(Senior) Manager Grid Capacity, Belgium

Join a fast-growing, listed company with a purpose! Fastned owns and operates a growing network of fast charging stations across Europe, allowing electric vehicle drivers to charge their car with 100% green energy from the sun and wind in just 15 minutes. Our mission is to accelerate the transition towards sustainable mobility by giving freedom to electric drivers. Our goal is a European network of 1,000 fast charging stations in prime locations. We have recently been awarded “Best Charging Network” in the UK, France and the Netherlands. If you want to make a difference and work in an informal, international scale-up environment with future prospects, then read on!

Your role

As Manager Grid Capacity, you ensure Fastned can secure and optimise power supply for our stations in Belgium by acquiring suitable grid connections for all projects, including those in areas with significant grid congestion. You will be the key point of contact for grid operators, lead the development of practical congestion solutions and coordinate internal and external stakeholders to land the best solution for each project.

In concrete terms, this means you:

• Assess grid constraints for each project and define a suitable connection concept (e.g. standard connection, dynamic contracts, alternative supply or storage solutions).

• Develop and maintain a practical “toolbox” of approaches to deal with grid congestion that can be reused across projects.

• Contribute to a coherent strategy towards public and regulatory stakeholders on grid capacity and congestion, together with Public Affairs colleagues in Belgium and other markets.

• Act as the internal expert on grid congestion and align with internal project stakeholders so grid solutions are reflected in project scope, timeline and budget.

• Share lessons learned and best practices to continuously improve how we deal with grid capacity challenges.

• Build and manage strategic partnerships with external providers offering grid solutions, and work with technical experts to integrate solutions such as battery storage and energy management systems where they add value, including the set-up of pilot initiatives and translating pilot learnings into scalable, long-term implementations.Together with other colleagues, manage relationships and requests with Belgian grid operators for grid connections to new stations.

• Drive strategic grid and flexibility projects, standardising successful approaches and ensuring alignment across internal teams.

This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys combining technical understanding, commercial thinking and stakeholder management, and who has a very strong drive to turn ideas into real-world results in a fast-moving environment. This role plays an important part in Fastned’s ability to expand our network and deliver on our mission, and you’ll learn from and contribute to experts across different markets.

Your profile

You are a hands-on problem-solver who enjoys navigating complexity together with others. You are comfortable taking decisions even when not all information is available and you like turning ambiguity into concrete, practical results.

You are a great fit for this role if you bring:

• At least 5 years of relevant work experience, preferably in the energy sector or related infrastructure projects, ideally with exposure to grid connections, flexibility or power systems.

• A relevant engineering background (e.g. electrical, energy, industrial or similar).

• Proven project management experience: coordinating multiple stakeholders, timelines and deliverables.

• Strong commercial judgement: you can weigh cost, risk and impact of different technical options.

• A can-do attitude and high energy level; you are not afraid to take ownership and push through obstacles.

• A very strong drive to get things done and move projects forward, even when not everything is perfectly defined, while staying open to feedback and new information.

• Strong communication and stakeholder skills in a multi-disciplinary, international setting.

• Fluent in French and Dutch.

It’s a plus (not a must) if you have:

• Direct experience working at or with a grid operator.

• Experience with battery energy storage systems (BESS), EMS or other flexibility solutions.

Even if you don’t meet every single requirement but feel excited about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.

What we offer

We work hard to make a positive impact, but we don't forget to recognise & celebrate our successes, big and small. We focus on work-life balance, provide genuine work flexibility, and have family-friendly policies in place. Our benefits package includes:

• A total of 37 holidays per year, including 5 extralegal Fastned holidays and 12 compensation days. As well as two mission days you can use to contribute to Fastned mission or to support a cause that is important to you.

• A paid pension plan, fully covered by Fastned.

• Premium Hospitalization Insurance by DKV.

• Eco-cheque vouchers every year.

• 2 days of vegetarian lunches in our office in Gent, snacks & drinks all day in the office.

• €8 meal vouchers per working day.

• A training and development budget of €3,000 per year per employee, because development and training are important to us and our sector offers endless opportunities.

• Stock option plan: we believe in shared value creation.

• Mental Wellbeing with nilo health: Access to a confidential mental health platform offering 1-on-1 coaching with psychologists, group sessions, and a variety of digital self-care tools.

• Enjoy a sponsored membership providing flexible access to a wide network of gyms, fitness classes, and wellness facilities across Belgium. 

• Going the extra mile for parents: Beyond offering paid parental leave that goes well above the legal minimum, we provide personalised coaching through Foundree to support your well-being and confidence at every stage of your parental journey.

• Other perks include food and drinks available all day at the office, various social gatherings, and exciting yearly company trips!

Interested? Apply today!

Let’s have a chat! Send us your CV and share why you’re excited about speeding up the energy transition and joining our mission to provide freedom to electric drivers! 

The application process will consist of these steps:

1. Online interview with one of our recruiters;

2. Online interview with the Lead Construction BE and the Field Engineer BE;

3. Assignment interview in our Ghent office with the Lead Construction BE, the Director of Construction and the Grid Manager NL; Followed by a coffee chat with local key team members.

Then, it’s time to welcome you on board to Fastned!

If you have questions or need further information regarding your application, please contact our recruitment team via recruitment@fastned.be.

Fastned stands for equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, neurodiversity, disabilities, parental status or any other protected characteristic that makes you unique