Paid • Full or Part Time • Fixed Term Contract
plymouthenergycommunity.com
Sectors:
carbon, climate & energy, sustainability
Closing date: Thursday, 14th July 2022
Plymouth Energy Community currently have a number of exciting opportunities for vibrant,
energetic, and highly motivated people to work with us help coordinate and deliver projects
across the following areas:
- Energy efficiency and retrofit works – enabling the installation of simple measures and
major retrofit works to improve energy efficiency in homes and buildings, by supporting
vulnerable residents and commercial customers on their journey.
- Fuel poverty prevention – supporting residents at risk of fuel poverty and living in cold,
damp homes.
- Community-owned renewable energy; including developing the City’s largest solar farm and a
new campaign to increase levels of roof top solar.
- Community engagement – drop-ins, training, and workshops; delivering these activities with
several energy and climate emergency themes.
Our team is growing fast and we have vacancies for Project Support, Project Coordination and
Energy Advisor roles. In all of these you will be playing a key role in growing Plymouth Energy
Community’s (PEC) innovative work to enable local action on fuel poverty, and the journey to
Net Zero. PEC wants to rapidly increase its impact in the context of the Climate Emergency and
is looking for dedicated, highly capable people who share this aim.
About you:
We are looking for a number of talented people to join our team that will bring:
- Experience in (or a passion to learn about) the development and delivery of local energy
advice, retrofit or renewable energy projects or services.
- An attitude and approach that suits a value led, dynamic and collaborative work
environment.
- An understanding of the role that highly skilled third sector organisations can play in
scaling solutions that enable a just transition to net zero.
- The ability to build relationships in person, and remotely while working with people from a
wide range of backgrounds.
- An interest in the community energy sector and the transition to Net Zero.
About Plymouth Energy Community:
Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) is a multi, award-winning charity and a social enterprise, with
a cooperative ethos. PEC’s mission is to empower our community to create a fair, affordable,
zero carbon energy system with local people at its heart. We are a family of community led
organisations bringing forward a range of projects that: bring local people together to tackle
fuel poverty and the climate crisis, increase local ownership and influence over local energy
solutions; improve community confidence to engage in the zero carbon transition; and enable
people to heat and power their homes affordably.
Since 2013, we have:
- Developed and generated 21 MWh of clean power from our community owned solar farm and 32
roof top arrays.
- Saved schools and community organisations over £0.5m from their energy bills through
renewable power and energy efficiency improvements.
- Supported 21,000 households and delivered direct improvements to 2,400 homes visits saving
each an average of £400 pa.
- Saved a total of 15,000 tonnes of carbon.
- Grown to a turnover of £1.5m pa with a dedicated staff team of around 24 full time
equivalents.
PEC is working with local businesses to deliver a pipeline of over 14MWs of new solar arrays;
trialing models for community owned renewable heat and providing a domestic energy advice
service for those at risk of fuel poverty. In addition, it supports the local authority to
administer Government grants to support households during the energy crisis and works closely
with local creatives to give Plymouth a profile in Climate Action. PEC has also established a
community led housing developer, to focus on the innovation required to deliver affordable
homes in a way that is consistent with the UK’s carbon reduction targets.
PEC is powered by a passionate and highly skilled team. Resumes for current team members are
found here.
PEC Trust (t/a Plymouth Energy Community) is a charitable company limited by guarantee, with
cooperative principles built into its articles. The PEC Family also includes PEC Renewables
Ltd, and a Community Land Trust called PEC Homes Ltd. Both are established independent
Community Benefit Societies. The successful applicant will be working under the care of
community representatives acting as Trustees and Directors on these boards. Current Trustee and
Director resumes are available here.
Our purpose, values & principles:
Our Purpose is to put local people at the heart of a fair affordable, low carbon energy system.
Our mission:
- To connect local people, government and other organisations to speed up positive change on
fuel poverty and the climate crisis.
- To increase local ownership, influence and confidence over local energy solutions.
- To enable our city to reduce its energy requirements and help local people heat and power
their homes affordably.
- To ensure our activities benefit the fuel poor and most vulnerable.
- To reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- To support our own wellbeing and development, so we can better support our community.
Our values and principles: (what’s important to us, and how we put this into practice):
- Collaboration: We’re approachable and listen carefully to foster solid relationships with
our team, community members, local organisations, and the wider energy sector. We welcome a
variety of skills and perspectives and support people to make an impact.
- Transparency and integrity: We’re open about what we’re trying to achieve and actively
share what we learn. We value the process, celebrate successes and are accountable for the
impacts of our actions.
- Care, compassion and respect: Our care for the wellbeing of people and the environment,
means that we cultivate respectful attitudes, listen and respond to each other’s needs and the
needs of the community.
- Community autonomy and benefit: We’re accountable to our community members and all profits
go to benefit local action on climate change and fuel poverty.
- Equity: We offer meaningful opportunities for all to participate.
- Passion and dynamism: We take pride in what we do. We act professionally with passion and
enthusiasm.
- Connection and support: We connect to the lived experience of the people we support, and
those in our team, and adapt accordingly to ensure needs are met to improve wellbeing and offer
meaningful and rewarding ways to contribute.
The job you will be doing:
All of the three job roles will be working closely with Project Managers and colleagues across
PEC to deliver a range of community focused energy and fuel poverty projects.
You will be joining PEC in a time of growth, where we need to increase our capacity to (i)
coordinate an increasingly diverse portfolio of projects and (2) reach more residents in need
of our support. Across the three roles being advertised here there are diverse opportunities
for those with previous experience in domestic energy advice and associated support schemes, as
well for those wishing to start a career in the ‘Net Zero’ arena, or to bring transferable
skills from other sectors.
You will bring your skills to help coordinate and deliver projects in one or more of the
following areas:
- Energy efficiency and retrofit works – enabling the installation of simple measures and
major retrofit works to improve energy efficiency in homes and buildings, by supporting
vulnerable residents and commercial customers on their journey.
- Fuel poverty prevention – supporting one or more of our projects to reach residents at risk
of fuel poverty and living in cold, damp homes.
- Community owned renewable energy projects
- Community engagement – drop-ins, training, and workshops; delivering these activities with
several energy and climate emergency themes.
Your work over the next 12 months will be focused on the following priorities:
- Seeking to improve more than 300 fuel poor households with major energy efficiency retrofit
works.
- Helping businesses and community organisations install solar PV.
- Building the City’s largest solar farm.
- Supporting vulnerable residents respond to the cost of living crisis.
ROLE PROFILE: PROJECT COORDINATOR
Purpose of role
To work alongside PECs Project Managers to ensure the successful delivery of projects focusing
on fuel poverty prevention, building retrofit and scaling the deployment of renewable energy.
To support the scaling of PECs impact by assisting in the development of new projects.
Responsibilities/accountabilities
- Supporting Project Managers with the of delivery of programmes of work.
- Supporting Project Managers with new business development opportunities including funding
bids.
- Maintaining up to date project records and budget tracking.
- Collation and analysis of information for the drafting of reports to external funders.
- Build and manage relationships with communities, contractors, funders and partners.
- Develop and manage specific project functions to ensure they are within budget, delivering
stated objectives/outcomes and working effectively.
- Co-ordination and delivery of project meetings and events.
- Coordinating the implementation and evolution of PEC's organisational systems. Eg care and
support, decision making, IT.
- Acting as an advocate for Plymouth Energy Community and contribute to its overall aims.
Attributes and qualities
- Clear ambition to work in the ‘Net Zero’ arena.
- An appetite to learn new skills.
- Passionate about scaling local action on climate change and fuel poverty.
- A flexible and collaborative approach to teamwork.
- Friendly, with excellent interpersonal skills.
- Methodical and highly organised.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Comfortable managing and analysing technical and financial data sets.
- An ability to collaborate with partners from range of different backgrounds.
- Aligned with PECs values and principles.
- An appetite to learn new skills.
Skills and experience
Experience of:
- Project Management.
- Data collation and analysis.
- Carrying out high quality tasks accurately and in a fast-paced environment.
- Supporting colleagues and team members to meet agreed deadlines and targets.
- Providing information accessibly in person, on the phone and by other media.
- A competent user of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook).
- Effective writing skills with a particular emphasis on preparing and presenting reports and
plans.
Previous experience in at least two of the following areas:
- Renewable energy – operations and maintenance.
- Renewable energy – project development.
- Building energy efficiency projects.
- Providing advice to vulnerable residents or clients.
- Community engagement and outreach.
- Project administration or business support.
Qualifications & knowledge
- Degree in relevant subject or substantial relevant work experience.
- Three A Levels at grade A–C or NVQ in relevant subject.
- Demonstrable knowledge of projects relating to domestic energy efficiency, renewable energy
or fuel poverty.
Salary: £28,000 - £34,500 (dependant on experience/qualifications)
Deadline:
Applications will be assessed in two rounds. The first closing date will be 8am Wed June 22nd
2022 for interview w/c July 4th 2022. The second closing date will be 8am Thursday 14th July
2022 with interviews expected w/c 25th July 2022.
Initial appointments will be made via Pertemps.