Main Duties

We are looking for an outstanding individual to join our team as a Climate Change & Sustainability Specialist, to lead and facilitate the management of strands of work on these programmes:

• Transforming Energy – Arts Council England (30% FTE)
• Creative Green and Partnership programmes (50% FTE)

The work involves project-managing and delivering key partnership projects, and supporting collaboration with both subsidised and commercial cultural organisations, as well as with networks of organisations, funding bodies, cities, and local authorities. We focus on projects that generate knowledge that can be shared with the broader sector to promote climate action.

Candidates will have strong knowledge of the environment and climate, including their root causes, impacts, key issues, solutions, and approaches. You will have the confidence to embed sustainable practices across operations, strong facilitation skills, and the ability to drive change and governance in organisations and networks.

You will be passionate about the cultural sector’s unique role in accelerating a just energy transition and inspiring wider action. We would particularly welcome expertise in community energy networks and solutions, nature restoration and carbon sinks, and broad environmental management and the just transition.

You will have proven project management experience and be able to combine strategic thinking with on-the-ground delivery across all project stages, leading consultancy activities, including mentoring clients and running public-facing sessions. An excellent communicator and confident project manager, you will have a flexible, solution-focused approach.

Responsibilities

As part of the Creative Green and Creative Climate Partnerships team, our Climate Change & Sustainability Specialist will manage partnerships, working closely with a wide range of high-profile organisations in the arts and culture sector to help them understand, manage and improve their commitments to climate action and a just transition. A typical month might involve developing sustainability advice for cultural organisations supported by international cooperation, developing and delivering sustainability training for libraries, researching opportunities for climate action for artistic residencies, analysing environmental management data and writing recommendations and reports, helping write new proposals for partnership development, creating recommendations to influence cultural policy funding in the UK and Europe, creating a net zero plan for museums and theatres, supporting the sustainable production of exhibitions and performances.

With the Arts Council England programme, you will lead the management and delivery of the strand focused on decarbonisation, working collaboratively with the team. There is a significant opportunity to shape the programme to support organisations in decarbonising across key focus areas, including community energy schemes, district heat networks, nature-based solutions, circular economy initiatives, and energy management approaches, among others. Beyond this key strand, they will collaborate with the team to support aspects of delivery and contribute to team activities across the wider programme as appropriate. They will also collaborate on delivery support and contribute to wider team activities.

Key responsibilities: 

Project scoping and proposal writing

• Actively seek partnership development opportunities that align with our strategy and aims.
• Scoping and planning new projects.
• Writing competitive proposals for new partnership projects.

Project Management and delivery

• Full project management, including managing timelines, resources, contracts, and budgets. This includes high quality, timely delivery of project strands, resources and events within the Creative Green and Partnership programme.
• Managing and delivering the decarbonisation strand of the Arts Council England environmental programme, and evolving the focus and support provided for organisations in line with sector needs.
• Designing and facilitating training and focus groups for organisations and specific stakeholder groups/networks, leadership sessions in person and/or virtual.
• Analysing environmental data focusing on energy, materials, carbon footprint calculation, environmental data and science-based targets and life cycle analyses.
• Developing strategic pathways for organisations to decarbonise towards achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions with emphasis on a Just transition and sustainability plans for cultural organisations. Carrying out the necessary research to respond to specific organisational / sector challenges.
• Developing clear and accessible communications about decarbonisation strategies and progress for a variety of internal and external audiences.
• Producing reports, strategy, policies, action plans, tools and resources.
• Providing advice on how clients can meet environmental regulations.

Learning and knowledge Sharing

• Distilling and synthesising learning, insights and knowledge arising from projects.
• Clear communication and active sharing of knowledge with the wider team to support and enhance internal learning
• Presenting findings and recommendations to clients, partners, Julie’s Bicycle’s team and broader stakeholders.
• Keeping up to date with current research and legislation.

Skills and Experience Required

Essential

• Substantial industry experience at management level of working in environmental sustainability programmes or a similar role.
• Demonstrable experience of successfully managing environmental projects, working in partnership with external organisations
• A degree in environmental science/studies/management/sustainability and/or another relevant academic discipline area, or evidence of equivalent expertise.
• A proactive, flexible approach, and the ability to progress work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• An interest in the arts and culture, the role they can play in the climate crisis, and the sustainability issues that impact this sector.
• Demonstrable expertise related to a range of the following: decarbonising pathways and just transition, community energy networks and solutions, nature restoration and carbon sinks, broad environmental management and circular economy, and sustainability in the supply chain.
• Deep commitment to climate justice and to threading this throughout their work
• Experience and confidence in designing and facilitating workshops, training and focused group discussions or similar.
• Experience in writing proposals and relationship management with high-profile organisations.
• Experience in project management from the beginning to the end of a project, including learning and evaluation.
• Experience in carbon footprint calculation, conversion factors, and analysis.
• Experience in undertaking consultation and information gathering with organisations from which to develop strategy, policy, and action plans.
• Client/ Partners-facing presentation skills.
• Excellent written skills.
• Scientific and numerical skills.
• Strategic thinking.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Desirable

• Sustainability experience gained within the cultural sector / specific experience working with museums and galleries, performance venues, theatres or cultural services.
• Business skills and commercial awareness.
• Understanding of communications strategies.
• Experience of writing reports, guides, and communication materials for non-academic audiences.
• IEMA membership or similar.

Equal Opportunities Statement

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their race, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and caring responsibility. We are committed to offering a working environment where everyone is valued and feels appreciated.