One of the most rewarding aspects of working in the renewables sector is the sense of purpose it brings. Every day, you’re contributing to a healthier planet and brighter future for communities worldwide. Whether you’re driving sustainable change or directly supporting local communities, your role has a meaningful impact on both people and the environment.
Lorraine Haugh gets to do just that in her role as Community Relationship Officer for SSEN Transmission. As a subsidiary of clean energy provider, SSE plc, the company supports a more sustainable future through renewables.
Throughout her time working in a company focused on sustainability, Lorraine has also created a more sustainable future for herself – through a meaningful career, skill development, avenues to explore her areas of interest, and life outside of work. Interestingly, she only entered the industry a few years ago.
“Working in a new role can be daunting when you’re coming from a different background. But, like everything in life, if you take the time to learn, you’ll eventually pick it up – just as I’ve learned the terminology and gained new project opportunities working in the industry.”
Finding her feet
Lorraine’s career journey hasn’t always been a straight shot. Previously, she was made redundant just before one of the most challenging periods to secure a permanent role – the pandemic.
“I managed to secure a temporary role in the public sector, which kept me going. When I reached out to my LinkedIn network, I discovered a Business Support Administrator role with SSE Energy Solutions. By researching the company, I discovered I had shared values, making me excited about the opportunity. When I applied, I was delighted to be offered the position.”
Within a few months of joining the business, Lorraine was promoted to Personal Assistant to two directors – a role she felt was within her comfort zone. But she quickly discovered the company was a place she could push herself with new challenges.
“The company is growing at speed so there are many opportunities daily. I wondered what type of job would suit my skill set. So, when a Project Coordinator role came up at SSEN Transmission, I thought it would be a great fit to help me develop my skills and push me in a new direction.”
Admittedly, the move was a little daunting for her, being so new to the industry and coming from an unfamiliar background for the role.
“But I made it work, continually learning, collaborating with project teams and recording meetings. This enabled me to build a good foundation of knowledge on all aspects of a transmission project. I also had great opportunities to visit substations and overhead line projects to see first-hand the infrastructure we built.”
As a Project Coordinator, she gained exposure to many different project teams, including engineering, environment, land, and communities. But she was particularly drawn to communities.
“I spoke to a few members in this team to better understand their work. This sparked my interest, so I added it to my personal development plan and goals. With encouragement from my manager, I increasingly got more involved with the communities team by attending and supporting public events, which was an invaluable experience.”
Working with communities
Lorraine’s exploration of this new area of interest was fortuitous. Earlier this year, she discovered a new Community Relationship team was being established, with new roles as Community Relationship Officers.
“I was lucky enough to be offered one of the positions. I’ve been in this job for some time now, and absolutely love the variety of work and all the new skills I’ve developed and continue to develop.”
Her team has five members, and the past six months have been busy. Some have joined project teams on a range of public consultations.
“I love supporting these events, meeting more project team members, and connecting with local residents.”
Lorraine is also excited about the opportunities to innovate in this space, and shares a recent win for her and her team in the UK Customer Experience Awards 2024, where they received a Bronze Award for ‘Best Use of AI:
“I had the privilege of being part of the project team developing a cutting-edge AI tool which delivers faster and more accurate data analysis of stakeholder feedback received through our public consultations and in correspondence about our proposals received by our team. We achieved Bronze at the UK Customer Experience Awards 2024 for ‘Best Use of AI.’ Now, I’m involved in supporting this tool. Other new skills include updating the project websites, responding to stakeholder queries, and supporting our stakeholder engagement system.”
The acknowledgement is a fantastic step for Lorraine and SSEN, especially as they continue to deliver their SSEN Transmissions Digitalisation Action Plan.
Growing flexibly
Reflecting on her tenure with SSE, Lorraine spotlights how employee benefits and flexibility have supported her career growth and family life.
“Flexible working is extremely important to me as a single mum to my daughter. Her father and I share custody, so I can attend the office while she’s with him, or work from home when she’s at school. I’m also close by in case of emergencies – since I’ve had to take her to medical appointments, flexible work enables me to make up the time so I’m able to do this.”
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She also shares that many well-being groups are available, such as the Menopause community and Gender Balance initiatives.
“We also have a Sharesave scheme – where you commit to saving a fixed sum over a set period to purchase company shares at a discounted price. I’ve been contributing regularly and look forward to reaping the rewards soon! I’ve also signed up for our Enabling Transmission Careers programme – which will help me to build my confidence, grow my network, reflect on my career, and shape my future direction.”
Creating your own definition of success
For Lorraine, there are plenty of successes to celebrate, big and small, both inside and outside of work.
Taking the time for self-care activities also enables her to bring her best self to work.
“Success also means starting my day with a walk, having a lunch break, and getting out for some exercise. This helps to clear my head, ensures I’m more productive throughout the day to achieve our team goals, gives me a feeling of accomplishment when I tick off tasks on my to-do list, and enjoy experiencing new things every day.”
Lorraine recommends that you don’t live with regret if you want others to achieve your version of success, whatever that may be”.
“I wish I’d had the confidence to leave my comfort zone much earlier in my career… but better late than never! Don’t wait. Say yes to new opportunities when they come knocking.”
