Team

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Joining Spencer Ogden means you are here because you want to build a meaningful career where you can make a difference, and where difference is valued as part of a diverse and inclusive culture. You’re also here to help us to power a sustainable future. We’ve grown faster than the market and with our world class training programmes, you’ll learn and grow at the same pace. Having become the pioneering recruiter in the energy and infrastructure sector, we are uniquely placed to support that vital transition to clean, green energy. But the job is far from done. Join us and become a part of something much bigger.​

<h2>Build a meaningful career at SO</h2>

Spencer Ogden is an award-winning specialist global energy and infrastructure recruitment company. We’re powered by leading industry experts who have helped us to grow an international network that unlocks opportunities for all of those we work with.

Work For Us

The offices listing below are currently hiring, click to explore the job opportunities that fit your region.

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Cool Earth’s work with rainforest communities builds education and sanitation infrastructure in Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), prioritising community-led, adaptable support in each location.Our support for Cool Earth intertwine’s with the recognition and reward aspect of our culture here at Spencer Ogden, particularly our internal peer-to-peer PACE recognition scheme. For each <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/our-values?source=google.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.spencer-ogden.com/our-values?source=google.com" data-sk="tooltip_parent">PACE</a> recognition given globally between peers, Spencer Ogden commits to donating £3 towards supporting Cool Earth’s work in the rainforests. So, every time our colleagues recognise each other’s performance in line with our company (PACE) values, they can be proud to have supported environmental and social change at the same time!<h5>Since our partnership began, we have donated over £9,786; the equivalent of protecting 915 trees, building toilets and sanitation facilities in 2 schools or health centres, or covering enrolment and book costs for over 271 students for a year. Our 2023 goal is to increase our partnership by identifying new ways we can partner to reach our target donation amount of £4,785.</h5>

Spencer Ogden x Cool Earth

71% of the earth’s surface is water and 11m tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. Seven Clean Seas (SCS) build scalable solutions for plastic pollution. Starting in Singapore as a community organisation they now have global reach with worldwide funding towards their pioneering ocean and river cleaning technologies. Spencer Ogden have participated in multiple volunteering programmes, clearing beaches in Singapore and most recently we took part on an impact trip to Batam, Indonesia where members of our team witnessed firsthand the on the ground solutions SCS are putting in place to tackle plastic pollution.This partnership is mutually beneficial to our people, the oceans, and the sustenance of jobs in Asia. We have committed to fight the ocean plastic pollution crisis through plastic offsetting. For every successful candidate placed into a job, Seven Clean Seas will remove 1kg of plastic from the ocean.<h5>Together, we have removed over 10,261kg of plastic since 2021, and have aligned our 2023 target of 6173kg with our corporate growth budget. As we grow, so does our partnership and we look forward to supporting Seven Clean Seas even further in their development.</h5>

Spencer Ogden x Seven Clean Seas

<h2>Our Partners</h2>The global energy transition highlights the importance of having a positive impact on the environment in which we live and work. As a business who are creating careers to power a sustainable future, we are extremely cognisant of this.&nbsp;We are proud to partner with: Seven Clean Seas, a Bali-based Ocean impact organisation dedicated to ridding the oceans of plastic pollution and Cool Earth; a UK based charity which works with rainforest communities to halt deforestation, increase carbon storage potential, and develop the local community.

Spencer Ogden is proud to work with two impact partners who both support environmental and social development to create a better world for future generations.

Charity Partners

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We deliver tailored recruitment solutions across three key areas within the built environment sector: power generation, power distribution and civil infrastructure. The global population is forecast to grow to 9.8 billion in 2050 with more than half of the population in Asia, and a larger population requires more infrastructure. The global energy transition will also require a huge amount of infrastructure and Spencer Ogden are providing the best talent to power this.

Building a Resilient Energy Infrastructure

Infrastructure Careers

Jobs in Infrastructure

Related News &amp; Market Updates

Organisations we work with

ISO 9001:2015

We have offices in strategic locations across the globe, allowing our experienced recruitment consultants in Oil &amp; Gas, Chemicals and Sustainable Materials to fulfil our client&rsquo;s requirements across the full spectrum of the industry. We supply across three main areas in the Oil &amp; Gas industry: upstream, which handles the exploration and production of oil and gas; downstream which deals with refining, distribution and supply of products; and chemicals, which covers the production, and supply of petrochemical products.

<h2>Harnessing Natural Resources</h2>

Natural Resources Careers

Jobs in Natural Resources

Privacy Policy

Programme One

Safety

Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

Spencer Ogden are powering the global energy transition. Our worldwide renewable energy network which gives us access to the talent our clients need, combined with the high-calibre projects our candidates are looking for, allows us to be at the forefront of sustainability recruitment. Our renewable energy recruitment consultants are well positioned to support our customers looking for careers in sustainability across all phases of the project life cycle, from financial inception to operational execution.