Energy and Water Utilities Manager

The post holder will lead, develop and coordinate the production and implementation of the council’s energy and water utility strategy across its operational and leased assets and its social housing stock. Working collaboratively with asset managers and officers managing carbon reduction initiatives across the council, the post holder will play a vital role in ensuring accountability, decarbonisation, resilience and value for money targets are met.

The council manages £1bn of assets including its operational buildings, leased investment building stock, social housing stock, parks and open spaces. Energy and water is managed by a number of different asset management teams across the council. The aim of this new role is to create a strategic overview and management function to coordinate and bring greater centralised accountability to energy and water management. The post holder will work within the Environmental Strategy Team with team members who manage energy efficiency and decarbonisation as well as with asset managers across the council.

• Establish and lead the energy and water working group, which will comprise key officers across relevant service areas and directorates, to produce, agree and deliver an energy and water utilities strategy and action plan.
• Lead the identification, acquisition and reporting of data, readings and other relevant asset data from the council’s operational, landlord supplies, district heating systems and leased buildings.
• Identify and deliver opportunities to improve data acquisition and reporting.
• Survey and evaluate existing metering assets, including meter locations, type and compliance and recommend and implement an improvement programme to ensure consumption is accurately and efficiently measured, invoiced for and reported.
• Evaluate existing procurement arrangements for energy and water, identify, recommend and implement a procurement approach which delivers value for money and longer-term cost certainty and be the council’s single point of contact with suppliers including for contract negotiations and dispute resolution.
• Manage energy and water budgets and contracts, being the single point of contact with utilities providers.
• Coordinate the administration of utility invoices across teams who manage and validate supplies and invoices, ensuring all meter points are accurately accounted for.
• Evaluate existing built assets and consumption to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel poverty, improve energy equity, implement renewable energy and produce and present business cases for investment.
• Maintain an up-to-date compliance register and ensure current and future compliance requirements are managed and met.
• Assist the Service to establish and maintain effective communication and liaison with colleagues, Councillors, MPs, external organisations and key strategic partners and individuals.
• This includes managing the services requirement to respond to FOI’s, Cllr’s Questions and other democratic service requirements.
• Work with relevant internal and external organisations to increase the awareness of climate change, fuel poverty, retrofitting and adaptation.
• To carry out other activities that fall within the scope of this post that are of a similar level of responsibility.
• To promote and implement the Council’s corporate strategies, policies and practices in relation to environmental management.

• Experienced in managing energy contracts for an organisation with numerous and diverse built assets.
• Experienced in leading utility related technical change programmes and reporting outcomes.
• Knowledge of the UK’s energy market and trading arrangements.
• Experience of information management including acquiring, collating and analysing complex data and accurate record keeping.
• Experience in developing stakeholder relationships and working collaboratively across teams and with external stakeholders.

• Experienced in delivering decarbonisation projects.
• Experienced in managing water contracts.
• Experienced with working in a public sector organisation.
• Experienced with staff management.
• Experienced with working with equality, social change and environmental issues.

• Undergraduate degree in a technical, environmental, social or business management topic or equivalent experience or capability.

• Membership of an industry professional body such as the Energy Managers Association or Energy Institute.

Our council is full of people who have chosen to work in local government because they want to help others and make a difference to their lives or the environment in which local people live.

The council has a long and proud history of being a council that is keen to push the boundaries of what a district can achieve. We offer our employees a competitive pay and benefits package. Whether you’re looking for a new career, promotion, flexible working opportunity to fit with your home life or a sideways move – we have a variety of challenging employment opportunities for everybody.

Norwich City Council offers the opportunity to work with great people who are passionate about promoting Norwich and the services the council provides. We also offer good career prospects with competitive rates of pay, generous holidays and working arrangements to suit all lifestyles.

The council is committed to a policy of equality opportunity in employment, in recruitment and the services we provide. Applications are considered on the basis of their suitability for the post regardless of sex, gender reassignment, race, ethnic origin, disability, age, marital status, domestic responsibilities, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. People with disabilities are guaranteed an interview provided they are suitably qualified and/or experienced.

Candidates will be considered for shortlisting on the factual information on their application form. Therefore it is important to give as much detail as possible including information about experience gained outside employment.

We offer our employees a competitive pay and benefits package and are proud to have the Living Wage accreditation. All employees are eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Paid holiday entitlement starts at 26 days per annum and increases with length of service to a maximum of 33 days per annum. This is pro rata for part-time employees. In addition to the statutory public holidays, we grant an additional statutory day leave at Christmas. Norwich City Council supports its employees through the provision of occupational health and employee assistance support.