How to Build a Career in Renewable Energy and Sustainability: Insights from Davey Johnston
- Magda Cheang
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
The renewable energy and sustainability sector is growing rapidly — and with it, the range of career opportunities available to people from very different professional backgrounds.
But what does it actually take to build a career in the industry?
For our latest episode of the Ideas to Impact podcast, Jobs for Planet spoke with Davey Johnston, a global inside sales leader in the energy and sustainability sector, team coach, and founder of the Culture Council.
With more than 27 years of professional experience, including roles across data, customer success and sales, Davey has built a career that wasn't exactly mapped out from the beginning.
And that's part of what makes his story so interesting.
His journey offers valuable lessons for anyone considering a move into renewable energy and sustainability — as well as anyone already working in the sector who wants to grow their career and impact.
There isn't one route into renewable energy
Davey's career in the energy industry started almost by accident. After initially working in data entry, he moved into validation, database management and data analysis before progressing into account management and customer success.
In 2020, he made another significant career move, transitioning from the delivery side of the business into sales.
His career demonstrates something important: you don't necessarily need to start your career in renewable energy to build one there.
As Davey explains, the pathways into the industry today are much broader than they were five or ten years ago. The energy industry was historically dominated by large utility companies. Today, the landscape includes developers, suppliers, startups, consultancies, advisors and many other organisations working across different parts of the energy transition.
That means there are opportunities for people with a wide variety of existing skills.
Whether your background is in sales, customer success, data, project management, finance, technology or another area, there may be a way to apply those skills within the energy and sustainability sector.
You don't have to be highly technical
One common misconception about entering the energy and sustainability industry is that you need to be highly technical. Davey's experience suggests otherwise.
The sector needs technical specialists, but it also needs people who can sell, communicate, manage relationships, analyse data, lead teams, work with customers and bring different parts of an organisation together.
His own transition from data and customer success into sales is a good example. The skills he developed earlier in his career didn't become irrelevant when he changed direction. Instead, they became part of the toolkit he could bring into a new role.
The lesson? Don't underestimate the value of the skills you already have.
Start with the skills you already have
If you're considering a move into renewable energy, you don't necessarily need to completely reinvent yourself. Davey's advice is to start small and take steady steps.
Look at the skills you already have and ask:
How could I apply these skills within the energy industry?
From there, you can build your knowledge and experience over time.You don't need to have your entire career mapped out before taking the first step.
In fact, Davey points out that career paths are rarely as linear as people imagine.
You might move sideways.You might even take what looks like a step backwards.
But that experience can eventually open up a completely different path.
Be open to change.
Broaden your knowledge
For people already working in the industry, Davey's advice is equally relevant: don't become too narrowly focused. Specialisation can be valuable, but broadening your knowledge can create opportunities too.
Spend time with colleagues in different areas of the business.
Learn how other teams operate.
Understand different perspectives.
Look for opportunities to contribute outside your day-to-day responsibilities.This can help you develop a broader understanding of the industry while demonstrating capabilities that may not be visible from your current role.
Look beyond your job description
One of Davey's strongest pieces of advice for people who want to progress is to demonstrate what they can do beyond their core responsibilities.
That might mean joining a sustainability committee, getting involved in a social initiative, helping create an internal group or taking responsibility for something that sits outside your normal role.
Davey himself founded a Culture Council within his organisation.
These experiences can demonstrate initiative, leadership and a willingness to contribute beyond the boundaries of your job description.
And those qualities can make a real difference when you're looking to progress.
Authenticity matters
Davey's advice for people entering or progressing within the industry is simple: Be authentic. Bring your true self to work.
Technical knowledge and experience are important, but so are the way you work with others, the perspective you bring and your willingness to contribute.
In an industry focused on solving some of the world's biggest challenges, collaboration is essential.
Being able to work across teams, communicate effectively and bring people together can be just as valuable as having deep expertise in one particular area.
Look for the "whispering talent"
Davey's approach to leadership also offers an interesting lesson for anyone managing teams.
He describes looking out for what he calls "whispering talent" — people who may be quieter or less outspoken but have significant potential.
It's easy for managers to naturally gravitate towards the loudest voices in a room.
But some of the strongest contributions can come from people who aren't the most vocal.
Creating an environment where those individuals can develop and flourish can make teams stronger and more balanced.
For Davey, leadership isn't about telling people what to do.
It's about supporting them, helping them develop and giving them the space to discover their own potential.
Coaching can change the way we lead
Davey's background as a coach has also influenced the way he approaches sales and leadership. Rather than simply telling customers what they need, he uses a more coaching-led approach.
The goal is to help people understand their own challenges, uncover what matters to them and take ownership of the solution.
That same philosophy carries into his management style.
As Davey puts it, "as a coach, it is never about you."
The role of a leader is to support people and help them get where they need to go.
When people are happy, motivated and engaged, they are more likely to take ownership and perform at their best.
Sustainability needs collaboration
One of the reasons Davey is passionate about working in the energy and sustainability sector is the potential to create meaningful change. But solving the challenges associated with the energy transition isn't something one company, team or individual can do alone.
Large organisations need to engage stakeholders across departments and geographies.
Startups and smaller companies are challenging established players and bringing new ideas to the market.
Consultancies and advisors are helping organisations navigate the transition. The sector needs all of these perspectives working together.
That makes collaboration not just a useful skill, but an essential one.
Your career doesn't have to be linear
Perhaps one of the most useful takeaways from Davey's story is that careers rarely follow a straight line. His own journey moved through data, customer success and sales before arriving at his current leadership role.
So if your career doesn't look like a perfectly upward trajectory, that's not necessarily a problem.
A sideways move might introduce you to a new area.
A change in direction might reveal skills you didn't know you had.
A role that doesn't seem like progress today could eventually become the experience that enables your next move.
You don't always have to be moving up. Sometimes you need to move across.
Five practical steps for building your career in
sustainability
If you're considering a move into renewable energy or sustainability, here are Davey's key recommendations:
1. Start with the skills you already have. You don't need to start from scratch. Look for ways to apply your existing experience within the sector.
2. Broaden your knowledge. Learn from colleagues in different functions and understand how different parts of the business work together.
3. Get involved beyond your job description. Join committees, take on initiatives and look for opportunities to demonstrate additional capabilities.
4. Volunteer outside of work. Contributing to your community can help you develop new skills while demonstrating initiative and commitment.
5. Be open to a non-linear career path. Your next opportunity might not look like a promotion. It might be a sideways move that opens an entirely new door.
Building the workforce for the energy transition
At Jobs for Planet, we believe the energy transition needs more than new technologies and investment. It needs people.
People with technical expertise. People who can build businesses. People who can sell, lead, manage projects, work with customers and bring organisations together.
And importantly, people who are willing to bring their existing skills into a sector where they can have meaningful impact.
There isn't one "right" background for a career in renewable energy.
There isn't one career path.
And as Davey's story shows, sometimes the most interesting careers are the ones you never planned.
Interested in building your career in climate, sustainability or renewable energy? Explore opportunities with Jobs for Planet.
Listen to the full episode
Want to hear Davey's story in his own words?
Listen to the full Ideas to Impact episode with Davey Johnston HERE
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