Project Manager - Net Zero

Climate17 is delighted to be partnering with The Greater South East Net Zero Hub (GSENZH); a high-profile and high-impact government-backed project group to develop and support the delivery of projects to accelerate the UK’s transition to Net Zero.

Set up by the UK government in 2018 and funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), there are five Local Net Zero Hubs across England. All Hubs work together to help the UK reach Net Zero.

To date, the Net Zero Hubs have supported 200+ major Net Zero projects valued at over £4Bn including large-scale solar, Heat Networks, Smart Grids, domestic retrofit, hydrogen development, public estate-wide energy opportunity assessments, fleet and depot decarbonisation, network constraint, building decarbonisation & research & development.

The opportunity
GSENZH is assembling a team to launch and manage a Net-Zero pilot programme across Manchester, West Midlands & York & North East Yorkshire Combined Authorities.

They are seeking a

Project Manager - Net-Zero , and the post holder will be embedded in the Local Net Zero Accelerator pilot project place undertaking intelligence gathering to capture processes and decisions on a day-to-day basis to inform and shape future support to public sector organisations.

The post holder will have an excellent understanding of and experience in programme and project management processes, governance and decision-making processes and produce written work to a high standard, ensuring alignment with programme goals and requirements of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The pilot projects aim to develop place-based investment prospectuses containing aggregated bundles of projects across multiple net zero sectors. The GSENZH is responsible for oversight and management of the pilot as an independent Hub.

Duties will include:
Develop and maintain effective relationships with place-based delivery teams, based on collaborative working and trust.
Engage with senior stakeholders, project development teams and strategic delivery partners (consultants, green finance delivery)
Intelligence gathering – systemically collects feedback and data from local implementations, capturing processes and decision-making on a day-to-day basis.
Identify and capture delivery challenges and barriers faced by the places.
Responsible for collating lessons learnt and collaborating with other places and project managers to identify common themes.
Capture and review all evidence collated, and produce high-quality written briefings and reports to senior stakeholders and DESNZ.
Report findings back to DESNZ Programme Board
Review and process grant claims

Qualifications & Knowledge
Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience) in a related discipline.
Knowledge of energy technologies and their applications, including in-depth knowledge of at least one of the following local net zero sectors - local renewable energy generation, storage, heat decarbonisation, housing retrofit, mobility (EV)
In-depth knowledge of programme and project management processes
Knowledge of HM Treasury 5 case business model (green book) process
Project Management qualification e.g. Prince 2, APM PMQ
Knowledge of the green finance sector
Public sector procurement

Experience
Extensive project management skills with the ability to develop projects for optimal delivery.
Proven track record of developing and maintaining effective relationships with key stakeholders with the ability to work and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders.
Proven track record in undertaking intelligence gathering/research activities and production of high-quality written reports.
Experience in decision-making processes and governance frameworks, ideally in project development and delivery in the public sector
Ability to solve problems and pre-empt issues.
Able to write reports/proposals/professional briefings and adapt outputs for different audiences.
Excellent presentation skills: the ability to present complex ideas in a comprehensive but accessible format.
Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills: able to form effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from public and private sectors, and senior management.
Place-based decarbonisation/net zero project planning/development/delivery experience e.g. local renewable energy generation, storage, heat decarbonisation, housing retrofit, mobility (EV)
Developing Green Book business cases
Experience in reviewing, processing and approving grant claims/contracts

Leadership
Maintain the highest level of confidentiality and discretion at all times during the course of their work.
Highly organised with a clear understanding of objectives, pipelines of future work, activities and timeframes
Be transparent and fair in all decision-making and leadership approaches.
Provide and accept constructive feedback from colleagues, a continuous improvement mindset.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

About Us
Climate17 is a purpose-led, international Renewable Energy & Sustainability recruitment firm. We provide specialist talent acquisition services to organisations seeking to reduce their environmental footprint, as well as those working towards the decarbonisation of the energy sector.

Inclusive Application Process
Climate17 is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We believe there is no solution to climate change without people. We aim to increase diversity across all areas and as such, we are committed to partnering with clients and candidates to create an inclusive and sustainable regenerative world.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, or whether or not they have a disability. If you require additional support, equipment or resources in order to participate in the job application or interview process, please let us know.