Key Details Hours: 37.5 Full time or a job share (job share applications welcome, please state your required hours) Pay scale: pro rata depending on experience. FT £ 32-40k Fixed contract until 1st November 2026 but expected to continue with additional funding Job location: Home based or option for a hot desk in the Observer building, Hastings. Regular travel to events and meetings in Hastings, Rother, Eastbourne and Wealden. Holiday: 33 days per annum, including public holidays Pension: 3% employer contribution Reports to: CEO Work with: you will work closely with the project leads (CEO, Director of Projects and Operations, Retrofit team). Application closing date: 7th December 24 Energising Communities – Project Description The “Energising Communities” project aims to create and implement a multi-site microgrid system that supports the transition to net-zero carbon emissions in three specific locations: Bexhill, Battle, and Crowhurst in East Sussex, UK. The project will explore different types of microgrids—one for flats, one for a neighbourhood, and one for a whole town—using innovative technologies to overcome energy grid constraints and share solar power locally. Key goals include: Developing a scalable model for solar retrofits and community-owned renewable energy systems. Engaging private-public-community partnerships to drive renewable energy initiatives. Reducing carbon emissions and energy costs for vulnerable residents while creating local benefits through community funds. Installing solar panels and battery storage systems to power local communities and reduce energy bills. The project hopes to demonstrate how small towns and communities can achieve net-zero energy status through sustainable and replicable models, benefiting both residents and the environment. Full funding application available on request. About you You may have an engineering background or a technical degree but you should be knowledgeable about renewable energy systems and their installation and operation, from solar PV, battery and energy storage systems and microgrids. We would like you to have a creative and imaginative approach to finding and tackling new opportunities, promoting local energy and community-led solutions. You should be able to use and apply all the latest software and apps to do solar designs, create or use neighbourhood solar mapping tools and create heat maps, as well as do technical feasibility studies. Overall we need you to be part of a dynamic team that wants to accelerate the uptake of local energy and make things happen by bringing enthusiasm and energy to the whole process of installing renewable energy and promoting the community energy business model. You will be visiting schools, businesses, communities, public sector officers and installers, contractors and developers to explain how the community energy model works and can benefit them, you will be a natural co-operator and collaborator, and hopefully make the decarbonisation journey an exciting one for the partners you recruit and enthuse. Responsibilities Lead on and take responsibility for the outcomes of the Redress funded ‘Energising Communities’ project. Provide simple project management to ensure the project is delivered on time and meets the requirements of the funder. Create strong partnerships and foster collaboration with project stakeholders, including social housing provider, private landlords, community building owners, resident committees, community group and residents and the network of national community energy groups. Represent Energise Sussex Coast at meetings and events. Provide regular project progress updates and all necessary monitoring and evaluation information. Work closely with the Chief Executive to develop new innovation projects and support funding bids. Technical role responsibilities Provide technical expertise to the project in relation to solar pv, microgrids and grid connections. Map and analyse housing and building data to create baseline energy usage and potential for solar energy and retrofit improvements in Bexhill and Battle. Conduct a full technical feasibility study of a whole town solar microgrid and energy-sharing project for Battle, including an assessment of the financial and operational viability of the scheme, an assessment of “complex site” options and Transmission Upgrade Avoidance innovations. Conduct a full feasibility study into a small scale microgrid of 6 solar arrays in Bexhill. Work closely with contracted solar installer to get quotes and layouts on solar projects. Create a route map to show how Battle can become a solar town. Work with sites to manage each stage of the solar installation, from agreeing the license to the installation. The following requires financial expertise but this could be sourced from a specialist consultant. Use existing community energy financial models to assess viability of projects. Access financial expertise from a consultant to research and create new innovate finance models to fund solar and retrofit projects. Person specification Essential Degree or masters in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience. Experience of creating renewable energy feasibility studies. Experience of a leadership role (either formally or informally). Technical knowledge and/ or experience in solar PV projects and/ or microgrids. Experience of using relevant software programmes and knowledge of how to access relevant datasets. Good interpersonal and communication skills. Project management skills. High level IT skills. Desirable An innovative creative thinker, flexible and able to find practical solutions to grid constraints. Experience of working in Community Energy or local, decentralised energy and committed to its principles. Experience of working with Distribution Network Operators and/ or National Grid. Experience of creating or using financial models. You must have the right to work in the UK. Diversity and Inclusion Energise Sussex Coast is proud of our inclusive team. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We offer flexible working arrangements and can work with you to make sure the interview and application process are accessible if this is a barrier. For any queries or an informal chat please contact Kate on kateenergisesussexcoast.co.uk / 01424 390062. Interviews in person on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th December in Hastings, East Sussex.