Project Research, Resource and Policy Manager in Machynlleth

CAT seeks a Project Research, Resources and Policy Manager for the Troi’r Llanw / Turning The Tide project, to play a key role in the resourcing of the project including contributing to research, information and policy work, providing expertise across a range of sustainability topics.

About CAT: The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is an internationally renowned environmental charity, a world-leading eco centre, and one of the foremost providers of postgraduate environmental education in the UK, based near Machynlleth in Mid Wales. CAT provides inspiration, education and training in solutions to the climate and biodiversity emergency.

Key activities include a visitor centre where groups can see solutions in action, residential short courses, vocational training and postgraduate degrees in a wide range of sustainability-related topics, with online courses and events offered alongside in‑person learning.

This role is funded as part of the Troi’r Llanw / Turning the Tide project, which is funded thanks to the Climate Action Fund, a long‑term commitment from The National Lottery Community Fund to support communities across the UK to act on climate change and involve more people in positive environmental action.

Area of responsibility: Troi’r Llanw / Turning The Tide project

Responsible to: Project Manager

Contract type: Fixed Term – 3 years

Location: Regularly working at CAT’s eco centre, Machynlleth, Mid Wales with opportunity for some flexible home working.

Part‑time: 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE)

Working Days: Monday to Friday with occasional evening and weekend working.

Salary and employee benefits: CAT offers a generous annual leave allowance of 25 days p.a., plus bank holidays, plus additional allowance at Christmas (usually 3 days), plus 1 extra day for every year worked (up to 5 days). CAT also offers an attractive package of employee benefits, including:

• a free cooked lunch and free hot drinks from the café whenever working from the CAT eco centre
• 20% discount on retail goods purchased from CAT
• Opportunities for CPD training, qualifications & professional memberships to be funded by CAT
• the opportunity to purchase additional holiday days
• generous maternity and paternity entitlement and Death In Service benefit
• 2 hours per month for general health & wellbeing & 2 hours per month for Welsh language tuition.

Overview of Role: Troi’r Llanw / Turning The Tide is a three-year, Wales-wide initiative aimed at inspiring, informing, and enabling practical community‑level responses to climate change and environmental sustainability. We envision a future where community‑based climate action is mainstreamed, where marginalised voices benefit from and shape environmental decisions, and where people feel hopeful and empowered in the face of the climate crisis.

The Research, Resource and Policy Manager will play a key role in the Troi’r Llanw / Turning the Tide project including contributing to research, information and policy work. The postholder will provide expertise across a wide range of topics relating to ways of addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency, feeding into the development of workshops, fact sheets, resources, as well responding to queries.

Main Purpose and Responsibilities: The post holder will work closely with the CAT project team and partners across the three year Troi’r Llanw / Turning The Tide project. Main responsibilities include:

• Research into key issues to be addressed by the Project
• Contribute to the design and delivery of the digital knowledge hub
• Source images and add to, update and produce content for digital knowledge hub
• Provide technical and expert advice to enable communities to implement effective climate action projects
• Analyse and write‑up outputs from project activity
• Publicise the project and activities, in liaison with the Project Communications Officer and CAT’s marketing and communications team.
• Keep the Project web pages updated and developing these as required.
• Support the development of project initiatives
• Management of all enquiries relating to the Project (other than training requests).
• Providing research and expertise in topics relating to sustainability to support both the Project and CAT’s wider work.
• Contribution to grant funding/consultancy proposal writing.
• Working with the Project Co Ordinator and Communications Officer collect and interpret evaluation data
• Produce reports and publications sharing outcomes from community led initiatives
• Work with Communications officer to share project stories, outcomes etc on the digital knowledge hub
• Identify areas where the project can influence policy and produce briefs to share with policymakers and influencers
• Produce publications to influence policy, provide information for policy briefs
• Contribute to the hosting of visits and meetings with policy makers and influencers
• Ensure alignment with Climate Action Fund priorities and CAT strategy
• Any other appropriate duties as defined by the Project Manager.