Lead Officer for Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS)

Managing the Organisation to Deliver

• Manage service delivery effectively to ensure that the service achieves the highest possible standards of performance and focuses on the needs of internal and external customers.
• Agree service performance targets with the Net Zero Buildings Manager and provide regular progress reports.
• Develop, agree and implement a robust annual operational plan for the service.
• Delegate responsibilities and deploy staff according to their skills and abilities to meet the needs of the service.
• Regularly monitor and review plans and make adjustments as required.
• Manage and continuously improve the service to ensure delivery against performance targets, and to ensure that best value for money is achieved.
• Ensure that the service contributes to overall Directorate and Corporate performance as appropriate and provide update reports as required.
• Apply resources effectively across the service to maximise the delivery of front-line services.
• Consider the financial implications relating to effective models of service delivery and contribute to the successful achievement of the Savings Delivery Plan.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legal, regulatory and statutory performance requirements.
• Manage the service budget in accordance with all relevant financial policy and procedures.
• Monitor the financial position of the service and report regularly to the Net Zero Buildings Manager.
• Follow agreed measures to deliver the service within budget and take immediate corrective action as required.
• Contribute effectively to quality and performance management systems and ensure that the service is being managed as per the requirements of these systems.
• Ensure that employees within the service team are provided with clear structure, roles and responsibilities and are supported to work in an integrated way.
• Focus on addressing key workforce issues including recruitment, employee engagement, retention and training and development.
• Investigate all complaints and adverse incidents where outcomes are below expected standards.
• Establish effective and rigorous quality assurance systems to maintain high standards.

Leadership

• Work closely with the Net Zero Buildings Manager to provide the service with leadership and direction ensuring that corporate, directorate and service performance standards are achieved.
• Promote the ethos and values of the authority and ensure that the service is focused on customer needs.
• Foster a culture that supports achievement of the authority’s Strategic Plan by role modelling core values and leadership behaviours to staff in the service.
• Lead/manage and communicate change and improvement initiatives within the service.
• Lead, manage and develop staff within the service.
• Encourage staff involvement and engagement in the strategic development and operational delivery of the service.
• Actively encourage teamwork and self-development and create opportunities to maximise individuals’ potential, stimulate innovation and connection at all levels with front line services.
• Promote a positive culture of performance management within the service through individual and small-team accountability. Foster a culture of constructive feedback and learning, and a genuine commitment to regular and effective appraisals.
• Prepare and deliver reports on behalf of the Authority as required.

Building Relationships and Working with Others

• Build and maintain effective, professional and respectful stakeholder relationships.
• Ensure efficient and effective internal communication with staff in the service.
• Work closely with QES Senior Managers, other Senior EA colleagues, Principals, External Partners and multi-disciplinary Teams to benchmark services and lead/manage and monitor change.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships and clear lines of communication with other Heads of Service within the Directorate and in other Directorates.
• Develop and maintain clear lines of communication and effective working partnerships with relevant external stakeholders and service user groups.
• Lead on/manage engagement with staff, schools and the public on major changes in the service that may affect them.
• Work with external agencies; for example, education sector partner organisations, to identify opportunities for joint working that might bring greater consistency across the sector, and/or improve efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.

Service-specific Responsibilities

Support the Net Zero Buildings Manager in leading responsibilities listed below:

• Provide clear, strategic leadership to relevant staff across EA Services to ensure a highly skilled, flexible and motivated workforce.
• Be responsible for the development of a BEMS Strategy and Action Plan, to include a review of the current BEMS provision across the Schools and EA Corporate Estate, to maximise energy saving opportunities and plan provision for those schools without BEMS, subject to available funding.
• Be the recognised EA technical authority for BEMS architecture, controls engineering, system integration and building analytics and establish processes and procedures for proactive identification, investigation and resolution of BEMS performance issues, including low cost and no cost interventions.
• Provide leadership, governance and stakeholder engagement to ensure BEMS are used effectively and contribute to safe, comfortable and sustainable learning environments.
• Lead the optimisation of BEMS at targeted sites to maximise cost avoidance and ensure effective control of lighting, heating, ventilation and other connected mechanical and electrical systems.
• Devise and implement effective systems to monitor, measure, control and report on the work of the service to take account of changes in the internal and external environments, which may impact on and influence priorities and needs.
• Support integration of BEMS with renewable energy systems, battery energy storage systems, electric vehicle infrastructure and building analytics platforms.
• Ensure that corporate BEMS priorities are delivered to a high quality, provide value for money, support the delivery of Departmental policy and are consistent and integrated in approach across all areas of the EA.
• Manage specialist BEMS contractors and establish Service Level Agreements and Key Performance Indicators for all BEMS related service providers.
• Manage the introduction of automated meter readers, monitor and liaise with third party providers and obtain data from energy supplier meters where appropriate.
• Develop performance assurance programmes to verify that installed systems continue to deliver expected operational and energy outcomes.
• Support School Leaders and Building Supervisors to optimise mechanical and electrical system performance and maximise the available financial savings across Schools and the EA Corporate Estate.
• Ensure that feasibility studies and other technical input to capital business cases are sufficiently robust and meet Departmental requirements.
• Be responsible for the delivery of significant transformational projects/initiatives/programmes, including digital transformation programmes to achieve service-wide business objectives and meet customer expectations.
• Have overall responsibility for the project management of all BEMS related projects in line with time, cost, quality and sustainability targets.
• Ensure compliance with all best practice guidelines, legislation, regulatory inspection matters, Departmental directives and other statutory requirements.
• Evaluate emerging technologies including AI-assisted analytics, predictive maintenance platforms and advanced energy management systems.
• Advise the Net Zero