Everyday life in THEMA

I applied to THEMA because I wanted to use my academic background to work on the green transition. I find it rewarding to work on issues that matter both to individuals and to society. The energy transition involves many complex challenges, and I find it exciting to work at the intersection of policy, markets and the physical energy system.

What I enjoy about THEMA is the combination of friendly colleagues, a sociable environment and the fact that, right from the start, I have been given a great deal of independence and the opportunity to try new things. Here I can work on projects that span the entire energy system and look at issues from many different angles, which I find exciting!

I helped facilitate the Grid Sustainability Forum (Bærekraftsforum for nett), where representatives from ten of Norway’s largest grid companies meet and work together to reduce the grid sector’s negative impact on the climate and the environment.
Expanding the power grid is essential to the green transition in Norway, but it also takes up land and affects Norwegian nature. What I find particularly exciting about the project is that I get to work with committed and highly skilled sustainability professionals at the grid companies, and that the work translates into concrete measures. One example is that the forum has committed to phasing out SF6, a gas that is harmful to the climate, from grid installations, which could have a significant effect on the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s hard to single out just one thing! THEMA is a very sociable workplace, with the chance to take part in events several times a month, both sporting and social. One highlight for me is perhaps our annual tradition of sledging down Korketrekkeren and then eating fondue at Frognerseteren. It’s a cozy break in the middle of winter.

I think it might be how interdisciplinary our work is, and the wide range of projects and stakeholders we work with. Although we mainly work within one sector, we carry out projects for players at every stage of the value chain, as well as for government authorities, municipalities and businesses. This means you get to work on many different issues and see the energy transition from different perspectives. I would also say that THEMA is unique in having so many highly skilled and friendly colleagues!

At THEMA, you often work on several projects at the same time, which I really like. It allows me to switch between different topics and working methods throughout the week, and on most days, I largely decide how to organize my own work. I work both on specific project tasks and on keeping continuous track of political and regulatory developments in the EU and Norway. A typical day might therefore include meetings with colleagues or clients, writing a report for a project, preparing meeting materials or a presentation in PowerPoint, but also reading and analyzing documents and reports from the EU and the Norwegian authorities.

I have long been fascinated by how ‘the world’s largest machine, the power system, works. At THEMA, I get to work on exactly this from many angles: analyzing technological developments and how the power market will evolve, working closely with power producers and their investment decisions, and gaining insight into how political and regulatory decisions affect the system.

I really enjoy everyday life at THEMA, where I get to work with friendly and dedicated colleagues while being challenged by lots of exciting tasks. I also like the fact that we often work in interdisciplinary teams, which brings a broader outlook and more perspectives on the work.

I would like to highlight that I have been involved in developing THEMA’s Reserve Market Outlook. It has given me the chance to try my hand at a wide range of things. The reserve markets are where the market and the laws of physics truly meet, and working with them requires a fundamental understanding of the power system, economics and regulation. Together with my colleagues, I have helped to build the optimization model we use from the ground up into what is now a market-ready product.

The transition went smoothly. As a new employee, you receive thorough training through the ‘THEMA School’, and you quickly feel included and involved in the company.
Compared with student life, you naturally have a little less freedom to go skiing at 12 o’clock on a Wednesday, but in return there is plenty of social life at the office and through THEMAactive and other events. I have also managed to keep up the number of cups of coffee I drink each day!

As a new consultant at THEMA, you are made to feel very welcome and put on projects early on. Since we are a quite small company, you quickly get the opportunity to take part in everything from sales meetings to leading your own workstreams within a project. This means you grow and develop quickly, while always having supportive colleagues and managers behind you.

One of the things I like best about THEMA is how varied the work day is. I typically work on several projects in parallel and largely decide for myself how to prioritize my time between them.
Many of my projects focus on market analysis, where Python programming and data analysis make up a large part of the work. I also have a fair amount of client contact through presentations, workshops and sales meetings, which gives my working day a nice balance. And of course, I have my colleagues around me the whole way, both professionally on projects and socially over the coffee machine and the lunch table.