Whether you’re a seasoned energy expert or relatively new to the field, you’ll more than likely know that there’s a wealth of lucrative opportunities for energy professionals across the globe. If you have a background in renewables, green energy, electrical, oil & gas or nuclear power, jobs are in high demand as skills shortages remain rife.
But, with such a variety of vacancies and projects to work on, it can be difficult to know where to look for your next role and which countries are home to the most exciting opportunities.
So, where in the world are energy jobs in high demand?
If we take a look across the globe, there’s demand for energy experts across a number of locations you’d perhaps expect to see – including the US, UK, France Germany and Qatar. With various projects under way and in the pipeline across each of these destinations there’s a need for energy professionals to deliver them. And while there’s certainly likely to be a high demand for in-country specialists as travel movements remain limited during the pandemic, the lack of available skills across the globe means that international expertise is still needed.
If we take a look at the top five locations driving the high demand for energy professionals, there’s a real mix of jobs at the moment.
United States
At the time of writing, the USA was driving the majority of hiring across the energy arena, which is perhaps unsurprising when we consider the sheer number and variety of projects that are currently being undertaken. As we mentioned in a recent blog post, for example, homes on Long Island in New York are set to be powered by a new offshore wind power farm.
Investment in the renewable energy sector across the States is also set to increase, with the American Investment Council revealing in mid-October that $11.3 billion has been invested in clean energy projects by private equity firms so far this year. This financial support is expected to continue to increase, with renewable energy jobs growth also predicted as a result.
In terms of the in-demand job roles, the top five most advertised vacancies at the moment are:
- Project Manager
- Systems Administrator
- Systems Engineer
- Software Engineer
- PC Technician
United Kingdom
As the second most active country hiring energy experts, the UK is home to a number of fast-growing energy companies that are delivering significant projects across the likes of solar power, wind farms and power plants. The Aberdeen Offshore wind farm and the Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset are just two of the large projects that are currently on-going.
And with the solar energy industry also picking up in the UK, demand for experts to handle installing and repairing panels is likely to increase in the very near future. Plans for two large scale solar power projects in Norfolk have recently been submitted, for example.
If we take a look at the most sought-after experts, the top ten most advertised roles in the UK are:
- Quantity Surveyor
- Senior Quantity Surveyor
- Assistant Quantity Surveyor
- Project Manager
- Structural Engineer
France
Electrical power and renewable energy sources are also growing in popularity across France. Numerous green and clean energy projects have been secured across the country this year, with big names such as Total, Voltalia SA and Neoen all winning work for renewable energy activity.
Even Disneyland Paris is joining the solar revolution. It was revealed this month that the park will host a new 17MW solar carport project which is due to be completed by 2023.
If we take a look at the roles in demand across France, the top positions are:
- Technicien de maintenance F/H
- Responsable d’affaires F/H
- Technicien CVC (H/F)
- Portfolio Manager
- Opérateur procédés en pétrochimie – Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon
Germany
Fourth place on our list of countries most actively hiring in the energy arena is Germany. It’s perhaps no surprise that renewable energy is particularly prominent in the country – it does boast one of the world’s largest photovoltaic installed capacity after all.
However, in stark comparison to this growth in green energy consumption, the reliance on fossil fuels and nuclear energy in Germany is being drastically reduced. The Government has committed to closing all nuclear power plants by the end of 2022 and as part of these plans it has already begun preparing for the closure of the Brokdorf power plant. The site is due to be taken off the grid and closed by the end of next year.
The most in demand energy roles across Germany at the moment are:
- Umweltplaner (m/w/d)
- Geologe/Bauingenieur in Fachrichtung Geotechnik und angewandte Geologie (m/w/d)
- Bauingenieur
- Bauleiter
- Bauzeichner
Qatar
Oil and gas has certainly been a lucrative industry across the UAE, including Qatar. However, with oil prices falling this market has understandably been hit hard this year. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still opportunities for experts in this field. In Qatar, there is a huge planned investment in unconventional and sour gas projects of $22 billion that is still on the cards and could result in some fantastic energy jobs in the location.
The country is also continuing on its journey to becoming a leading player in the LNG arena, with the North Field expansion project continuing. The world’s biggest single non-associate natural gas field site is expected to raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77 million to 110 million tonnes per year by 2025 and 126 million tonnes per year by 2027. There’s no doubt that this particular project will provide numerous job opportunities throughout its lifespan.
If we look at the top five advertised energy jobs in Qatar, the following roles made the list:
- Consultant- Readiness for EFQM Recognition
- Senior Piping Designer
- Senior Process Engineer
- HVAC Technician M/F
- Land Transport Licenses Expert
Finding your next energy role
The above are examples of the most in-demand energy roles in just five global locations. We know there’s a wealth of jobs for experts from all areas of the sector in multiple locations – if you don’t believe us, why not check out our jobs pages.
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