Strategy and Research Officer

Strategy and Research Officer (City Housing)

Permanent

Grade

Consultation grade subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review

Working 36.5 hours per week

Improving the energy efficiency of homes is an important issue for City Housing given the Councils Net Zero ambitions and the fact homes across the city are responsible for 36% of the Birminghams carbon emissions. According to our data 68% of properties have an EPC rating of D or below and 23% of Birmingham residents live in fuel poverty in some areas as many as 50% of households live in fuel poverty.

What is retrofit

Retrofit is the process of improving existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The most common approach is fabric first where the building is improved via insulation measures thereafter a whole house approach to retrofit will consider the installation of renewable heating measures. These improvements help reduce energy bills improve health and help reach Birminghams climate goals. It is important to transform our existing housing stock across all tenures into energy efficient sustainable homes for the future.

The challenge

Poor housing conditions are affecting both our environment and our residents. The NHS spends an estimated1.5 billionannually on treating illnesses associated with living in cold or damp housing. Our goal is to improve the energy efficiency of all properties in Birmingham to meet our net zero target by 2030.

The current energy crisis has intensified the challenge of fuel poverty in Birmingham. With the rise in energy cost putting strains on households many residents are forced to choose between heating and essential needs. This makes our retrofit program ever more important as it can reduce energy bills and help vulnerable households in fuel poverty.

About the role

The team currently consists of three members and we plan to expand it due to the increasing adoption of retrofit projects and programmes in Birmingham. This role involves working collaboratively across City Housing with other departments within Birmingham City Council as well as external stakeholders.

As a Strategy and Research Officer for City Housing you will play a crucial role in Birminghams commitment to combat climate change and improve housing conditions across the city. This position combines research with practical implementation of housing improvement strategies focusing on our retrofit program to achieve net zero targets by 2030.

Responsibilities include:

• Analysing and understanding Birminghams housing market particularly focusing on energy efficiency and retrofit opportunities
• Designing and conducting research projects to monitor retrofit implementation and outcomes
• Supporting the development of strategic documents and providing evidencebased recommendations
• Managing relationships with stakeholders and organising and attending community engagement events
• Lead generation including door knocking to Identify suitable households that might qualify for funding under different retrofit programmes
• Supporting residents during and after retrofit installation
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of retrofit programs
• Processing applications for energy efficiency improvements to homes cross tenure.

If you are passionate about the environment and supporting our residents to maximise their income to build resilience for their household we would be grateful to receive an application from you.

Please upload your uptodate CV via the attachments part of your application this is required for shortlisting. Unfortunately we cannot consider any applications without a CV attached.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer andwe arecommitted to employing retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments additional support accessibility needs or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

We are dedicated to supporting internal mobility and the development of our people. As such applications from internal employees and those under S118 will be given priority and reviewed before external applications are considered.

For any informal enquires please contact:

We welcome applications from people with caring responsibilities and flexible working options will be considered.

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance withUK Home Office requirements before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Job Description and Person Specification

We strive to advertise all roles for a minimum of two weeks. However due to high application volumes vacancies may close earlier than the stated deadline. We encourage you to submit your application without delay to ensure consideration.