Closing date: 9am, Thu 13 May 2021

Join our busy team delivering Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria and other energy-advice projects to vulnerable households across Cumbria. Our Cold to Cosy Homes service provides energy-saving advice to households along with installing energy-saving measures to save on costs, cut carbon and enjoy a cosier home. The role includes promoting the service to our network of volunteers and organisations across Cumbria and providing advice by telephone and at home visits. The role also includes analysing demand for advice, visits and installations and coordinating with our team of advisors and installers.

Application & Interview Process

Please apply by completing the application form below. We do not accept CVs. Guidance for submitting your application is included in the form.

Application Form – Project Officer Cold to Cosy Homes

Closing date for return of applications is 9am on 13 May 2021.

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be informed by 17 May 2021.

Interviews will be held via Zoom on 25 May 2021.

Job description

If you prefer to download the job description and person specification, please use the link below:

Job description – Project Officer Cold to Cosy Homes

EMPLOYER:  Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS)

LOCATION:  Principally home working, with meetings required in Cumbria and at our office in Penrith when Covid-19 restrictions allow. Eden Rural Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, CA11 8ET.

REPORTS TO:  Project Manager Cold to Cosy Homes

HOURS:  22.5 hours a week, with flexibility to be worked across 3 to 5 days.

SALARY RANGE:  £21,000 to £25,000 per annum full-time equivalent, (£12,600 to £15,000 for the 22.5-hour week) depending on skills and experience.

DURATION:  Fixed-term contract to 30 April 2022 (with potential for extension subject to funding).

LEGAL RIGHT TO WORK: You must have a legal right to work in the UK as CAfS is not in a position to act as a sponsor.

APPLICATIONS BY: 9am on 13 May 2021. Please apply using the application form. CVs will not be considered.

BENEFITS: CAfS offers an excellent working environment, with benefits ranging from flexible working to a pension contribution. Find out more about the benefits of working at CAfS >

ABOUT CAFS:

Our vision is a zero-carbon Cumbria and we strive to bring about a better way of life, in balance with our environment.

Our mission is 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.

Now in our 23rd year, CAfS is an award-winning charity with a team of more than 20 highly skilled staff, working with a pool of specialist contractors and volunteers to deliver around 20 low-carbon projects each year.

CAfS showcases low-carbon living, energy-efficiency improvements, renewable technology and reduced use of fossil fuels, both on a domestic scale and in the community and is the first point of reference in the county for information on sustainability. CAfS is a dynamic, pro-active and responsive organisation delivering projects that drive real change towards a low carbon future.

BACKGROUND TO COLD TO COSY HOMES

Our Cold to Cosy Homes is expanding due to additional funding leading to a widening of the team to deliver expanded home energy advice services across all districts of Cumbria. Service includes:

  • Telephone enquiries, scheduled telephone and in-home energy advice provided by CAfS employees and a team of contractors.
  • Events and training for householders and volunteers.
  • Installation of energy measures by professional installers.

Our paid-for services are also expanding with increasing range of services being offered to householders for energy audits and advice.

MAIN PURPOSE OF ROLE:

To work with other team members to deliver the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service and other winter warmth related work, to vulnerable households across Cumbria. Assist in the delivery of other CAfS energy services.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

  • Expand and implement the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria project across all districts in Cumbria – expanding to all areas with a specific focus on Allerdale, Barrow and Copeland districts.
  • Promote Cold to Cosy Homes and other household energy related services widely to residents and partner organisations across Cumbria.
  • Provide a programme of energy advice by phone, online and through visits to vulnerable households throughout Cumbria.
  • 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.
  • Coordinate and support our team of professional energy advisors to provide telephone based advice and visits.
  • Coordinate installation of energy measures in homes through our trusted contractors.
  • Deliver energy advice events for people at risk of fuel poverty.
  • Provide clear and accurate home-energy-related information and advice to clients by phone, video, at events and in their homes.
  • Build partnerships across community groups and beyond to engage with and promote services.
  • Support a range of CAfS’ energy services including energy audits and household energy retrofit services.

MAIN TASKS

Service Delivery

  • Coordinate advisor schedules for availability for telephone and visit slots.
  • Monitor enquiry and referral volumes, response times and performance and take appropriate action to resolve issues.
  • Support virtual team of advisors with skills training and coaching in call handling and client visits.
  • Handle inbound and outbound client calls and online enquiries, bookings and energy advice.
  • Visit clients in their homes to conduct energy assessments.
  • Deliver a series of energy-saving advice sessions online and at venues throughout Cumbria that help promote services, and actively take referrals.
  • Coordinate marketing through a wide range of channels and contacts, with the support of the CAfS marketing manager.
  • Deliver promotional webinar 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.
  • Assist in training a network of volunteer energy champions to promote energy-efficiency advice in their locality.
  • Support delivery of energy measures and draughtproofing services to homes, by promoting to clients, handling referrals, and liaising with other partners and organisations that provide client visits and fitting service.
  • Provide monitoring and evaluation of activities to meet reporting processes, measure success and inform future funding bids.

Service Development

  • Collaborate with the energy efficiency manager to strategically develop the project to ensure maximum reach.
  • Assist with the development of Customer Relationship Management system to handle contacts with clients, team members and contractors.
  • Develop other information resources to support the project.

Partnership Working

  • Build networks with partner organisations across Cumbria and beyond to widen the uptake of CAfS’ services by vulnerable groups.
  • Coordinate regular partnership meetings chaired by CAfS by organising, inviting delegates, preparing agendas and distributing and following up on delegates actions.
  • Participate in meetings of stakeholders and funders.

Others

  • Research energy-efficiency-related issues and latest schemes to help homeowners with energy saving and fuel costs.
  • Act as a conduit for information to individuals on other CAfS projects.
  • Collaborate at times with the wider CAfS team to carry out other relevant tasks or projects required from time to time.
  • Contribute to the ongoing work of CAfS generally, including attending appropriate networking meetings, team meetings and training sessions.

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential skills and attributes:

  • Demonstrable skills and experience of providing high-quality customer service in a service-delivery environment.
  • Empathy and discretion in providing services to vulnerable clients.
  • 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.
  • Excellent communication skills, to network and reach out to communities and organisations supporting vulnerable customers and to provide clear energy-efficiency advice.
  • Good knowledge of energy saving in homes, and the issues that vulnerable people can have in heating their homes.
  • Good knowledge of energy retrofit options, the domestic energy market, tariff comparisons and switching and other schemes.
  • Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues and an interest in the objectives that CAfS seeks to deliver.
  • Ability to deliver workshops (online and face to face) and speak confidently to small groups.
  • Experience of planning, organising and scheduling events.
  • Excellent written communication and IT skills.
  • Ability to work to tight deadlines and juggle multiple priorities.
  • Ability to work flexibly including evening and weekend working by agreement.
  • Ability to travel independently throughout rural Cumbria.

Desirable criteria

The following attributes are desirable but not essential:

  • Experience providing energy saving advice.
  • Experience of working in or with local authorities, housing association tenants or organisation supporting households and knowledge of social housing.
  • Experience providing services to vulnerable households.
  • Qualification in providing energy advice – City & Guilds Level 3 Energy Awareness.
  • Experience of contact centre coordination roles, including scheduling, call monitoring or similar in a customer service delivery role.
  • Experience working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including vulnerable individuals and community groups.
  • Practical experience of improving energy efficiency in domestic settings.
  • An existing network of contacts in Cumbria or demonstrable ability to build networks rapidly.
  • Additional experience / qualification in energy auditing/thermography.
  • Budgeting and project management experience.
  • Experience of securing grant funding and tenders.

If you would like more information about the role, please email: [email protected].