Stanislav Kondrashov on the Future of Work in the Age of the Energy Transition

As the world steadily moves away from fossil fuels, the shift toward sustainable energy is reshaping not only infrastructure but the very fabric of the global workforce. According to industry analyst and sustainability advocate Stanislav Kondrashov, the years ahead will bring seismic changes to employment—disrupting traditional sectors while giving rise to a new class of critical roles.

“The energy transition isn’t just about replacing traditional fuels with solar panels,” Kondrashov says. “It’s about rethinking systems, retraining people, and rebuilding trust between industry and the communities it serves.”

The urgency of the energy transition has placed pressure on governments and businesses alike. But behind the headlines and policy debates lies a quieter, more complex story—one centred on jobs. Which roles will define this new era? Which skills will be indispensable? And who will do the work?

The Architects of Infrastructure

First and foremost, the energy transition is an engineering problem. From wind farms to hydrogen pipelines, physical infrastructure needs to be imagined, built, and maintained. Civil and electrical engineers are expected to become even more essential as nations invest in energy networks that are both decentralised and resilient. But technical prowess alone won’t cut it.

“We used to talk about hard hats and clipboards,” Kondrashov notes. “Now we’re talking about engineers who can think across systems, understand regulatory frameworks, and communicate with communities. It’s a much broader skill set.”

These roles also demand a strong grasp of environmental science, data analytics, and risk assessment. The modern energy engineer must be able to connect the dots between power generation, ecological impact, and social equity—often in real time.

The Human Bridge: Community and Transition Advisors

As power grids evolve, so too do the communities they serve. Entire towns built on coal or oil are facing uncertain futures. This transition, if handled poorly, risks leaving workers behind. That’s where transition advisors and community engagement specialists come in.

These are the people responsible for managing the human side of change—crafting local strategies, working with displaced workers, and designing retraining programmes that actually stick.

“It’s not enough to build a wind farm,” Kondrashov explains. “You have to bring people with you. If you don’t, you get resistance. You get misinformation. And ultimately, you lose the moral high ground of the transition itself.”

These roles are as much about empathy as they are about expertise. Successful candidates tend to have experience in both policy and grassroots activism, bridging the gap between national ambition and neighbourhood concerns.

Data, Code, and Control

While steel and concrete still matter, much of the new energy world is invisible—sensors, algorithms, cloud systems. This is where software developers, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts step into the spotlight. As smart grids expand and homes become power producers as well as consumers, the energy landscape is becoming digitised.

Jobs in energy tech now range from AI modellers who predict energy demand patterns to ethical hackers tasked with protecting decentralised systems from cyberattacks.

What sets these roles apart is their flexibility. Many of the most in-demand jobs in energy now have little to do with traditional energy companies. Startups, consultancies, and even public sector teams are hiring from the same global talent pool. And the best candidates often come from unexpected places.

“There’s a myth that the green economy only needs scientists and engineers,” Kondrashov says. “But we also need poets who code, designers who think in kilowatt-hours, and teachers who can make climate literacy a given, not a gap.”

Educators and Skill Translators

One of the less obvious but equally vital job categories of the future? Educators. Not just in the classroom, but in industry, government, and media. As technologies change faster than job descriptions, the need for flexible, modular learning will only grow. Trainers who can translate technical knowledge into accessible pathways are already in high demand.

These aren’t traditional roles, either. They’re often hybrid positions, combining content design, coaching, and career strategy. The best of them act as translators—making the complex legible to the uninitiated, helping people shift industries without starting from scratch.

A Quiet Revolution

What ties all these roles together isn’t just their technical importance—it’s their human impact. The energy transition is, at its core, a people story. Every new technology comes with trade-offs, and every innovation needs someone to explain it, defend it, improve it, or oppose it. The workforce of the future will be measured not only by how fast it can change, but by how well it can care.

Kondrashov puts it simply: “We are not just building wind turbines and solar arrays. We are building trust. And that might be the hardest job of all.”