Consultant

Gemserv is an expert provider of professional services. We are purpose-driven, working across multiple sectors including energy, low carbon, the public sector and health to tackle today’s social and environmental challenges. Established in 2002, the business provides a range of consultancy and outsourcing capabilities including programme management, market design and governance.  We also have extensive and award winning capabilities across cyber security, data privacy and digital transformation. We are a B Corp, IIP Gold accredited and a Financial Times Leading Management Consultancy for 2021 and 2022. Our purpose is to make things that matter work better for everyone.      

The nature of what we do means we are very much a people business. The contribution every member of the team makes to our diverse range of experience, skills and personalities is valued. We invest heavily in learning and development to enable our people to develop skills and gain experience which will enhance career prospects for life. Many who started their careers with us have rapidly progressed to more senior positions.

At Gemserv no two days are the same, but we believe in a flexible approach to working which we know our employees value. We also offer an attractive package of benefits in addition to highly competitive salaries including pension and healthcare, season ticket loans, discounted gym membership, Cycle to Work scheme and more.

The Role

Location: London or Birmingham office, with ability to work from home

Please submit your application with a cover letter outlining your suitability for this role.

We are looking for a motivated, highly organised individual, ideally with knowledge and/or experience in heat networks, sustainability, engineering, climate change, environmental science, business administration, or similar disciplines to join our low-carbon consulting team. As a Consultant within Gemserv’s Low Carbon Business Unit (LCBU), you will be directly involved in helping to deliver two of the UK Government’s major grant funding programmes to help improve the efficiency of the district and communal heat networks and fund the construction of new heat networks.

A heat network is a series of connected pipes that supply heating or cooling and hot water to multiple dwellings (communal) or buildings (district) from a central heat source. Heat networks have a central role to play in helping the UK achieve its 2050 Net Zero target. In high-density urban areas, they are often the lowest cost, low carbon heating option as they offer a solution that can provide heat to a range of homes and businesses by capturing or generating heat locally. They are also compatible with any heat source and can make use of otherwise inaccessible large-scale renewable and recovered heat sources, including large rivers, geothermal, and industrial heat.

The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) is a multi-million pound grant funding scheme that forms a key part of the UK Government’s Heat Network Transformation Programme (HNTP). It launched in February 2023 and has recently been allocated further funding out to March 2028. The aims of the scheme are to reduce carbon emissions and customer detriment within existing heat networks in England and Wales.

The Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) is another multi-million pound grant funding scheme that forms a key part of the UK Government’s HNTP. It provides grant funding to organisations looking to build new heat networks or retrofit and expand existing heat networks in England. The aims of the scheme are to develop and grow the heat network market and to address some of the challenges of decarbonising the UK’s heat sector. 

Working as part of a dedicated team and reporting to the HNES Programme Manager, you will be responsible for engaging directly with prospective and funded projects, coordinating our technical delivery partner and applicant projects through the application and assessment process, managing the grant funding award and grant claims processes for successful applicants, and helping to ensure funded projects remain on track to deliver their expected outcomes.

To be successful in this position, you will need to be highly organised, have good attention to detail, and have a passion for sustainability and tackling climate change. Through this role, you will gain first-hand experience in delivering large Government programmes, while developing a strong understanding of the heat network and low-carbon heating landscape. You will be instrumental in enabling heat network operators to improve their heat networks and reduce customer bills, particularly for those being hit hardest by the energy crisis and rising cost of living.

Furthermore, by being part of the wider LCBU, you will be exposed to our other work spanning multiple sectors including hydrogen, heat pumps, energy efficiency, and the circular economy. Our clients include trade associations, manufacturers, innovators, local authorities, and national government, with contracts ranging from discrete pieces of consultancy work through to multi-million pound, multi-year contracts. We work mainly in the UK but also support a range of clients across Ireland and mainland Europe to understand and deliver on their Net Zero commitments. Our work sits at the intersection of policy, economics, technology and scheme delivery to help our clients understand their opportunities in the low-carbon sector. We achieve this by examining what their path to Net Zero could look like, assessing the challenges, and identifying solutions. Through this role, you will gain experience in client delivery whilst developing sound knowledge in low-carbon technologies, policy development, government processes, and business processes.

Responsibilities

• Across both funding schemes:
  • Engaging with heat network operators, prospective applicants, and funded projects to provide advice and guidance about the funding schemes.  
  • Managing the application and assessment process by coordinating with the assessment team and applicants, ensuring clarifications are produced to a high quality, and ensuring all relevant information is made available in a timely manner to support the assessment process.
  • Working with the Programme Manager and delivery teams to address operational issues and identify improvements to the delivery of services.
  • Providing leadership and management to the delivery team.
  • Providing support to the delivery team in the management and operations of the existing services.
  • Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with the client, key internal and external stakeholders (e.g. consortium members), and potential new clients.
  • Supporting reporting requests from the client on an ad hoc basis
• For HNES specifically:
  • Supporting the Investment Committee to come to a funding decision for each application.
  • Overseeing the development of funding agreements and ensuring these are signed.
  • Managing the processing of grant claims to ensure funding is distributed accurately and on time.
  • Providing help and guidance to prospective applicants, including via email, through online meetings and by presenting at events and webinars.
• Supporting client delivery across other accounts as required.

Competitive salary plus excellent benefits package

Requirements

The role is ideally suited for someone with experience in delivering large-scale projects, coordinating various tasks simultaneously, and working closely with technical and non-technical partners and applicants. Key skills include:

• Experience and qualifications – The successful applicant will have experience working in a consultancy or project delivery environment and will be able to demonstrate responsibility for delivering complex projects or multiple projects simultaneously. Experience working with the government or in conjunction with external partners is valuable, as is a strong understanding of Excel and data management. Knowledge of the heat network sector is desirable but not essential.
• Communication –We need to be able to engage with a wide range of stakeholders using a variety of different communication techniques. Attention to detail and the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate advice and guidance is essential. You will need excellent written communication skills and feel confident engaging with a wide range of stakeholders via email, telephone, virtual meetings and in person. 
• Organisation and time management – The successful applicant will be engaged, organised, and motivated to deliver high-quality outputs. They will be organised, methodical, can manage workloads and produce deliverables efficiently.
• Relationship building – An important part of the role is to develop relationships with internal team members, partner organisations, clients, and other relevant stakeholders as required. You will be able to build strong relationships internally and externally; you will be a successful team player who is committed to working collaboratively.  
• Passion and dedication – We are passionate about the low carbon transition, and we are dedicated to ensuring that the future of our planet is both different and better and we want you to share that passion. The successful applicant will demonstrate a desire to support the move to a greener economy with a clear interest in our work and an understanding of sustainability and the Net Zero debate.

Upon employment, employees should also have a sound awareness of the Company's Information, Quality, Environmental, and Energy Management Systems

WHAT WE OFFER
25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
Reward and recognition schemes
Flexible working
Private Bupa healthcare
Life Assurance (up to 4 times annual salary)
Matched pension contributions
Season Ticket Loan
Cycle to work scheme
Buy and Sell annual leave
Reimbursement of eye test and up to £50 towards glasses or contacts
Corporate gym rates
Employee Assistance Programme
Summer and Christmas parties, along with monthly Social@77