Technical Co-ordinator

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

 

Centre for Alternative Technology Job Description
Job Title:	Operations Team: Technical Co-ordinator
Hours:	40 hours per week 5 days over 7 including some weekends andevening work
Responsible to:	Directions Team
Responsible for:	Permanent, volunteer and contract staff as required
Status:	This is a permanent post subject to satisfactory completionof a six month probationary period
Salary:	£17,485 per annum

Scope:CAT consists of a Charity and a plc. However, it manages its operations on a co-operative basis, with consensus decision-making at its core.CAT’s management structure includes two main teams – the (mainly elected) Directions Team, responsible for developing strategy and policy and answerable to the staff body, and the Operations Team, who are jointly responsible to the Directions Team for delivering the strategy within the policy framework.Legal responsibilities, including those for financial matters and Health and Safety, are devolved to the Operations Team from CAT Charity’s Trustees and CAT plc’s Directors.CAT’s management structure and approach to management issues is laid out in our Constitution.

This role is a new post that is part of the Operations Team. The post holder is responsible for the co-ordination of the Technical Department group (referred to below as “the group”) including Engineering, Biology, ICT, Buildings Maintenance and Site Maintenance.

The post holder is also responsible for the management of Health and Safety across the organisation.

This job description will be reviewed 11 months after appointment, in consultation with the post holder and the Directions Team

Duties:

Operations Team Common Functions

·          To be a member of the Operations Team, liaise with other members of the team and attend regular formal meetings to co-ordinate the delivery of CAT’s strategy, all in accordance with the Operations Team Terms of Reference as agreed from time to time.

·          To work in line with the principles stated in CAT’s Constitution.

·          To co-ordinate budgets for the departments listed above

·          To foster a strong team and to effectively delegate responsibilities to those in their team.

·          To work with the rest of the Operations and Directions Teams to produce a combined annual and longer-term budget and work plan for the group, in accordance with priorities agreed with the Directions Team

·          To co-ordinate staffing for the group, including ensuring job descriptions are up-to-date and taking part in recruitment panels

·          To ensure compliance with all CAT policies within their group

·          To provide advice and input to the strategy process and policy development, especially where it impacts on the group’s departments; to ensure that the group’s strategies contribute to the overall organisational strategy as developed by the Directions Team

·          To line manage staff leading the group’s departments, including setting annual targets, approval of work plans, annual job appraisals and dealing with any disciplinary matters that may arise (the latter in consultation with CAT’s HR department)

·          To ensure that line management activities are carried out within the group, following CAT’s employment policies and in line with the management ethos as laid out in CAT’s Constitution.

·          To co-ordinate projects that cut across the group to ensure that they are delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner; to liaise with other groups and departments to deliver organisation-wide projects as required

·          To be responsible for the management of Health and Safety within the group, ensuring that H&S matters are given due attention and that a safety culture is promoted.

·          To report to the Directions Team on a quarterly basis, and when requested

·          To report to CAT’s Charity Trustees and plc Directors on a quarterly basis

·          To stand for election as chair of the Operations Team, and carry out those duties if elected

·          To meet with the group’s department and/ or budget heads at least monthly to discuss team and individual issues; minuting, publishing and following up on actions·          To be a member of internal groups as required by the Directions Team·          to provide reports and information to management and monitoring groups by the dates agreed with those groups. In particular, to provide financial, progress and environmental performance information. Specific Technical Co-ordinator Functions·          To provide technical advice and input to the strategy process and technical policy development ·          To ensure the technical departments have a long-term strategy for dealing with regular maintenance and one-off projects, and to implement that strategy·          To develop and manage purchasing procedures within the technical departments to ensure compliance with CAT’s sustainable policy objectives and to improve efficiency·          As designated responsible person for health and safety, to be responsible for the management of Health and Safety across CAT as a whole, working with departments to ensure that H&S matters are given due attention and that a safety culture is promoted·          to report to the Trustees and Directors directly on H&S matters.·          To convene and chair H&S committee meetings on a regular basis, ensuring that minutes are taken and published and that actions are followed up.Co-operative Rights and DutiesThis is a permanent post and as such has voting and attendance duties regarding the wider management of CAT·           To attend a minimum of 6 Monthly Staff Meetings per year·           To consider issues presented to the staff body and be involved in the decision-making process regarding such issues.·           To input to policy development when policies are proposed by the Directions Team·           To input to the strategy process when requested by the Directions Team·           To comply with all CAT’s policies and processes as they are amended from time to time; to read and act upon policies and processes as they are approved.         Person specification:  Essential: Experience and qualifications

• 5 Years experience in a managerial role
• Good understanding and/or degree in a discipline relevant to the post 
• Experience of setting and managing budgets
• Experience of strategic planning
• Experience of risk management

 Skills

• Effective leadership skills, able to manage and motivate team members
• Excellent oral and written communication
• Computer literate
• Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively, delegate responsibilities and deal calmly with the pressure of deadlines and conflicting priorities

• High level of accuracy in all aspects of work
• Able to adapt to change quickly whilst still keeping an eye on the overall direction of the group and organisation
• Ability to recognise people’s strengths and weaknesses and foster an environment where the individual can flourish
• Knowledge and understanding of health and safety protocols

  Attributes/personal characteristics

• Professional and positive approach
• Team player
• Self motivated and able to work on own initiative
• Good listener and approachable
• Problem solver
• Dynamic and creative
• Ability to work effectively at a senior level within a large, complex organisation.
• Ability and willingness to maintain absolute confidentiality of sensitive information
• An ability to present technical information to a non-technical audience
• Commitment to CAT’s mission for sustainable living
• Ability to appreciate national and global environmental problems

   Desirable:

• Experience of working in the 3rd sector
• Experience of working in a cooperative structure