Impact and Engagement Manager

University of Leeds - Faculty of Environment - School of Earth and Environment - Sustainability Research Institute (SRI)

This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. We are also open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you passionate about bridging the gap between research and policy? Do you enjoy working in an interdisciplinary environment that provides actionable insights for Government and business to achieve rapid reductions in emissions? Do you have experience of working with stakeholders to deliver complex research programmes? As the Impact and Engagement Manager for the Production and Consumption Transformations (PACT) Centre you will drive impactful projects, build strong relationships with our network of government, private, and third sector partners, and contribute to the delivery of this ambitious research programme.

This is your unique opportunity to join the Production and Consumption Transformations (PACT) Centre that is jointly funded by UKRI and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The PACT Centre provides the underpinning evidence and actionable insights on how to realise a deliverable and socially just transformation of production and consumption systems in line with climate targets. PACT brings the system thinking to net zero. This task presents a complex systems problem that requires a detailed investigation into the intersecting economic, social and political realities.

The PACT Centre brings together three leading UK Universities. The University of Leeds has supported the UK Government for many years providing both the UK’s Consumption based GHG accounts and scenario analysis on the role of resource efficiency in climate mitigation. This has provided insights into the scale of the opportunity but explaining how these changes could be realised within larger system change is the next step. Feeding into an understanding of system transformation, the University of Sussex brings extensive knowledge of the political and institutional dimensions of decision making and cultures, identifying where contestation exists along all the points of intervention from production to consumption and how these might be resolved. In addition, having worked extensively with both DESNZ and the Climate Change Committee, Lancaster University use deliberative methodologies to understand how policies and approaches impact people’s life experiences and fairness perceptions, and to involve people in decision making. Our ambition for this interdisciplinary team is to advance knowledge and provide practical strategies to accelerate the shift away from a linear model of production and consumption to meet our climate ambitions.

As the Impact and Engagement Manager for PACT you will work closely with our research team and partners to realise this ambitious project. You will drive the impact strategy of the centre and be responsible for delivering an ambitious programme of engagement with a range of stakeholders. This will require delivering for a variety of audiences including our funders in Government departments, businesses, and non-governmental organisations. You will take responsibility for promoting the work of the centre, managing our online presence, and acting as an ambassador for the centre at a range of workshops and events.

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent.

Further info, please contact:

Professor John Barrett, Chair in Sustainability Research
Email: J.R.Barrett@leeds.ac.uk