Posted: 27 March 2019
Closing date: 9am, Tuesday 23 April 2019
We are looking for a project officer to lead on the delivery of our new Cold to Cosy Homes scheme, which offers free energy services to households living in fuel poverty and other vulnerable people in Cumbria. You’ll also assist our energy efficiency manager with delivering our wider energy efficiency activities, including a national programme in which CAfS participates, called LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership).
There are full details in the job description and person specification below.
How to apply
To apply, please download and fill in the application form below. Instructions for submitting your application are included in the form.
Application Form – Energy Efficiency Officer – CAfS
Closing date for return of applications is 9am on Tuesday 23rd April 2019.
Interviews will be held on Thursday 2nd May in Penrith.
Job description
THE EMPLOYER: Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS)
LOCATION: Eden Rural Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, CA11 8ET
REPORTS TO: Energy Efficiency Project Manager
HOURS: 22.5 hours a week (potential to increase if additional funding secured)
SALARY RANGE: £18,000 to £24,000 per annum pro rata, depending on skills and experience
DURATION: Fixed-term contract to end January 2021 (start date to be negotiated)
MAIN PURPOSE OF ROLE:
• Lead on the delivery of the Cold to Cosy homes project
• Assist the Energy Efficiency Manager with delivery of CAfS wider energy efficiency related work
KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
• Provide a programme of energy advice home visits and installation of energy measures to vulnerable households throughout Cumbria.
• Deliver a series of energy advice events for people at risk of fuel poverty.
• Provide clear and accurate home energy related information and advice to clients at events and in their homes.
• Provide a high quality of customer service, building a friendly rapport with clients and a strong and credible reputation for the advice service and CAfS.
• Support CAfS other energy services.
• Build on CAfS’s reputation as a specialist in the field of energy efficiency and providing services to vulnerable customers.
MAIN TASKS
1. Build networks with partner organisations across Cumbria and beyond to widen the uptake of CAfS services by vulnerable groups.
2. Work with the Energy Efficiency Manager to strategically develop the project to ensure maximum reach.
3. Recruit and support a network of home energy assessors and draught proofing installers to assist in delivery.
4. Visit clients in their homes to conduct energy assessments.
5. Deliver a series of energy saving advice sessions at community events which help promote services and actively take referrals.
6. Coordinate marketing through a wide range of channels and contacts, with the support of the CAfS Marketing Manager.
7. Research energy efficiency related issues and latest schemes to help homeowners with energy saving and fuel costs.
8. Deliver promotional talks and short training sessions to small groups of people (householders and referral partners) with practical advice on CAfS schemes and how customers can benefit and be referred.
9. Develop clear and accurate information resources to support these events.
10. Assist in training a network of volunteer energy champions to act as energy efficiency advisors in their locality.
11. Support delivery of energy measures and draught proofing services to homes, by promoting to clients, handling referrals, and liaising with other partners and organisations who provide client visits and fitting service.
12. Provide monitoring and evaluation of activities to meet reporting processes, measure success and inform future funding bids.
13. Manage spend in line with budget.
14. Act as a conduit for information to individuals on wider CAfS projects.
15. Collaborate with the wider CAfS team to carry out other tasks or projects required from time to time.
16. Help secure additional funding and develop a legacy for the project.
17. Contribute to the on-going work of CAfS generally including attending appropriate networking meetings, team meetings and training sessions
Person Specification
Essential skills, experience and attributes:
1. Demonstrable skills and experience of providing high quality customer service.
2. Strong team player and capability to work cooperatively as part of a small team as well as on own initiative without day to day supervision.
3. Excellent communication skills, to network and reach out to communities and organisations supporting vulnerable customers and to provide clear energy efficiency advice.
4. Good knowledge of energy saving in homes, and the issues that vulnerable people can have in heating their homes.
5. Good knowledge of energy retrofit options, the domestic energy market, tariff comparisons and switching and other schemes to help people save energy and afford bills.
6. Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues and an interest in the objectives that CAfS seeks to deliver.
7. Ability to, deliver workshops and speak confidently to small groups.
8. Experience of planning, organising and scheduling events.
9. Good written communication and IT skills.
10. Ability to work to tight deadlines and juggle multiple priorities.
11. Ability to work flexibly including evening and weekend working by agreement.
12. Ability to travel independently throughout rural Cumbria.
The following are desirable but not essential:
1. Experience providing energy saving advice.
2. Qualification in providing energy advice – City & Guilds Level 3 Energy Awareness.
3. Experience working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including vulnerable individuals and community groups.
4. Practical experience of improving energy efficiency in domestic settings.
5. An existing network of contacts in Cumbria or demonstrable ability to build networks rapidly.
6. Additional experience / qualification in energy auditing/thermography.
7. Experience of research in the field of domestic energy efficiency.
8. Experience of providing energy audits including site surveys, energy data analysis, thermal imaging and technical report writing.
9. Experience of working with housing association tenants and knowledge of social housing.
10. Budgeting and project management experience.
11. Experience of securing grant funding and tenders.
About CAfS
Vision: Towards a Zero Carbon Cumbria – bringing about a better way of life in balance with our environment.
Mission: To empower and enable people, communities and businesses to live and work more sustainably by sharing our knowledge, practice, skills, networks and practical experience. We manage and deliver events, advice, training and practical projects across the county as well as providing specialist consultancy services to enable individuals, communities, businesses and local authorities to drive a shift towards a Zero Carbon Cumbria.
Our team of ten highly skilled staff work with a pool of 25 specialist contractors and 30 volunteers to deliver around 20 major, transformational low-carbon projects each year. CAfS is the leading organisation in Cumbria showcasing low carbon living, energy efficiency improvements, renewable technology and reduced use of fossil fuels, both on a domestic scale and in the community. The charity is driving the shift towards a zero carbon Cumbria and provides information, advice and motivation through events, site visits and practical projects. Now celebrating our 20th year, CAfS is the first point of reference in the county for information on sustainability.
We have been successful in securing £150,000 of Energy Redress Scheme funding, which allows us to provide a significant free energy services to fuel poor and other vulnerable households in Cumbria – with a project called Cold to Cosy Homes. We also participate in a national programme, called LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership).