Environmental Data Technician

The leading authority on building services engineering and a pioneer in responding to the threat of climate change, CIBSE exists to advance global best practice in the profession. Through harnessing the expertise of our members, CIBSE represents the profession as a trusted voice to provide advice and guidance to Government on matters relating to construction, engineering and sustainability. For over 127 years, CIBSE has supported a community of over 22,000 professionals worldwide in their pursuit of excellence in building performance, sustainability and safety to influence the well-being of individuals and communities of today and of future generations. CIBSE members continue to create the most environmentally friendly systems in major projects across the globe. This is an exciting time to join CIBSE, a charitable organisation, which plays a critical role in a growing and changing sector.

About the role

The role of Environmental Data Technician is an exciting development for CIBSE. They will be responsible for maintaining CIBSE's UK Weather Data and managing the updates of revisions when new datasets, such as UK Climate Projections, become available. They will lead a scoping exercise to identify new opportunities where future weather data would be beneficial for non-UK CIBSE regions. Part of this scoping exercise will involve taking into consideration: data availability, local policy, industry practices, and other institutional work in this area. They will work closely with CIBSE's academic partners to enhance the underlying methods used to produce CIBSE’s UK Weather Data to be able to create new and innovative weather data sets for non-UK CIBSE regions. The Environmental Data Technician will analyse and interpret the data and assist in disseminating the information for new CIBSE Knowledge to support the release of the new weather datasets.

In addition, a key responsibility will be to provide support to CIBSE staff, members and non-members in answering technical enquiries related to the weather data. They will liaise with CIBSE regions, Special Interest Groups and societies, as well as academic institutions, and external bodies (e.g., Government bodies, Met Office, CCC, ASHRAE, UKGBC, REHVA, BRE etc.) on the development of CIBSE Weather Data. There will also be the exciting opportunity to support CIBSE's other research activities under the direction of the Research Manager, which may involve broader research areas than CIBSE Weather Data, as part of the role.

This new position sits within CIBSE's Technical Team which currently consists of 7 individuals, but it is expected that this will grow over time in line with the expansion of CIBSE’s technical and international activities, the increase in our guidance and knowledge provision and the growth of our membership.

What you will do

• Work with CIBSE Technical Team (specifically CIBSE Research Manager and Technical Director), CIBSE Regions, members and academic/institutional partners to identify new opportunities for CIBSE to create future weather data.
• Carry out work related to creating new and updated versions of CIBSE Weather Data, inclusive of data acquisition, management, processing and analysis.
• Provide progress updates to the CIBSE Research Manager and Technical Director and other relevant departments/personnel within CIBSE.
• Work with the CIBSE Research Manager and CIBSE Software Product Manager in the development of CIBSE guidance and/or tools related to CIBSE Weather Data.
• Be the key point of contact for technical related queries for CIBSE Weather Data and the development of non-UK CIBSE Weather Data.
• Provide technical input to CIBSE Knowledge, Training & Events, Membership and Certification teams, including the development of new products and service ideas.

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform other related tasks to meet the overall business objectives of the Institution.

What you will need to be successful

The ideal candidate will thrive in a dynamic team environment, engaging with various internal and external stakeholders while managing a diverse range of activities. They should be self-motivated, possess strong skills in analysing complex datasets, and effectively manage their own time. Excellent communication skills are essential to clearly convey development progress and findings to different audiences. Additionally, they will be passionate about championing the fight against climate change and their role in supporting the transition to net zero, aligning with CIBSE's ambitions.

Ideally, they will have:

• A first or postgraduate degree in Engineering, Maths or a related field of study, with a focus in building physics, building simulation and performance analysis.
• Experience in statistical methods and analysis.
• Experience with coding and scripting languages to process data and automate workflows (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB).
• Understanding of building physics related to building performance.
• Possess sufficient breadth or depth of knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within own area.
• Ability to think outside of the box to find proactive, innovative and relevant solutions to problems.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with ability to communicate complex and conceptual ideas to a range of groups.
• Experience of working effectively in a team where work is carried out away from the office and the team may be dispersed.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Proficient use of word processing, PowerPoint & email packages i.e., Microsoft and Outlook.

Whilst not essential, the following would be desirable:

• Familiarity with the use of UKCP based datasets in building performance analysis.
• Demonstrated experience of using dynamic simulation tools to undertake analysis of aspects of building performance, such as energy, thermal, renewable systems and daylight.
• Experience of working in the Built Environment sector.
• Awareness of built environment related policy and development.
• Experience in writing technical content.

What CIBSE offers you

• A supportive and friendly working environment.
• Starting at 25 days Annual Leave increasing to 27 days with length of service, plus Bank Holidays.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Family Friendly Leave.
• Annual Travel Season Ticket Loan.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Life Assurance.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Cash Plan – cash back for routine healthcare treatments.
• Health and Wellbeing benefits, including Mental Health support, and access to a 24/7 GP service.
• Referral Scheme.
• Shopping portal, rewards programme, and gym discounts.
• Hybrid Working where people are ‘in the office more days than they are not’.
• The chance to be part of an evolving, changing and exciting organisation that genuinely does change the world.

Application Process

To apply for this role, please include your CV and cover letter outlining how you feel you would be a great fit for the role. The Institution is an equal opportunities employer. The post-holder will be expected to adhere to and support the Institution’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.