Green Careers Week 2023 – Working in EV Charging

To mark Green Careers Week 2023, we share an overview of what sort of careers you can enter in the EV charging industry.

Green Careers Week was launched by National Careers Week, STEM Learning and the UK Space Agency. It aims to raise awareness of green careers in all industries and provide ‘young people with an insight into careers that specifically protect the environment and will help the UK achieve its pledge of reaching Net Zero by 2050.’

Electric mobility is one of the pillars of a greener future, and charge point operators are accelerating the global transition to electric vehicles (EVs) by building reliable public and private EV charging networks for drivers.

Being in the EV charging industry does not just mean working on site to install a charge point, however. In this blog to mark Green Careers Week 2023, we:

Look at what a ‘green career’ is and why Green Careers Week is important
Spotlight the many career opportunities open to people entering the EV charging industry

What is a ‘green career’?

A ‘green career’ is considered to be ‘any career that helps the UK work towards net zero’.

This could be within industries that are traditionally associated with net zero or that directly challenges climate change, such as working in the renewable energy, ecology, biodiversity and electric vehicle sectors. In 2018, there were only 185,000 people working full-time in England’s low-carbon and renewable energy economy. In 2030, across England it is predicated there could be 694,000 ‘direct jobs’ in the low-carbon and renewable energy economy, which is set to rise to over 1.18 million by 2050.

Or, you could be a sustainability manager, policy advisor, or project manager in a non-environmental focused company, bringing about positive changes to help companies become more sustainable. For example, a building performance architect or analyst looks at how emissions can be reduced through the built environment and works on sustainable design strategies. A sustainability consultant identifies ways to reduce a company’s impact on the environment.

Why is Green Careers Week necessary?

A 2021 study by Bath University highlighted 59% of children and young people surveyed were ‘very or extremely worried about climate change’, whilst nearly half said ‘the way they feel about climate change adversely affects their day-to- day lives.’ 48% of those who discussed with others about climate change ‘felt ignored or dismissed’.

Green Careers Week 2023 is pivotal for showing young people who are interested in challenging environmental degradation and climate change how they can do so in the world of work and empowering them to consider a green career in the future.

Working at Mer

In the UK, Mer’s workforce is made up of over 100 dedicated employees who bring unique skills and experiences to help deliver Mer’s mission: to make electric mobility easy and accessible for everyone.

As a collective, we are facilitating electric mobility uptake by installing and operating EV chargers across the UK for businesses, local authorities, commercial landowners and fleets. By building a robust, accessible and comprehensive EV charging network, we are helping to reduce carbon emissions from road transport and realise the UK’s ambition to create a net zero transportation system.

So, what careers are available at a charge point operator like Mer?

Sales, Business Development & Analysis

Our Sales team is responsible for acquiring new customers, building a pipeline of opportunities for building out EV charging for both public and private use, and managing ongoing projects to ensure client needs are met and projects are delivered effectively. They also represent Mer at events and industry trade shows. Our team is made up of sales associates, business development managers, bid and tender coordinators and project managers, along with our support team of data analysts who ensure the commercial integrity of our deals.

Operations

Our Operations team is made up of engineers, electricians, installers, project managers, maintenance and support staff who are responsible for the installation, operation and management of our charge points.

Working in Operations might mean you are out in the field overseeing an EV charging installation, completing site surveys, applying for points of connection, managing our network via the back office, facilitating roaming agreements, or supporting customers charging on our network and answering driver queries.

Product Management

This team ensures we are at the cutting edge of innovation and development. This includes developing new products for market, and ensuring our business runs efficiently.

Marketing

The Marketing department helps to facilitate Mer’s mission by spreading the company’s vision and message, supporting drivers registered on our network with helpful content about using our charge points, and aiding the Sales team in acquiring new clients.

The Marketing team run campaigns, look after the website, social media and events, create blogs, case studies, and videos, execute photography, digital advertisement and graphic design, and more.

Other departments

At Mer, we also have staff working across Human Resources, Finance, IT, Legal, and Sustainability.

Human Resources – Responsible for recruitment, onboarding and training, internal communications, supporting the growth and development of the team, providing HR advice and guidance, and implementing policies and procedures.
Finance – Takes care of financial reporting, audits, budgeting, ensures suppliers and customers are paid, and more.
IT – From software development to cyber security, the IT department is integral for ensuring the smooth running of internal technological systems.

Legal – Roles involve negotiating commercial contracts, overseeing the acquisition of land rights, negotiating terms and conditions in tenders, and much more.
Sustainability – The team’s work involves looking at sustainability across all areas of Mer, helping us to reduce our impact on the environment and supporting employees in learning more about sustainable business practise.