Sustainability Advisor at Cala Group in Edinburgh, Scotland, GB

Application Deadline: Thursday 3rd December

Purpose:

The role will involve assisting the Head of Sustainability in delivering CALA’s Sustainability Strategy, and supporting the Cala regional businesses in achieving the Strategy’s aims and objectives.

Main Accountabilities:

The Sustainability Advisor will be working on a range of projects and support functions associated with delivering Cala’s Sustainability Strategy.

The scope of the role will include, but not be limited to:

• Assistance in delivering Cala’s Sustainability Strategy and net zero targets, including future amendments and enhancements
• Collating and analysing a variety of sustainability data from across the business, and presenting these in a variety of reporting formats
• Quantifying scope 3 emission categories for Cala’s GHG inventory ready for external audit
• Monitor sustainability performance against internal metrics
• Developing Cala’s online knowledge content for key sustainability topics and technologies
• Liaising with Cala regions and providing direct support to assist them in meeting corporate sustainability objectives
• Identifying and assessing technologies, products and services that could support Cala’s sustainability objectives, from site operations to product design.
• Forecasting how business decisions could affect progress towards sustainability objectives.
• Understanding changes in building legislation and how these might impact Cala’s Sustainability Strategy, and communicating these changes across Cala
• Co-ordinating external consultants on specific research projects
• Undertaking whole life carbon assessments of Cala products
• Inputting into the procurement process where required, including aiding in the specification of specific products, identifying responsible sourcing requirements, sustainability auditing, etc.
• Representing Cala at external events and community programmes, e.g. technical conferences, schools outreach programmes.
• Assisting in the communication of sustainability requirements and objectives throughout the business
• Working with key parts of the business to effect positive sustainability change – including product development.
• Assisting in writing the sustainability sections of the Group’s annual report
• Deputising for the Head of Sustainability on request

Qualifications

The role will involve assisting the Head of Sustainability in delivering CALA’s Sustainability Strategy, and supporting the Cala regional businesses in achieving the Strategy’s aims and objectives.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills

• A degree-level qualification in an associated subject, e.g. sustainability, environmental management, etc.
• Experience of environmental/ sustainability topics in a commercial environment, experience of the construction/ housebuilding sector is desirable
• Excellent practical knowledge of sustainability issues relevant to construction and housebuilding, such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, zero carbon heating, biodiversity, embodied carbon and construction waste
• Experience of collating and analysing sustainability data e.g. energy, fuel, waste, biodiversity, etc.
• Experience of quantifying corporate emissions in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• Working knowledge of UK environmental and construction policy, including for devolved administrations

Technical Expertise

• Advanced MS Excel skills are essential
• Knowledge of the Science Based Targets initiative and the target setting process is advantageous
• Knowledge of construction processes is advantageous
• Experience/ Knowledge of relevant software packages, e.g. SAP software, OneClick, would be desirable, but is not essential
• Experience/ Knowledge of Power BI would be desirable, but is not essential

Professional Strengths

• Ability to communicate key information across all levels of an organisation, including senior management
• Written communication: prepare written documents, including research reports, technical advice, internal project reports etc.
• Ability to establish positive working relationships across the business including across different teams and seniority levels
• Ability to independently manage workload, prioritise tasks and activities, and keep the wider team informed

Benefits

The Cala Group is a major UK housebuilder and leading provider of desirable new homes across Scotland, the South of England & Midlands. Driven by a mission to create vibrant and sustainable new communities, our homes are characterised by exceptional design and sector-leading build quality, and we have a passion for providing our customers with a great home buying experience. This is an exciting time to be at Cala. Our approach to sustainability and technology is undergoing a dramatic transformation, and we’re aiming to create an industry-leading experience for both our staff and customers. At Cala, you can expect to be part of an environment which allows you to do meaningful work, while offering opportunities for personal growth. Our goal is to be the favoured employer in our industry and beyond. We encourage applications from those who want to be part of a culture where they can thrive, feel a sense of belonging and be comfortable being themselves at work.

We offer an excellent benefits package of 34 days holiday (including public holidays and increasing by a day each year to a maximum of 40), the option to buy or sell up to 5 days holiday, private healthcare, enhanced salary sacrifice pension contributions of 5% employee, 10% employer, ULEV car scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, retail discounts and much more! (Some benefits will be pro-rated if you were to join on a part time basis)