Job Description

Service Area

Facilities Management – Quality, Safety, Health and Environment (QSHE)

Responsible To

Net Zero Buildings Manager

Responsible For

The post-holder will be responsible for the performance management and continuous optimisation of BEMS in schools and corporate sites across the EA Estate. This includes ensuring that all systems operate efficiently, while delivering measurable reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions.

The post-holder will lead the phased development and implementation of a coordinated, estate-wide approach to BEMS, beginning with identifying existing systems and assessing their condition, determining corrective actions, using data-driven insights to prioritise improvements, managing programmes of work, and guiding investment decisions. This post includes responsibility for providing advice and support to the Voluntary Grammar and Grant Maintained Integrated sector. The post holder will also have direct line management responsibility for the Quality, Energy and Sustainability (QES) Building Performance Analysts.

Job Purpose

Within the EA estate, heating accounts for 65% of energy consumption at an annual cost of approximately £17m. The post-holder will be responsible for the development of a BEMS Action Plan to deliver oversight and management of existing BEMS, ensuring effective control and performance across the EA Estate and supporting organisational objectives in sustainability, energy efficiency, and asset management.

The post-holder will work effectively with QES Senior Managers, other Senior EA colleagues, Principals, External Partners, and multi-disciplinary Teams to deliver the EA’s Energy and Carbon Reduction Strategy and Action Plan and Legislative requirements.

With such a large estate, the post holder will be expected to take a structured and phased approach to the management of the BEMS. The first step will be to gather existing data on the extent and condition of existing systems. Next, identify poorly performing systems and determine corrective actions required to then develop a detailed prioritisation plan that will maximise investment decisions.

The post-holder will finally be expected to put mechanisms in place to monitor BEMS systems centrally to support Principals and Building Supervisors to optimise mechanical and electrical system performance and maximise the available financial savings across Schools and the EA Corporate Estate.

The post-holder will be expected to provide leadership and direction to ensure the significant ongoing improvement that will create a fit-for-purpose BEMS function. In acting as an integral member of the QES Team, the post-holder is required to fully contribute to all BEMS and energy issues related to the corporate plan, operational business plan, service development proposals, savings proposals, and risk register to ensure that the Directorate operational plans support the overall strategic direction of the Authority and the achievement of its objectives in line with its vision, mission, and values.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The post-holder has the following service-specific responsibilities:

• Lead the optimisation of BEMS at all school sites to prioritise cost avoidance and ensure effective control of lighting, heating, ventilation, and other connected mechanical and electrical systems.
• Be responsible for the development of a BEMS 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.
• Have direct line management responsibilities for the QES Building Performance Analysts, setting workload and direction as required.
• Be the recognised EA technical authority for BEMS, and establish processes and procedures for proactive identification, investigation, and resolution of BEMS performance issues, including low-cost and no-cost interventions.
• Manage specialist BEMS contractors and establish Service Level Agreements and Key Performance Indicators for all BEMS-related service providers.
• Lead the project management of all BEMS-related projects in line with time, cost, quality, and sustainability targets.
• Develop performance assurance processes 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.
• Support integration of BEMS with renewable energy systems, battery energy storage systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, and building analytics platforms.
• Manage the introduction of automated meter readers, monitor and liaise with third-party providers, and obtain data from energy supplier meters where appropriate.
• Ensure that feasibility studies and other technical input to capital business cases are sufficiently robust and meet Departmental requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all best practice guidelines, legislation, regulatory inspection matters, Departmental directives, and other statutory requirements where applicable.
• Evaluate emerging technologies including AI-assisted analytics, predictive maintenance platforms, and advanced energy management systems.
• Support the Net Zero Buildings Manager with staff training and development.
• Support the Net Zero Buildings Manager with recruiting, managing, mentoring, and developing placement students, graduates, and interns.
• Advise EA Capital Works, Minor Works, and Maintenance Service on improvements to specifications and design briefs at the design stage to ensure the seamless integration of new systems.
• Contribute to communications to support behavioural and cultural change programmes to raise awareness of energy and sustainability requirements.
• Lead on stakeholder engagement to ensure BEMS are used effectively and contribute to safe, comfortable, and sustainable learning environments.
• Liaise with the HR directorate regarding recruitment and selection processes and participate in selection panels as required.
• Deputise for the Net Zero Buildings Manager as required.
• Work closely with Service Managers across the directorate and wider EA to ensure that all services are integral to the delivery of an efficient and effective Energy Management service.
• Co-ordinate and prepare DMT, CLT, EA Board, and Committee papers as required.
• Co-ordinate responses to Assembly Questions, Freedom of Information requests, and complaints relating to the work of the Directorate as requested.
• Support the Net Zero Buildings Manager to fulfil the EA’s statutory responsibilities, for example, GDPR, Climate Change, and Equality legislation.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders as required.
• Contribute to emerging service developments and service reviews as required.
• Manage and co-ordinate the deployment of staff resources and negotiate reallocation of resources across EA as required.
• Work with EA’s Procurement Service to support the delivery of BEMS procurement processes from specification to contractual negotiation and appointment for all EA utility services.