The Home Energy and Communities Team lies at the heart of CAfS’ operations. Their mission is to enable both individuals and communities to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, while creating positive impacts on people’s everyday lives and economic wellbeing.

The team has two key strands to it’s work:

Home energy:

  • Our flagship Cold to Cosy Homes programme supports eligible households across Cumbria with energy efficiency measures.
  • Our growing Retrofit Service supports households with more comprehensive retrofit measures – delivering Home Retrofit Plans and ongoing bespoke advice to households to help them implement improvements.

Working with communities:

We have a number of projects which focus on inspiring and enabling communities to take action on climate change, mostly delivered in partnership with local volunteer sustainability groups. Key projects are;

  • Our suite of ‘Made Easy’ projects, which aim to reduce barriers to change by engaging with communities to help increase the uptake of low carbon technologies, such as domestic solar panels and electric vehicles.
  • Supporting local consideration of opportunities for community renewable energy generation.

The Team carries out consultancy as well as delivery projects – engaging contractors and other specialists to deliver work. A number of our projects and services are funded by a combination of grant sources, with different timescales, targets and funder conditions, so careful resource management is key to this team’s success.

Apply now!

We encourage and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all walks of life.

To apply, please email your completed application form to us [email protected] by 9am | Monday 20 January

If you’d like an informal chat with our Chief Executive, Karen, about the role before applying, please email [email protected]

Interviews will be held in person on Tuesday 28 January. If you would be unavailable on this date, we will seek to arrange an alternative.

Sorry, CVs will not be accepted.

Main purpose of the role

  • To lead the development, coordination, delivery and evaluation of CAfS’s wide range of related projects and services.
  • To oversee project budgets and timelines to ensure staff resources are in the right place at the right time across the range of workstreams.
  • To oversee existing funding and secure new funding to ensure the vital work of this skilled team can continue.

Key responsibilities and tasks

Take lead responsibility for the delivery of a wide range of home energy and communities related projects and services – ensuring priorities and resources are balanced.

In conjunction with the Development Manager, project managers, and the Zero Carbon Cumbria team, develop new areas of work and secure the resources to deliver them through grants applications, contracts, sponsorship or other income streams

Strengthen existing and build new strategic external partnerships in order to develop and deliver new projects, services and programmes collaboratively.

Ensure the teams’ various projects and services are integrated, complementary and deliver shared goals.

Liaise with other senior managers outside of the Home Energy and Communities team to ensure compatibility with projects and services across CAfS.

Work strategically with the marketing team to ensure projects and services reach and engage target audiences.

Ensure the development and application of appropriate approaches to the monitoring and evaluation of projects and services so that impact can be measured and communicated.

Support project managers to successfully deliver their project targets, liaise with funders and submit excellent project monitoring reports.

Ensure team capacity and capabilities meet the needs of our projects and services.

Work with project managers to define team roles, training needs and help to recruit staff and contractors as required.

Enable the team to innovate and thrive through both individual and team meetings and through formal and informal performance management which ensures staff wellbeing, ability to deliver, training and development.

Line manage, appraise and support four project managers.

Responsible for the overall team budget – ensuring that the total team annual salary budget is met, that projects are adequately staffed and that any gaps in funding are flagged to management colleagues and Board and solutions agreed.

Support project managers to help ensure their budgets align with both funder and internal CAfS budgeting processes.

Work closely with the finance team to manage the contribution of project budgets to core costs and help resolve budget queries.

Work with project managers to identify and actively manage project and service delivery risks.

Help maintain CAfS’s reputation, both locally and nationally, as a specialist in the field of home energy and community action.

Actively contribute to management group meetings and activities, including the review and development of CAfS strategy and operational policies, and the management of organisational risks.

Raise the profile of CAfS and related projects through attendance at strategic partnership forums, events and training, and through the media.

Report to Chief Executive and Board of Trustees on progress, learning and impact.

Ensure the provision and sharing of expert advice and best practice to colleagues and externally as required.

Ensure compliance with CAfS policies, procedures and guidance, GDPR, procurement, and contribute to the organisational development of these.

Work with the rest of the staff team to carry out any other task or project required from time to time, as directed by the Chief Executive or trustees.

Contribute to the on-going work of CAfS generally including attending appropriate team meetings and trainings.

Scheduling meetings and sending reminders about meetings or tasks.

Essential skills

At least five years of relevant experience of which at least two are in a senior role.

Proven ability to lead and support a team of people.

Excellent problem solving and analytical skills, with the ability to absorb detailed or technical information provided by others, and identify the key issues that need to be addressed.

Proven expertise in resource management, particularly staff capacity and budgets.

Fundraising experience, particularly the ability to act quickly on opportunities and attract contract and grant funding.

Experience of co-ordinating multiple projects

Proven ability to build networks and relations with people and organisations.

Demonstrable knowledge of sustainability issues and decarbonisation.

Experience of risk management.

Excellent verbal and written communication and understanding of how to engage an audience.

Good IT skills, including of Excel which we use to manage project budgets.

Ability and willingness to prioritise, work to deadlines and juggle multiple priorities.

Ability to work flexibly including evening and weekend working by agreement.

Ability to travel independently throughout rural Cumbria.

Personal commitment to the objectives that CAfS seeks to deliver.

Desirable skills

Experience or awareness of techniques for engaging communities.

Knowledge of buildings energy efficiency and retrofit.

Knowledge and experience of project evaluation techniques.

Knowledge of community renewable energy initiatives.

Experience of delivering high quality customer service.

The important stuff

  • SALARY SCALE: Band D £33,900-43,900 (FTE)

  • LOCATION: Flexible working patterns with blended home, site and office (Penrith) work.

  • HOURS: 30 hours per week

  • START DATE: March 2025

  • DURATION: Permanent

     

You’ll love working at CAfS

Working at CAfS comes with great benefits. You’ll be joining a friendly and supportive organisation, and your wellbeing and work:life balance are hugely important to us. As well as flexibility around your working hours and location, you’ll have 22 days of paid annual leave pro rata, plus bank/public holidays. We pay an employer pension contribution of 6% from day one of employment.

Apply now!

We encourage and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all walks of life.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION

To apply, please email your completed application form to us [email protected] by 9am | Monday 20 January

If you’d like an informal chat with our Chief Executive, Karen, about the role before applying, please email [email protected]

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM

Interviews will be held in person on Tuesday 28 January. If you would be unavailable on this date, we will seek to arrange an alternative.

CV’s will not be accepted.

What a job at CAfS offers you…

  • The opportunity to be on the frontline driving action on climate change as part of a respected organisation that is making a difference.

  • Collaboration with dedicated colleagues, communities, local authorities and other organisations who are striving towards the same goal.

  • A dynamic working environment in which we continually innovate to achieve the best outcomes for employees, communities and planet.

  • A consultative working culture where staff are encouraged to contribute to new developments.

Our work culture and benefits…

  • We are a friendly and supportive team of colleagues and board of trustees

  • We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in all that we do.

  • We will provide the equipment you need to do your job.

  • Employee wellbeing is very important to us. We do what we can to help colleagues achieve a great work/life balance.

  • We have a flexible working policy and we use it. Most staff work part time so we are accustomed to managing different work patterns. Staff can also work at home where possible.

  • We invest in learning and development and encourage people to develop their skills and commit time and resources to development.

Find out even more about the benefits of working at CAfS >

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