BETHANY TAYLOR - Business Development Manager

Since joining City Science in 2023, Bethany Taylor has built a career at the intersection of energy, innovation, and sustainability. Now based in Cheltenham, she works as Business Development Manager at City Science, where she leads on business growth, brand awareness, and strategic partnerships, while continuing to support the organisation’s research and development mission in digital decarbonisation.

Her journey with City Science began as an R&D Programme Manager, where she oversaw grant-funded projects across Transport, Energy, and Sustainability research programmes. The role involved managing complex project portfolios, liaising with industry partners, academic institutions, and government agencies, and securing funding for collaborative research. During this time, she also completed her Level 5 Retrofit Coordination qualification. In 2025, she progressed into her current role, where she now combines technical expertise, programme management, and strategic growth.

“My days are varied and dynamic,” she explains. “From stakeholder meetings and proposal development to market research and partnership building — I’m always focused on positioning City Science as a leader in digital decarbonisation.”

Bethany’s passion for the green sector began with a love of maths and problem solving. She wanted her skills to make a real-world difference, and during her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering she discovered energy and sustainability as the perfect application. The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project left a particularly strong impression on Bethany. “What really drew me in was the chance to work on genuine solutions to climate change,” she says. “I wanted to be part of a company that’s truly committed to sustainability — not one that treats net zero as a branding exercise.”

Bethany’s career journey has been far from linear. She started working at a young age, waitressing and eventually becoming restaurant manager. She also worked as a Customer Service Manager at Argos, spent time at Amazon, and took on various roles to fund her university studies. These experiences shaped her approach to leadership and problem solving. “Those early roles taught me how to work with people, manage pressure, and understand what stakeholders really need,” she explains.

After graduating in Environmental Engineering, Bethany entered the green sector as an ECO Coordinator at a retrofit company, gaining hands-on experience in energy efficiency and building decarbonisation. She later moved to SMS as an Energy Project Manager, further strengthening her project leadership skills. Joining City Science in 2023 marked a major turning point — aligning her career with a company whose values matched her own. Completing her Level 5 Retrofit Coordination qualification was another milestone, deepening her technical expertise. Most recently, her progression to Business Development Manager in 2025 has allowed her to combine technical knowledge, programme leadership, and commercial strategy.

Another significant achievement has been Bethany’s invitation to join the Swansea University Industry Board, where she helps shape future courses and ensures students are prepared for careers in the green sector. “It’s incredibly meaningful to be able to influence how the next generation is prepared for our industry,” she says.

Today, Bethany’s role draws on a broad skillset: business development, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, networking, negotiation, sales, market analysis, and brand positioning. Her technical background in energy systems adds credibility, particularly when engaging with partners and clients. Communication, presentation skills, and strategic problem solving are central to her work.

Interestingly, her rugby career also plays an important role. She plays women’s rugby for both Leicester Tigers and Cheltenham — a commitment that brings its own challenges. “Balancing elite-level sport with a demanding business development role isn’t easy,” she admits. “But time management, clear communication, and having a supportive employer makes all the difference.”

City Science’s support — including becoming one of her rugby sponsors — has enabled Bethany to pursue both ambitions side by side. She believes the discipline, resilience, and emotional intelligence developed through rugby actively strengthen her performance at work. “The two worlds genuinely complement each other,” she says.

What Bethany finds most rewarding is being able to bring her whole self to her work — combining technical expertise, leadership, sport, and sustainability. She also values the opportunity to help shape the future workforce through her Industry Board role.

Looking ahead, Bethany expects rapid growth across the green energy sector, particularly in retrofit. She believes careers in sustainability will increasingly be seen not as trends but as long-term vocations, as the realities of climate change become impossible to ignore. She also highlights major challenges ahead — particularly supply chain resilience and workforce development — as the UK works toward ambitious decarbonisation targets.

Bethany remains especially passionate about tidal lagoon technology and continues to champion the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project. “I truly believe tidal lagoons could be transformative for the UK’s long-term energy mix,” she says. “The technology deserves far more investment and political commitment.”

Beyond marine energy, Bethany is excited by continued innovation in heat pump systems, the push toward whole-building retrofit, and progress in building decarbonisation.

On representation, she acknowledges that while progress has been made, significant imbalance remains. Women currently make up around 25–30% of the UK’s wider energy and environment workforce, and closer to 16% in engineering-focused roles. Still, she sees momentum building.

To encourage more women and girls into green careers, Bethany believes clearer pathways, stronger industry-university links, more visible role models, school engagement, and expanded mentorship opportunities are essential. “Women need to see that these careers are not only possible,” she says, “but that they can truly thrive in them.”

Her biggest inspiration is the growing urgency of the climate crisis itself. “Rising emissions, record temperatures — it’s a constant reminder of why this work matters,” she reflects.

What she loves most is working on projects that deliver measurable progress toward decarbonisation, including national initiatives like Heat Pump Ready. The mix of technical challenge, stakeholder engagement, and strategic thinking keeps her work both demanding and deeply meaningful.

Bethany’s advice to anyone hoping to follow a similar path is clear and grounded in experience: “Choose employers carefully — look for genuine commitment, not greenwashing. Keep learning. Qualifications like Level 5 Retrofit Coordination have been invaluable for me. And stay engaged beyond your job through boards, mentoring, or sport.”

And on staying motivated and hopeful for the future, she returns to what she sees every day in her work:
“…real progress happening around me keeps me motivated. City Science shows me what’s possible when expertise meets genuine commitment. Meaningful change really is achievable.