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 SUPPORT

Primary purpose of the role:

To support PEC’s Project Managers, Coordinators and Energy Advisors in the delivery and administration of a broad range of fuel poverty, energy efficiency, renewable energy and community engagement projects. 

Responsibilities/accountabilities 

• Supporting Project Managers and Coordinators with the logistics of delivering existing programmes of work.
• Working alongside PECs Energy Advisors, Retrofit Assessors, Retrofit Coordinators and PEC’s supply chain partners to support residents, to improve their home and increase confidence in managing risk of fuel poverty and its impacts on wellbeing.
• Maintaining up to date project and client records.
• Collation of information for the drafting of funding bids and/ or reports. 
• Maintaining relationships with communities, contractors, funders and partners.
• Supporting the delivery of project meetings and events. 
• Acting as an advocate for Plymouth Energy Community and contribute to its overall aims. 
• Supporting the implementation and evolution of PEC's organisational systems. Eg care and support, decision making, IT and others. 

Attributes / competencies

• Clear ambition to work in the ‘Net Zero’ sector.      
• An appetite to learn new skills.      
• Aligned with PECs values and principles.
• Friendly, with excellent interpersonal skills and a sympathetic manner.
• A flexible and collaborative approach to team work.
• Methodical, organised and self-motivated.
• A strong administrator, comfortable and competent in data handling and processing. 
• An interest in the community energy.
• A willingness to undertake appropriate and regular training as required.

Skills and experience – essential

Experience of:

• High quality customer service environment.
• 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 an emphasis on communicating to a non-technical audience / general public.

Skills and experience - desirable

Experience of:

• Energy efficiency or home improvement projects.
• Providing advice to residents or clients.
• Project administration or business support.

Qualifications & knowledge

• 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.
• Degree in relevant subject (desirable).

Salary: £19,700 - £27,200 (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.