From Oil & Gas to Green Energy: Nicholas’ Journey to SSE
Meet Nicholas Henderson, Safety Manager for Onshore Wind, Solar, and Battery Asset Management at SSE.
Nicholas has been with SSE for four years, but his career path started in a very different world—oil and gas.
A Career That Started on the Drill Floor
Back in 2008, I joined the oil and gas industry during a boom period. With little prior experience, I joined as a slinger banksman on a state-of-the-art drill ship—a high-pressure environment where operations ran 24/7.
While the pay and travel were great, the culture was toxic, with bullying and a rigid hierarchy. I saw too many colleagues injured and experienced a preventable injury myself—with no support.
After moving up to the drill floor team, the pressure intensified. Despite enjoying aspects of the job, I became increasingly concerned about safety and culture.
Determined to make a difference, I transitioned into a Safety Officer role, spending six years advocating for better practices. But change was slow. I could have stayed in that role for 20 years, but nothing was improving. I needed a fresh start—for my mental health, my family, and my career.
During COVID, I upskilled with auditing and advanced safety qualifications, preparing myself for a new chapter.
Why Green Energy?
While working in oil and gas, I noticed the growing buzz around renewables—solar farms, battery projects, and wind energy.
I researched the sector and saw huge opportunities in a fast-growing industry. When SSE advertised a role, I was impressed by their values, safety record, and commitment to people.
I came away from the first and second interviews knowing that SSE was where I wanted to work.
Once in role as Safety Advisor, I set about travelling to the wind farm sites, up and down the UK. As well as being amazed at the scenic beauty of the many sites, what also amazed me were the personalities, attitudes and good people who were working for SSE. No matter the job position, I found everyone to be friendly and professional, all working to the same goal, everyone gets home safe. The same can also be said for the Contractors that work on our wind farms, adopting our safety philosophy and collaborating on many different issues.
Since moving to SSE, several former oil and gas colleagues have now also made the move and, like me, they are really enjoying it!
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