Associate (Project incubator), Offshore Wind team - Programmes & Innovation

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Job description

About the role:

We are looking for an enthusiastic and bright individual to join the Carbon Trust and manage cutting-edge research and development activities as well as advisory work in Offshore Wind. If you have offshore wind knowledge, an interest in helping develop the latest innovations in offshore wind technology, and addressing key challenges the offshore wind industry is facing, then we would like to hear from you.

The Carbon Trust works with government and large corporate clients internationally to help bring offshore wind technologies to market quicker, cheaper and at a greater scale. We manage renowned and impactful research and development programmes that look to drive down the cost of low carbon technologies, such as the Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) or the Floating Wind JIP. Please see for more information about our Joint Industry Programmes in offshore wind. We are also creating and managing a series of collaborative large-scale R&D projects, aside of the work streams of our offshore wind programmes, looking to address specific industry challenges. Please see for example projects.

A significant proportion of your time in this role will be spent working with the Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind team and its external partners to support the initiation, set-up and management of large-scale Joint Industry Projects.

We welcome applications from any candidate with strong management experience as well as very good problem-solving, contract negotiation and communication skills. A background in funding mechanisms and state aid law is desirable. The candidate is expected to apply a high degree of independence and initiative in delivering high quality work.

About us:

The Carbon Trust's mission is to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy. We are independent experts on carbon reduction and resource efficiency, who reinvest surpluses from group commercial activities into our mission.

The Carbon Trust provides innovative advice to governments and businesses around the world to support the global transition to a low carbon economy. We work closely with decision makers and implementers in key institutions in the UK and across multiple emerging and developing countries on low-carbon finance, programmes, policy and technology.

We are a trusted, expert guide to Net Zero, bringing purpose led, vital expertise from the climate change frontline. We have been pioneering decarbonisation for more than 20 years for businesses, governments and organisations around the world.

We draw on the experience of over 300 experts internationally, accelerating progress and providing solutions to this existential crisis. We have supported over 3,000 organisations in 50 countries with their climate action planning, collaborating with 150+ partners in setting science-based targets, and supporting cities across 5 continents on the journey to Net Zero.

You will be part of the Policy and Innovation department, which works in project teams to deliver high quality, high impact advice to clients. The offshore wind team is a friendly and dedicated team within a fast-growing company, based primarily in London and Edinburgh but delivering work across the globe. The Offshore Wind Team has had a significant impact on the acceleration of the UK and international offshore wind markets, driven by our enthusiastic and knowledgeable team of experts. We learn from and support our work within the team, and also in the wider Carbon Trust, and work closely with the Energy Systems Team and the Energy Policy Team among others.

Main duties and responsibilities:

The role will be expected to take on key responsibilities within a dynamically growing team that initiates, sets up and manages large-scale RD&D Joint Industry Projects in offshore wind. Tasks will include (but are not limited to) consortium building, stakeholder management, development of project scopes, facilitation of investment decisions, securing public funding, and contract preparation and negotiation.

The successful candidate is expected to also work across the wider Carbon Trust to provide innovative advice to governments and businesses around the world to support the global transition to a low carbon economy.

Key tasks for this role include:

• Initiation and management of Joint Industry Programmes
  1. Supporting Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind team in the set-up and management of new Joint Industry Programmes;
  2. Liaison with corporates, public funding bodies and governmental institutions;
  3. Facilitation of innovation competitions with worldwide outreach;
  4. Reporting to the steering boards of Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind programmes.
• Initiation and setup of Joint Industry Projects related to Offshore Wind
  1. Assisting the development and maturation of project scopes and business cases for Joint Industry Projects, in close cooperation with industry partners and other stakeholders;
  2. Communication with, and seeking buy-in from, technology innovators, suppliers, research institutes, certification bodies and other stakeholders which may be relevant to a Joint Industry Project;
  3. Assisting in contractual set-up of Joint Industry Projects, together with Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind team and its legal advisors;
  4. Presenting Joint Industry Project opportunities to the members of Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind programmes and to other industry stakeholders;
  5. Supporting Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind team in the development of project proposals to be submitted to national and international funding calls;
  6. Engagement with industry key players, representing the Carbon Trust at meetings and other relevant internal and external events;
  7. Keeping abreast of RD&D activities more widely in the sector and collaborating with other Carbon Trust project managers in different areas of offshore wind related research.
• Management of Joint Industry Projects related to Offshore Wind
  1. Assisting Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind team in the management of large-scale Joint Industry Projects ranging from concept development to demonstration;
  2. Participation in meetings and workshops related to Joint Industry Projects;
  3. Presentation of Carbon Trust work and relevant project results at conferences and workshops;
  4. Managing changes to project scopes, risks and stakeholder relations.

Key skills we are looking for you to address in the application:

• Verbal and written communication skills;
• Problem-solving skills;
• Organisational skills;
• Interpersonal and stakeholder management skills;
• Legal and / or commercial negotiation skills;
• Ability to work across the various disciplines in offshore wind;
• Ability to manage a variety of concurrent tasks and respond to different and sometimes conflicting priorities;
• Ability to work in a team;
• Ability to work on a standalone basis.

Qualifications and experience we are looking for you to address in the application:

• Degree educated (or equivalent), ideally in an engineering or other relevant technical discipline;
• Project management experience;
• Experience in contract management, contract negotiation and procurement processes;
• Experience in the offshore wind industry is preferred.

Salary & Benefits:

We offer a competitive salary and a performance-based bonus. Our hours are 37.5 per week with 28 days paid holiday plus bank holidays and a generous pension scheme.

Our head office is in London, close to Blackfriars and Waterloo stations, we offer travel card loans, a cycle to work scheme, company away days and a 24-hour Employee Assistance Helpline.

Joining the Carbon Trust provides an opportunity to work alongside some of the leading practitioners in the low carbon arena so if you are excited by this opportunity and would like to join us, please click the apply button and submit your CV and a cover letter.

We are an equal opportunities employer, value diversity in our workforce and make our decisions based on your skills and experience. We can only accept applications from those who can prove their eligibility to work in the UK. No agencies or publications.

Please be aware that due to the current situation surrounding Covid-19, interviewing and onboarding processes will take place via video conferencing.