Hollie Scott 27 March 2026

ISG Recruitment 2026 – ˗ Stakeholder Engagement, Vulnerability, Social Impact and the Charity Sector

2026 ISG recruitment

Independent Stakeholder Group

Your opportunity to shape the future

The North of England’s gas distributor, Northern Gas Networks (NGN) Independent Stakeholder Group (ISG ) is recruiting new members.  Established in 2018, the group helped to shape two customer focused business plans (2021-26 and 2026-2031) and is providing ongoing challenge to ensure delivery of the plans continues to meet stakeholders’ needs.

The Opportunity

We are looking to refresh the group and are seeking to appoint a new members with specialisms in:

  • Stakeholder Engagement, Vulnerability, Social Impact and the Charity Sector

who are able to scrutinise Northern Gas Networks’ current and future business plan. The ISG is a diverse group of people who are passionate about the value of customer led services and who are willing to share their skills, expertise and experience to help create a gas network fit for the future.

The ISG is an independent group that monitors and challenges NGN to make sure it continues to meet stakeholder’s and customers’ needs.

The Role

As a member, you will help ensure that NGN’s business decisions, customer services and wider delivery remain grounded in robust stakeholder insight and real customer need.

You will be expected to:

  • challenge how NGN engages with stakeholders and how effectively that engagement is used in decision-making
  • scrutinise support for customers in vulnerable situations and the fairness and accessibility of services
  • bring insight on social inclusion, fuel poverty, vulnerability, digital exclusion, social impact assessment and the voluntary or charity sector
  • review how NGN demonstrates impact, additionality, value for money and transparency in relevant programmes, including VCMI-related activity

About you

We are looking for someone who can bring senior level experience and independent judgement, ideally gained in one or more of the following areas:

  • stakeholder engagement and stakeholder strategy
  • vulnerability, fuel poverty, social inclusion or consumer advocacy
  • social return on investment, social value or impact evaluation
  • leadership within the charity, voluntary, community or social enterprise sector
  • customer service, customer insight or inclusive service design in a regulated or public service environment.

You should be able to analyse complex issues, challenge constructively, and translate customer and stakeholder needs into clear scrutiny questions and practical recommendations.

A strong understanding of the North of England, or experience relevant to NGN’s operating area, would be helpful.

By getting involved you will have the opportunity to:

  • Assess and challenge the implementation of Northern Gas Network’s Business plan for 2026-31
  • Ensure that stakeholder and customer views reflected in NGN’s proposed outcomes for 2026-31 are carried out;
  • Ensure that the needs of millions of customers, including the most vulnerable, are truly reflected in the services they receive;
  • Contribute to both the local and national drive to innovate and decarbonise a vital element of the UK’s energy mix

To fulfil your duties as a board member we would need:

  • Your expertise and knowledge in one of the above specialist areas combined with your ongoing intellectual curiosity providing independent, constructive and evidence-based challenge in the public interest;
  • You to be located within or have a deep understanding of NGN’s geographical area and business;
  • Your attendance at a 1-day induction event and capacity to attending ISG bi-monthly meetings 3 x held in person across NGN’s region and 3 x online, stakeholder events, subgroup meetings on specialist topics, and other related activities up to 20 days a year, with the potential to increase by mutual agreement; and
  • Your commitment to serve for a term of two years, (with the potential to renew)

Remuneration:

We remunerate group members either at a specific agreed day rate or other arrangements through their organisation.

We actively welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability across the NGN region.

Interested in joining us?

We will be looking to speak to interested parties in May with a view to new panel members joining in July.

To arrange an informal discussion with the Chair Brian Matthews please email istg@northerngas.co.uk.

To apply, please submit a covering letter briefly outlining why you are interested in this opportunity and what area(s) of expertise you feel you could bring as well as a copy of your CV to istg@northerngas.co.uk by 10th April.

Background

NGN at a glance

Since Northern Gas Networks started operating in 2005, they have been leading the way as one of the most cost-efficient of the UK’s gas distribution networks.

Northern Gas Networks is recognised as a dynamic, passionate, people focused team that safely and reliably delivers gas to over 2.9 million homes and businesses across the North East, northern Cumbria and much of Yorkshire.

NGN directly employs around 1,600 people and provides regular work to around 800 contractors.  NGN’s engineers are out on the streets 365 every year carrying out planned and unplanned upgrades and responding to gas emergencies to keep customers connected and make sure they stay safe.

Northern Gas Networks is heavily regulated by Ofgem and much of their funding comes from homeowners’ energy bills so it’s important that they are constantly pushing forwards and finding new ways to meet the needs of their customers.  At the heart of that is stakeholder engagement and making sure NGN priorities meet those of the people they serve.  Without this guidance they can’t meet their aims of providing excellence in customer service.

NGN and the ISG

“The ISG has played a key role in helping us to keep the voice of our customers at the centre of our plans.  This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of the energy mix for the north of England and I look forward to continuing to work closely with the ISG to ensure our stakeholders are at the heart of our business decisions.” Mark Horsley, Chief Executive Officer at Northern Gas Networks