Innovation Lab Manager

CAT is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled facilitator and experienced project manager to run our exciting Innovation Labs using systems thinking and co-creation to create impact on the climate and biodiversity emergency.

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 Powys, Mid Wales.

CAT provides inspiration, education and training in solutions to the climate and biodiversity emergency.

Key activities include 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.

CAT launched the Zero Carbon Britain Hub and Innovation Lab in 2020 with support from the Moondance Foundation. This was initially a three year project and received further funding from the Moondance Foundation to run the Innovation Lab for a further three years. The aim of the project is to improve the capacity of councils and communities to turn climate emergency declarations into action and create systemic change in order to increase resilience to climate change. This will be achieved by offering a programme of support aimed at increasing the competence, confidence and effectiveness of policy makers, communities and organisations in developing zero carbon policies and action plans. This support will include: using the Zero Carbon Britain model to provide people with the knowledge to create Zero Carbon Action Plans; delivering Zero Carbon Britain training using a ‘train the trainer’ model to increase the skills and capacity of communities to take action on climate change; supplying the tools to enable people to turn climate emergency declarations into action; setting up a digital resource hub and online network to provide peer support and increase confidence of individuals and communities to take action on climate change. In conjunction with the Zero Carbon Britain Hub, an Innovation Lab will identify key issues, priorities and tasks; develop ideas that impact on these areas; and create routes into larger scale impact or systems change.

Job Details:

Reference: ZCBILM240216
Location: Flexible with regular visits to the CAT eco centre near Machynlleth
Contract type: Fixed term – 2 years
Responsible to: Co-CEO
Responsible for:
- Research Assistant
- External Trainers and consultants
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)
Working Days: Usually Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Occasional weekend and evening working.
Closing date for applications: 9am 5 July 2024
Interviews to be held: Week commencing 15 July 2024 (on site)
Expected start date: As soon as possible

Salary and employee benefits:

£35,898 per annum.

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
40% discount on retail goods purchased from CAT
Opportunities for CPD training, qualifications & professional memberships to be funded by CAT
Opportunity to take 2 CAT short courses per year free-of-charge
the opportunity to purchase additional holiday days
a ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme (planned)
5% pension contribution
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 the Role

The postholder will manage the Zero Carbon Britain Innovation Lab, to improve the capacity of councils and communities to turn climate emergency declarations into action, identifying key issues, priorities and tasks, developing ideas that impact on these areas and creating routes into larger scale impact or systems change, in order to increase resilience to climate change.

Main Responsibilities

To work with the Zero Carbon Britain Hub Team and External Evaluator, to clarify aims and capabilities, identifying key issues, priorities and tasks the Innovation Lab could help tackle, assessing current and potential innovation capabilities and gaps
To design the Innovation Team model
To manage all staff employed to deliver on the Innovation Lab
To liaise with the Head of Development to identify other sources of funding for developing the Innovation Team model and building the Innovation team
To develop and implement Innovation Lab methodology, piloting and delivering innovation Labs
To put in place effective systems, policies and procedures for the effective management, monitoring and evaluation of the Innovation Lab in order to deliver on the project’s aims and objectives, outputs, outcomes and impact
To work with the Graduate School of the Environment and contribute to teaching on the Masters in Behaviour Change and other Masters degrees
To represent the Innovation Lab externally
To liaise and work in partnership with appropriate external organisations, to support the needs of councils and communities to turn climate emergency declarations into action
To manage external consultants and staff tasked with delivering training and consultancy
To prepare marketing material and publicise the project and its activities

Any other appropriate duties as defined by the Co-CEO

To learn more about the role download the full job description:

Applications should be forwarded to vacancy@cat.org.uk by the deadline stating the job title in the Subject line.

Any queries should be addressed to vacancy@cat.org.uk

Applications are required, CVs will not be accepted.

Job description: Innovation Lab Manager

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