Commercial adviser — Alexandra Lawson

After studying chemical engineering at the University of Strathclyde, Alexandra joined Shell Energy as commercial adviser, where she helps her industrial customers decarbonise through onsite renewable generation and storage

Why did you choose a career in this field?

I chose to study chemical engineering due to the range of opportunities available across a number of industries. Early on in my academic career, I was introduced to the energy industry and was fascinated by all the things that took place to keep the lights on. I was interested in being in the industry during a time of such massive change, as the world strives towards net zero.

How did you get your current job?

I completed an assessed process engineering internship with Shell in Aberdeen. This was a great opportunity to get insight into a job directly associated with the degree I was studying at university. I was given real responsibility and had 12 weeks to complete my assigned project. At the end, I was successful in passing the assessment and was offered a place on the production operations graduate scheme. I have been with Shell since. I have been fortunate to have had a variety of roles during my time with the company.

In my first role as an operations supervisor I was responsible for a team of five technicians working at St Fergus Gas terminal in the north of Scotland. I was in this role for two years before moving to a job in gas infrastructure looking after the forecasting for gas operations in the Nothern North Sea. This was a fantastic role and really enabled me to understand the overall bigger picture of the energy system.

After three years, I decided it was time to take a side step from the technical world and see what London and the commercial world had to offer. I moved to the big smoke and to the renewables sector of Shell, where I now work as a commercial adviser.

What are your main duties?

I am responsible for speaking with new and existing customers of Shell to provide them with an overview of the possible renewable energy onsite generation and storage solutions available to help decarbonise their site. This could be a rooftop solar installation or a battery onsite.

I will put together the business case and optimise this for the customer until we have a competitive offer. Once the offer moves past the initial stages, I am responsible for all contract management and liaising with our engineering teams for the asset design. Once the contract is signed, I hand it over to the project delivery team for construction. However, I still maintain a relationship with the customer as well as overseeing the project through to completion.

What qualities are important for a commercial adviser?

You must be a good communicator who is able to work cross functionally with different disciplines. It requires many inputs to get a project across the line, so working well with people and being able to build good working relationships is key.

Additionally, it is important to understand the commercial side of any project and be able to really understand what is driving the customer and what is important to their business. This helps you to deliver a tailored solution.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the range of industries I get to liaise with and learn about their processes while helping them to decarbonise. Coming from a process engineering background, I thoroughly enjoy being able to double hat in my current role and understand both the technical and commercial aspects.

What do you see as the biggest challenges for the UK's renewable energy industry over the next decade?

The supply chain needs to be supported to be able to expand and grow to keep up with the rapidly increasing demand for renewable energy solutions and infrastructure.

I also think we need to see a shift in customers' willingness to pay an additional cost for green products/green supply chain. We have not yet seen this full shift in industry, and when large companies are being forced to producer greener products by their upstream supply chain but cannot pass this cost onto their customers, it hurts their profits and overall business.

What advice do you have for those looking to enter the energy sector?

A range of incredible opportunities are available in the energy industry. We need talented people now more than ever to help make the transition to a net zero future, and you could be part of a huge change period within the industry.

Reach out and speak to those who inspire you, learn more about their role and their journeys to get there and see if any of those things resonate with you.

Don't be put off if you get into a role and don't enjoy parts of the job. It's so important on your journey to find out what you don't want to do as well as what you do want to do. Say 'yes' to different opportunities and explore many areas to find the right fit for you.

Find out more

• Explore renewable energy careers.
• Discover 7 things you need to know about being an energy consultant.
• Consider the range of Shell careers.