Programme Researcher

Programme researcher

We are looking for a Programme Researcher to play a vital role in supporting the delivery of the BBP’s expanding programme of work.  This is an exciting opportunity to work with one of the leading organisations focused on sustainability in the commercial real estate sector and gain access to a significant network of BBP members who are leading the industry.

Summary

  • Contract: Permanent
  • Start date: As soon as possible
  • Place of work: The BBP is a London based organization. Employees are currently working from home and we are open to discussing flexible working arrangements.
  • Hours of work: 37.5 hours; normally 9am – 5.30pm
  • Holidays: 28 days per annum plus bank holidays (plus 1 extra day for each year of service up to a maximum of 5)
  • Salary: Competitive & negotiable depending on experience
  • Benefits: The BBP offers a range of other benefits including:
    • Pension scheme (5% matched contribution)
    • Discretionary bonus scheme
    • Health insurance with Vitality
    • Generous annual leave policy
    • Flexible working arrangements & hours
    • Range of initiatives to support employee health and well being
    • Team volunteering & other initiatives that support our commitment to sustainability

The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP)

The BBP is a not-for-profit collaboration of 40 of the UK’s leading property owners, with over £250bn Assets Under Management, who are working together to improve the sustainability performance of commercial buildings. The BBP is a widely respected and influential organisation within the commercial property sector and has led a number of groundbreaking projects providing both leadership and practical solutions to sustainability challenges for the commercial real estate sector. The BBP has a highly collaborative approach to delivering its programme of work, engaging with its members and a wide range of industry experts, industry bodies and NGOs. You can find out about the BBP here and read the BBP’s Impact Report here.

Core Responsibilities

Reporting to the Climate Change Programme Lead, the Programme Researcher will provide research support across the BBP’s workstreams. Supporting the heads of each workstream, the Programme Researcher will have the opportunity to engage with a wide range of sustainability and ESG issues exploring how they relate to commercial property, structured around the following:

  • Market transformation: Net Zero & Climate Resilience
  • Investment & Lending
  • Measurement & Reporting
  • Building Innovation & Technology
  • Property Management
  • Occupier Engagement

Responsibilities of the Programme Researcher will include:

  • Undertaking research on a diverse range of sustainability and ESG issues focusing on their relevance to commercial real estate, including:
    • ESG subject matter: offsetting and carbon pricing, net zero carbon, climate resilience, nature-based solutions, embodied carbon,
    • Member strategies: Reviewing members approaches to specific issues and keeping a watching brief on members’ sustainability activities to ensure that these inform the programme of work.
    • Industry best practice: Keeping abreast of industry best practice and a watching brief on industry bodies, NGOs and other external stakeholders to ensure that this is reflected in the programme of work.
  • Actively engaging with the BBP members, industry bodies and other stakeholders to gain greater insights into specific subject areas.
  • Providing briefings to the BBP Executive team to help them prepare for project and member meetings.
  • Contributing to content development for the BBP’s work programme and projects.
  • Drafting agendas, papers and presentations for project and member meetings.
  • Providing administrative support for the work programme including organizing and minuting meetings and following up on agreed actions.
  • Co-ordinating data gathering and analysis for inclusion in the BBP’s annual Impact Report.

The BBP is driven by its membership and as such the work programme is constantly evolving – the responsibilities of this role are therefore likely to change over time.

Qualifications, Skills & Capabilities

We are looking for someone who is passionate about sustainability and the built environment, understands the BBP’s aims and can work independently as part of small team. The BBP is a highly collaborative organisation and the role will involve working closely with our members and other stakeholders to deliver excellent quality outputs that can be utilised by the wider industry. We are looking for someone who can demonstrate the following qualifications, skills and capabilities. The candidate must have:

  • An undergraduate degree (or comparable qualification) with a minimum 2:1  classification.
  • Ideally with a Master’s or other relevant post-graduate qualification (sustainability, real estate). Candidates with comparable experience in a professional context are also very welcome to apply.
  • Relevant academic/work experience in the sustainability, consultancy and/or property sector.
  • The ability to:
    • focus on deliverables and execute work within given deadlines to a high standard;
    • manage a wide range of tasks and responsibilities simultaneously and communicate effectively with the wider team around deadlines;
    • use initiative and be confident when working independently;
    • work flexibly to accommodate the differing needs of the BBP executive and its members; and
    • work effectively in a small team with a co-operative and collaborative approach.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work cooperatively and in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.
  • A positive and professional attitude and approach to their work, with a proven ability to do what it takes to get the job done.
  • A genuine passion for sustainability in the built environment.

Specific skills we are looking for in this role are as follows:

  • The ability to apply a creative approach to researching topics, utilising a wide range of different sources of information and data.
  • Attention to detail, with a thorough, evidence-based approach to research tasks.
  • The ability to synthesize large amounts of information into clear, well-structured and engaging content for the BBP Executive and its members.
  • Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills with attention to detail.
  • Excellent working knowledge of Excel and Powerpoint is highly desirable.

The role offers significant opportunity for progression, with the potential to take a more senior role in the management of specific BBP working groups and workstreams over time.

There is potential for the right person to shape and develop their own role and we support all employees to develop their skills through training and professional development. We are often breaking new ground with our work and so we learn a lot by doing. Where formal training is not available, we can make use of our extensive network of members and supporters to enable the team to gain the understanding of the sector they need to make a real impact.

To apply, please send a copy of your CV and Covering Letter to Sophia Tysoe: s.tysoe@betterbuildingspartnership.co.uk

Programme Researcher