Sustainability Manager

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER FURTHER PARTICULARS

Contents 1. Role summary

2. The University of Birmingham – a bold and influential university • Excellence in education • Campus developments • Global outlook • Exceptional research • Cultural assets • The city of Birmingham

3. Estates Office 4. Job description • Summary of role • Main Duties / Responsibilities 5. Renumeration 6. Person Specification 6. Appointment process and how to apply

Sustainability Manager

1. Role Summary We are committed to enhancing the sustainability of our operations, teaching, learning and research. Staff, across a number of functions, and students work together to make this happen. The Estates Office has the mandate from the University Executive Board to manage our approach to sustainability and is responsible for the operation of the Sustainable Task Group “STG” that co- ordinates activities; championed by Trevor Payne, Director of Estates. The object of this post is to head up University sustainability and provide the necessary leadership, co-ordination and promotion with a particular emphasis on sustainability in our £1bn+ capital programme. Further information about the Estate and our future plans can be viewed at; www.birmingham.ac.uk/building

Sustainability Manager

2. The University of Birmingham - a bold and influential university

With more than 8,000 staff and 32,000 students, the University of Birmingham was the first civic university in the UK. Our heritage as the original ‘redbrick’ is combined with one of the most compelling and ambitious agendas in higher education. We have a clear vision for the future, ambitious leadership, world-class academic strengths, and a secure financial base. Being named The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2013–2014 recognised a transformative time in our history, characterised by innovative initiatives such as our much-emulated unconditional offers strategy for exceptional students and our highly successful ‘Birmingham Fellows’ programme for early-career academics. Birmingham is a leading member of the Russell Group and a founder member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities of which our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Eastwood, is the current Chair. In October 2015, we launched our Strategic Framework 2015–2020, Making Important Things Happen. This provides the framework for another period of development and transformation as we seek to capitalise on our academic range and financial strength as well as the opportunities that emerge in the fast-changing global HE environment. Excellence in education The league table rises we have secured in recent years have led to us becoming an increasingly popular destination for the best and brightest students. Our student population has increased by over 4,000 since 2009/10, and we now have over 20,000 undergraduate and 14,000 postgraduate students. Nearly 5,000 of these are from overseas, making ours the second largest international postgraduate population in the UK. Our student satisfaction levels have risen significantly to 88% for overall satisfaction, placing us as one of the best universities of our type. Our highly successful work to support our students in securing graduate-level employment after their studies with us was recognised in 2015 when we were awarded The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year for Graduate Employment. At 86.7%, our rate of graduate employability is the fourth highest in the UK, and a result of the much-copied Birmingham model for employability. Campus developments Our annual turnover has grown to more than £680 million, and we make use of our financial strength to invest in the intellectual and physical future of the University. Over the past three years, some £250 million has been invested in the Birmingham campus, including a major sports centre and outstanding new student accommodation. Our state-of-the-art Student Services Hub opened in October 2015 and includes facilities for our Careers Network, Student Services and Registry, as well as a suite of one-to-one consultation rooms and a 250-seat lecture theatre. The Hub is based at the heart of campus in the Aston Webb Building and sits between the stunning Elgar Concert Hall and the magnificent Great Hall, venue for our graduations. Our new £59 million technology-rich main library opened in 2016 and provides outstanding facilities for a new generation of students and researchers. The new library houses an increased number of study spaces, flexible training rooms, and A/V listening and video editing booths. Our new £55 million sports centre, opened in 2017, will include the city’s first 50-metre swimming pool – an asset not only for our students and staff but for the wider community.

Sustainability Manager

We are currently finalising the next phase of our estates strategy, which will see a further £300 million invested into projects such as the new Collaborative Teaching Laboratory, which brings together practical teaching activities across a broad range of science and engineering disciplines, with a new state-of-the-art facility which opened in 2018. This means we will not only have best-in-class teaching lab facilities for our students, but a transformed curriculum. This, and many other developments, will enrich the student experience, and continue to strengthen our intellectual environment. Global outlook Rated 76th in the most recent QS World University Rankings, the University has a significant international presence. As well as a large international student community undertaking courses at Birmingham, our vibrant Study Abroad programmes attract students from around the world to spend time in Birmingham. We have made a significant investment to support partnership development with leading universities and key public and private organisations in Brazil. This has created joint research fellowships, visiting scholars, and a large, vibrant community of Brazilian PhD students on campus. Exceptional research The University is one of the UK’s most successful institutions in terms of attracting research funding. We have a portfolio of 2,613 live projects with an award value to the University of £574 million. Our research record speaks for itself. REF2014 showed that more than 80% of all research carried out at Birmingham is rated as internationally excellent or world-leading, as well as showing that 87% of our research activity has a global impact, demonstrating our continued academic success across a broad range of areas. Supported by a major gift from a philanthropist, the University has developed a unique institute for forest research (BIFOR) which will investigate the effect of rapid climate change on tree canopy development and pathogens. Our substantive links with industry include receiving a £60 million investment from Rolls-Royce and HEFCE for the world-leading High Temperature Research Centre. In 2014, the University secured one of the four national quantum technology hubs, an £80 million initiative which focuses on technology transfer from fundamental science to application. In 2015, the government announced a £60 million investment into the Midlands Energy Research Accelerator, which is led by the University in partnership with other Midlands universities to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the global economy by transforming research and development in three critical areas of energy: Thermal, Integrated Systems and Geo-Energy. Cultural assets The University’s many cultural assets take in the Shakespeare Institute at Stratford-upon-Avon, which has direct working links with the Royal Shakespeare Company and enhances the educational opportunities available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students; the Ironbridge Institute in Shropshire, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts – our own art gallery that houses works by many of the greatest artists in the western tradition. The Edgbaston campus also includes Winterbourne House and Garden, a unique Edwardian heritage attraction that is home to more than 6,000 plant species from around the world. Our cultural profile was significantly enhanced with the opening of The Bramall music building in 2013, funded through generous benefactions. This houses the Elgar Concert Hall, named after our first Professor of Music, Sir Edward Elgar, and is a striking venue that complements our global reputation in music, attracting some of the most talented musicians from across the world to study here.

Sustainability Manager

The city of Birmingham Birmingham is the UK’s second biggest city and a major European centre. It is a city of historical interest and contemporary vision and has a rich and diverse community that creates a vibrant, multicultural and exciting place to live and work. It is home to the internationally renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet and one of the world’s greatest concert venues, the Symphony Hall. The City Museum and Art Gallery houses the world’s finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, alongside a major collection of old masters, modern and contemporary pictures. The stunning New Street station redevelopment opened in 2015; this provides links to the University’s own dedicated railway station, and will be at the centre of the proposed high-speed rail network. London is 80 minutes away by shuttle service, with trains every 20 minutes. The remarkable Grand Central shopping and restaurant complex sits above the station, and is just a short walk from the iconic Bullring, one of the largest dedicated shopping facilities in Europe. Sports and recreation are also well served; the city offers international test cricket, high-level football, international championship golf and top-class rugby. As a multicultural city, Birmingham is also renowned for the breadth of its cuisine and has more Michelin starred restaurants than any other English city outside London. Birmingham is within an hour’s drive of Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds. From Birmingham Airport, more than 50 different airlines operate scheduled services to 100 destinations worldwide. 3. Estates Office The University estate consists of two main sites (Edgbaston & Selly Oak), along with properties at Stratford on Avon, Ansty, Coniston, Ironbridge, Dubai and our High Temperature Research Centre. Those sites accommodate the majority of the core academic and residential facilities that support the work of the University. The facilities extend to approximately half-a-million square meters of floors space in over 200 buildings, and over 250 acres of grounds and sports fields. The Estates Office is responsible for developing, maintaining and operating those facilities to support the changing needs of our staff, students and partners - and for enhancing the quality of the environment for work and study. 4. Job description Summary of Role You will need to obtain and retain the trust and confidence of colleagues across the university to provide the leadership and co-ordination of the University’s approach to sustainability. You will: • Work across the University to lead and coordinate our approach to sustainability including aligning our activities with Sustainable Development Goals. • Ensure the sustainability of our £ multi-million capital programme and support the staff involved in this endeavour including external consultants and advisors, particularly Sustainability Advisors working as part of project teams, as well as SKA assessors. • Be the “go-to” person for advice and guidance on sustainability, coordinating activities of a large number of academic and professional staff, students and key stakeholders. • Ensure the effective operation of the Sustainability Task Group.

Sustainability Manager

Main Duties / Responsibilities Strategy and policy • Implement the University’s Sustainability Policy, Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan and obtain the commitment of others. • Periodically review the Strategy, Policy and Action Plan. You need to ensure that the timescale is medium / long-term, gaps are identified and recommendations made for amending and updating after consulting staff, students and stakeholders. You will be expected to use your expertise and experience to make significant contributions to the direction of travel and the content of policy, strategy and action plans. • Promote the embedding of sustainability considerations into the day-to-day business of the University, proactively identifying (both own and others’ ideas) and exploiting opportunities to do so. • Ensure a robust approach is taken to sustainability in capital projects maximising the benefits for the allocated resource and ensuring the engagement of a multitude of stakeholders. • Keep abreast of current thinking and developments in sustainability and HE to ensure the relevancy of the approach taken. Educate, advise and increase the capabilities of members of the University, including the Sustainability Task Group. Monitoring and Reporting • Develop appropriate metrics by which sustainability performance, including fiscal, and our alignment to the Sustainable Development Goals and can be benchmarked and measured. • Report on progress towards achieving the metrics and Sustainability Devel- opment Goals to Sustainable Task Group, as well as internal and external audiences. Reporting will be at many levels including to University Executive Board and Council. • Prepare annual reports and periodic updates, including publications intended for an external audience. • Collate, analyse and interpret a wide range of data to inform priorities, performance, national league tables, local authorities and sustainability industry forums. Report the findings of the analysis (e.g. to STG), highlighting conflicts, gaps and contradictions and use to drive performance improvement. • Have the credibility to develop a University wide sustainability engagement strategy and review approaches periodically. • Co-ordinate and lead University wide engagement activities related to sustainability, obtaining support from senior managers, organising events as necessary. • Raise the profile of sustainability at the University and the progress it is making in contributing to SDGs. • Be secretary to the Sustainability Task Group, producing agendas, minutes and papers, and on behalf of the group papers for University committees or wider circulation. • Increase the resources available for sustainability, both supporting other members of the University to do so and for one’s own projects. This includes external and internal resources, writing business cases, and making application for funding. • Represent the University at meetings, events and share our approach. • Undertake projects to support the implementation of the policy / strategy. • Support existing sustainability focused groups around the campus and promote the establishment of new ones where they meet a real need. Liaison, Engagement and developing / supporting sustainability

Sustainability Manager

Compliance: Legal, Regulatory and Voluntary • Advise the university on the implications of existing and new environmental legalisation. • Audit and review compliancy with environmental legalisation making recommendations for process improvements the adoption of best practice and management systems as necessary. [Radiation advice is specifically excluded, being the responsibility of the University’s Health and Safety Unit]. • Review internal process and business functions with a view to ensuring environmental compliance and adopting best practice. Make recommendations for improvement as necessary. • Coordinate investigations into non-compliancy with environmental legalisation and the response to regulatory bodies. • Advise the University on the adoption of voluntary accreditation schemes, standards, management systems related to sustainability and the impact of their adoption. Management • Ensure sustainability assessments are undertaken of capital projects and new works that is proportionate to their scale and complexity. This includes managing and coordinate the activities of Sustainability Advisors working on capital projects, SKA assessments and lighter touch approaches for smaller projects. • Manage budgets for sustainability activities including engagement. • Maximise opportunities for fiscal savings through efficient use of resources, reuse and waste minimisation. General • Be willing and able to obtain relevant accreditation, for example to carry out formal audits and assessments as necessary, for example SKA. • To carry out such other duties as are required by the, Head of Utilities, Director of Engineering or the Director of Estates. 5. Renumeration The post offers a salary level that will enable the University to attract ambitious and talented individuals. In addition to salary, the University offers a generous benefits package including: • USS pension scheme • Access to our sporting facilities • Excellent transport links including the University station • 40 days holiday including additional closed days • Relocation package available • Other benefits including childcare vouchers, bus and rail season tickets and a cycle purchase scheme.

Sustainability Manager

Person Specification Decision Making/Problem Solving i) without reference to others • Social media posts. • The need to revise policies, procedures. • Reporting non-compliance issues. • Production of papers, agenda for STG (in consultation with Chair). ii) after consulting others • □Production of the content for new policies and procedures. • □Production of reports. iii) or that would be referred to someone else • □Issues beyond one’s own competency or handled by others (e.g. advice on radiation). Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience Required • A good undergraduate degree or equivalent in a relevant subject and ideally a postgraduate qualification and / or membership of an appropriate professional body. • Broad and wide-ranging knowledge of sustainability with expertise in particular areas. • In-depth understanding of environmental law. • In-depth knowledge of H&S. • Significant experience of environmental and /or sustainability management ideally within a large organisation. • Proven ability to establish partnerships and collaborative working. • Ability to lead change. • Proven ability to manage consultants, contractors and staff. • Highly IT literature, a high level of competency with Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. • Proven ability at developing new policies, procedures and ensuring they are effectively introduced when approved. • Excellent project management skills and an in-depth understanding of the project management process. • Highly numerate with the ability to handle and analyse large data sets effectively and accurately to produce meaningful information. • Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to obtain consensus of the direction of travel together with strong networking, negotiating and influencing skills. • Excellent written, oral and presentation skills using a wide variety of media. Essential Qualities: • Drive, determination and tenacity. • A passion for enhancing sustainability. • Ability to engage effectively with academic staff.

6. Appointment process and how to apply For a confidential discussion please contact our retained recruitment advisor Michael Hewlett of The Management Recruitment Group on; Michael.Hewlett@mrgpeople.co.uk or on 020 8892 0115. Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV and covering letter outlining key matching experience. Closing date for applications is Sunday 16th June 2019. MRG will be holding preliminary interviews w/c 17th June 2019. Interviews with the University will be held on Wednesday 3rd July 2019.

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