Sustainable Behaviour Assistant - University of Brighton

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

For More information and to apply please visit: http://www.changeagents.org.uk/sustainability-jobs/vacancy/46f6-sustainable-behaviour-assistant-brighton

Employer: Change Agents UK Trading Limited

Salary (per annum pro rata): £16,500

Interview Date: 08/10/2013

Telephone Interviews, Week Commencing: 30/09/2013. Please make sure you are contactable during the stated week.

Closing Date: 29/09/2013

Start Date: 21/10/2013

Length of Opportunity: 12 Months

Hours/Week: 35

Work outside normal hours: Possibility of some work outside normal hours to undertake audits or attend evening events.

Base: University of Brighton, Exion 27, Crowhurst Road, Brighton, BN1 8AF

Department: Estate and Facilities Management

Reports to: Assistant Environmental Communication Officer

 

Background

The University of Brighton

The University of Brighton is a community of 22,000 students and 2,600 staff based on five campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. We have one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which contribute to our reputation as a leading post-1992 university.

The university has strong environmental credentials and for the last two years has been ranked as one of the top five most sustainable universities in the UK in the People and Planet Green League (http://peopleandplanet.org/green-league-2013/tables). Sustainability is at the heart of the university and it is included as one of the 10 key divers in the university’s new Strategic Plan (http://www.brighton.ac.uk/strategicplan/).

Brighton has recently invested further in sustainability through the creation of the Environment Team. This small team has been established to deliver a number of key goals outlines within the Environmental Policy and help with the delivery of the Carbon Management Plan (http://www.brighton.ac.uk/sustainability/governance/policies/) over the next three years.

The Green Impact Programme (http://www.green-impact.org.uk/) is a national behaviour change initiative headed by the National Union of Students (NUS) to promote and coordinate positive environmental behaviour change in university and college staff departments throughout the UK. Previously called ‘Green Impact Assistants’, Sustainable Behaviour Assistants will work with an institution’s Environment Team to drive forward the Green Impact programme with the support of the NUS, SSO (Student Switch Off) and Change Agents UK.

 

About Green Impact

Green impact is an environmental accreditation scheme that encourages pro-environmental behaviours by staff. It empowers sustainability champions within their workplace, helping them gain recognition for their environmental efforts, whilst playing on the competitive spirit of staff working in teams. It provides people and their departments with a tangible framework for improving their environmental performance, breaking down complex environmental issues into more manageable bite-sized chunks.

Green Impact forms part of the NUS’s wider strategy to support students’ unions by supporting them to green their own operations, their institutions and the wider community. All NUS environmental programmes seek to generate sustainable income for students’ unions by paying them to get involved in local delivery of our central projects. The environmental programmes are also committed to providing volunteering opportunities for students that will help with their employability, especially through skills that support the transition to a low carbon economy.

The scheme is all about practical actions that tackle common bad practice. A number of departments are audited to determine what common bad practices exist across an institution, and then a list of practical actions is developed to address them. These actions are carefully chosen so that any member of staff can do them on behalf of their team or department. From recycling, to investing in more efficient equipment, to encouraging biodiversity, or Fairtrade, the scheme covers a broad range of issues under the sustainability umbrella, all tailored to an individual institution to cover local policy and process.

For more information on Green Impact please go to:

http://www.eauc.org.uk/green_impact

http://www.nus.org.uk/greenimpactpledge

http://www.changeagents.org.uk/current-projects/green-impact

 

Objective

This post will involve a coordinating and supportive role to ensure the effective implementation and impact of the Green Impact scheme in order to achieve an increase in the pro-environmental behaviours of students and staff within the university and Students’ Union.

The Sustainable Behaviour Assistant will provide added capacity to enable successful delivery of the university’s Green Impact project by the specified completion dates.

This is a 12 month full-time post that will deliver the Green Impact objectives but also enhance the capacity and impact of the Environment Team across the University of Brighton as a whole.

 

Benefits of this opportunity:

The successful graduate will have opportunities to learn about being a team player, developing communication skills in different mediums and will gain project management skills including event planning and management, project implementation and evaluation.

The full time nature of this role will enable the graduate to develop not only the skills and outputs required as part of Green Impact, but also to work as an integral part of the Environment Team to create and drive forward further environmental initiatives across the university’s staff, students and estate.

 

Future employment potential and options:

The role may be able to be extended dependent upon its success and the development of any further needs that the University may have. Permanent work opportunities may arise within the team over the duration of the placement but timing and funding will influence the likelihood of any further opportunities for the graduate within the team. The skills, experience and knowledge gained from these posts will open up many opportunities for a wide-range of sustainability work.

 

Numbered Lists: Please note all numbered lists start with the most important through to least important Output or Key Task

Output 1

Coordinate and support the Green Impact project to encourage pro-environmental behaviour change across the institution and wider community

Output 2

Increase number of students and staff with pro-environmental knowledge and awareness

Output 3

Successful delivery of the University’s Green Impact project by the specified completion dates

Output 4

Provide quantitative and qualitative data relating to the scheme to the EAUC

Output 5

Develop and drive forward wider environmental projects across the university

Key Task 1

Meet with stakeholders around the University (staff and student groups) to encourage their early involvement in all of the planned communications through local launch of the project

Key Task 2

Plan, deliver and evaluate the Green Impact project through amendment, distribution and collation of the Workbook in partnership with departmental teams

Key Task 3

Recruit, coordinate and motivate teams of volunteers to drive forward the University’s Green Impact project through their involvement as departmental teams and as auditors

Key Task 4

Ensure that all records and information are collated and disseminated effectively, in line with the requirements of the project, and facilitate discussion and drive forward agendas with key contacts and participants

Key Task 5

To assist the Environment Team in conducting appropriate environmental surveys of relevance to the Project (for example, lights left on unnecessarily, windows left open, waste and recycling bin contents)

Key Task 6

Prioritise key tasks and workload to ensure successful delivery within time frames specified by the project aims, and actively network with other Sustainable Behaviour Assistants to ensure sharing of best practice across the sector

Key Task 7

Act as an ambassador for the project and ensure effective communication of its aims and objectives in liaison with the Student Union and through other partners and external channels and keep in regular contact with the EAUC Green Impact Project Officer and attend phone or face-to-face meetings when required

Key Task 8

To assist with other projects relevant to Green Impact being conducted by the Environment Team, and to investigate external funding sources for further projects that would complement it when appropriate and fitting with the demands of the Green Impact project

Key Task 9

To support the Environment Team in editing and updating the university’s sustainability web site and other web pages that may be connected with the Green Impact project

Key Task 10

Organise and facilitate an Awards Ceremony for the participating departments in line with the timescales of the project and with the aim of celebrating the successes and impacts of the teams and the project.

 

Personal Specification

Essential Selection Criteria 1 Weighting: 5

Candidates must be a graduate.

Essential Selection Criteria 2 Weighting: 5

An excellent communicator:

Able to comfortably express themselves and environmental issues verbally and in written text to a variety of different audiences as well as in one-to-one situations

Experience and enthusiasm for articulating this through marketing materials (e.g. producing news items and a newsletter and creating on-line communities)

Essential Selection Criteria 3 Weighting: 3

Creative and innovative thinker and problem-solver that can formulate ideas and appropriately execute them

Essential Selection Criteria 4 Weighting: 4

ICT literacy in all Office applications but especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Essential Selection Criteria 5 Weighting: 3

Conscientious organiser, able to plan and organise their work appropriately

Essential Selection Criteria 6 Weighting: 5

Knowledge of, and commitment to, ‘green’ issues and their importance within a university environment

Essential Selection Criteria 7 Weighting: 4

Demonstrable ability to motivate others into action

Essential Selection Criteria 8 Weighting: 5

Demonstrable commitment and motivation to complete the project and deliver the projects aims

Desirable Selection Criteria 1 Weighting: 3

Previous experience of event organising in either a voluntary or paid position

Desirable Selection Criteria 2 Weighting: 3

Experience of or a relevant qualification in communications, marketing or similar

Desirable Selection Criteria 3 Weighting: 2

Experience of Office Outlook, MS Project and/or any web content management programmes

Desirable Selection Criteria 4 Weighting: 4

Experience of project management and administration

 

Benefits of working with Change Agents UK:

Change Agents UK is an environmental and educational charity, which enables young people and graduates to work with businesses and community groups to learn about, promote sustainable development, and become more employable. With this service Change Agents UK will provide:

• A Change Agents UK Coordinator will act as a point of contact for any help and assistance you may need from Change Agents UK.

• Educational resources, management support, and networking opportunities.

• A number of learning notes and material available to you throughout the Opportunity.

• A monthly Change Agents UK Newsletter informing you of current sustainability news topics, up and coming events and workshops and a network of other change agents.

 

Training and Development Opportunities:

• An Introductory Meeting to provide guidance for the successful completion of the Opportunity, and to detail the training opportunities and support offered by both the client and Change Agents UK.

• On-going support and contact from Change Agents UK and the NUS.

• A Final Review Meeting to discuss the project and offer guidance for job hunting or CV editing, also to gain feedback about Change Agents UK and the project from the client and change agent.

• A City and Guilds Professional Development Award (This is optional and can be agreed between the client and change agent).

• Up to three Learning Workshops run every quarter: Project Management, Communicating Sustainability and Assertive Communication among others.

We strongly encourage you to attend training events and provide for 3 days of training within your working hours to be agreed by both change agent and line manager.

NB: Change Agents UK does not cover travel expenses to any workshops or training.