Closing date: 14th January 2024 at 5pm 

Bristol Energy Cooperative 

Bristol Energy Cooperative is a community-owned enterprise delivering ground-breaking renewable energy schemes which benefit the local community. Since 2011, we’ve raised £15 million to develop 17 clean energy generation projects around Bristol. They currently generate enough energy to power 3,500 homes. We have over 1500 investor members. 

We create a massive positive impact by recycling revenues into community benefit projects, with over £350,000 already channelled into social and environmental initiatives. 

We recently completed a 1MW rooftop PV install at the second Bottleyard Film studios TBY2. We believe it’s the largest community rooftop solar array in the UK, and it won the 2023 Sustainable Initiative Award at Screen International’s Global Production Awards. We also manage numerous other solar installations, utilising Bristol’s potential for rooftop solar energy generation. 

You can find more information about our work on our website (https://bristolenergy.coop/).  Our social media channels include Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube. This recent video is a nice outline of our journey as an organisation and this video explains the concept of community energy. 

Our Impact so far 

About the job 

Position: Renewable Energy Project Developer 

Accountable to: Senior Project Developer 

Working closely with: Operations Director 

Hours: Available as a Job Share, or as Full Time (35 hours per week) 

Salary: £28,000 to £32,000 per year depending on experience 

Terms: permanent 

Location: Hybrid working – in our office at Brunswick Square BS2 in Bristol, can work 

flexibly from home part-time 

It’s an exciting time to join Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC), as the team is growing to deliver an ambitious business plan, increasing community-owned energy in Bristol and across the South West. You will support the development and implementation of new renewable energy projects within BEC, and manage the South West Local Solar Scheme (funded by the West of England Combined Authority). 

You’ll have great organisational skills, and be able to oversee project delivery. You’ll have an appetite for detail, along with excellent numeracy skills, to help us assess the viability of new proposals. 

This is the chance to play a proactive role in a small, friendly team working in a vibrant and growing sector, and contributing ideas to joint policies, documents and campaigns. 

Training will be available on renewable energy, health & safety, finance and project management.  

In the midst of the climate crisis, project development of renewable energy is needed more than ever, at speed and at scale, and you can be at the forefront of that in this role at BEC. It is a fulfilling and inspiring sector to work in, making a tangible difference to the local Bristol community. 

Job Responsibilities 

Key Roles 

● Assessing new project opportunities 

● Coordinating the development phases of new projects 

● Reporting to internal and external stakeholders on project progress 

● Taking new projects to a fully commissioned stage 

● Ad-hoc support to operations and marketing teams 

Project development and management work may involve: 

● New project evaluation 

● Working up project financial modeling, either directly or with colleagues 

● Coordinating installation contractors  

● Communicating with project stakeholders such as funders, local businesses, councils and community organisations 

● Reporting to colleagues and the Board 

● Assisting with grant applications 

● Attending events and giving presentations 

● Troubleshooting and problem resolution 

What we’re looking for 

As an inclusive employer, at Bristol Energy Cooperative, we actively encourage people of all backgrounds, ages, races, religions, belief systems, sexual orientations and gender identities to apply for this role. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups. 

Essential knowledge and experience: 

● Experience of communicating with a wide range of stakeholders 

● A good working knowledge of Excel and/or Google Sheets  

● Experience of overseeing contractors or suppliers delivering projects 

● Ability to manage your own workload to tight deadlines 

● A keen interest in being part of the community energy sector 

● A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion 

Desirable knowledge and experience: 

● Renewable energy expertise in areas such as solar PV, grid connection and energy markets 

● Experience of full life-cycle project development 

● Experience of grant writing and grant management 

● Working knowledge of leases 

● Experience in the community energy sector 

● Knowledge and experience of community consultation methods 

● Experience of sales pipelines and using CRM tools 

How to apply 

To apply, please email admin@bristolenergy.coop with a CV and one page covering letter, explaining why you are a good fit for the role, including relevant examples of your experience and skills. 

Please include the names of two referees in your application – these will not be followed 

up until after an offer is made. 

Finally, please complete our anonymous equality and diversity monitoring form  (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdvek66heKyLhGXbqPu7HDY5MJLpHDHnBwNaj5zNPrF3tFV6A/viewform?usp=sharing). 

Bristol Energy Cooperative is committed to being an inclusive employer and providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for everyone. If you would like to submit your application in a different format such as video, or for any questions or access support, please email admin@bristolenergy.coop. 

Next steps 

The closing date for applications is 14th January 2023 at 5.00pm 

If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, we will invite you to an interview at our office in Bristol which will include completing a short task – we will send you more information on this in advance.  

We also offer reasonable travel expenses for attendance at interview (ie within the UK).