Citizen and Community Engagement Officer

Carbon Co-op is seeking a Citizen and Community Engagement Officer to build on
our projects reaching out to diverse communities across Greater Manchester.

Much of Carbon Co-op’s work is focused on engaging citizens and communities in different
aspects of the energy transition. From hosting a Citizen Jury on municipal energy system models
to talking to householders about data collection to support and improve retrofit approaches,
our work is about making complex ideas simple, accessible and relevant to people from a range
of backgrounds.

The Citizen and Community Engagement Officer plays a pivotal role in creating
positive relationships between Carbon Co-op, the communities we serve and the stakeholders we
connect with. Working with the Engagement Lead and a multidisciplinary team, you’ll be
responsible for developing and implementing communication and engagement strategies to involve
our members, residents, businesses and other stakeholders in our energy transition projects and
initiatives. This role requires experience and ability in engagement, communications and
project/event delivery.

Our engagement work is built on the foundation of a commitment to Energy
Justice through recognising the inequity within the energy system including:
responsibility for environmental problems, access to services, impact of climate change and
representation in decision making. To rebalance this we work toward the idea that every person
and community should both meaningfully participate in and benefit from the energy transition,
whether that’s decision making around a new wind turbine or retrofit scheme or accessing the
benefits of local flexibility and electrification. As Engagement Officer you will be
responsible for implementing engagement strategies underpinned by energy justice principles.

You will be working with Carbon Co-op’s Citizen and Community Engagement Lead and with project
managers, to help you support, devise and implement engagement strategies for user-centred
projects. You don’t need to be a technical expert on energy systems or retrofit! You will work
closely with some of the leading energy system experts in the UK, working with our technical
team and those of our partner organisations.

Engagement sits across Carbon Co-op’s thematic teams, spanning retrofit, energy systems and
energy commons. Tasks include:

• Develop and implement engagement strategies (often in the context of underrepresented
  communities) to involve citizens and communities in carbon reduction, innovation and energy
  efficiency projects.
• Organise and lead community events, workshops, and educational programs to raise awareness
  about Carbon Co-op projects and encourage and enable involvement.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with community partners, local authorities and
  relevant stakeholder organisations.
• Act as a liaison between Carbon Co-op and community members, addressing concerns, and
  facilitating communication.
• Collaborate with team members to create engaging content for social media, newsletters, and
  other written and verbal communication channels.
• Conduct surveys and gather feedback to assess community needs and preferences and to
  evidence project evaluation.
• Assist in the development of community-driven energy transition projects and services,
  informing their design to include reference to Energy Justice issues.