Graduate Environmental Sustainability Officer - MLC 2601

Graduate Environmental Sustainability Officer - MLC 2601

Employer: Medical Research Council
Location: United Kingdom
Salary: Competitive
Closing date: 14 Apr 2025

Discipline: Earth, Environment & Energy
Hours: Full Time
Result Type: Jobs

Open Date: 10/04/2025, 11:15
Close Date: 27/04/2025, 23:55
Research Institute: MRC Mary Lyon Centre
Location: Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire
Salary: £29,552 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Contract Length: Twenty three (23) months

Overall Purpose:
The post-holder is responsible for driving improvements in environmental sustainability within the Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell, building on existing initiatives and activities, and helping to reduce the overall impact of this cutting-edge medical research facility.

The post-holder will be trained to evaluate the sustainability requirements of the site, develop projects to monitor and improve environmental issues and, where appropriate, put in place processes to improve sustainability.

This is a graduate position in a complex facility. Therefore, training will be provided to the post-holder to formally develop their environmental sustainability skills, in order to apply those skills to the role.

Main Duties/Key Responsibilities:
The post-holder will lead environmental sustainability activities across the site, championing green initiatives, and leading and developing the work of the Green Group. These activities include:

• Leading and administering the work of the site's Green Group's activities
• Using LEAF as a guide, working with researchers to lessen the environmental impact from the laboratories, animal husbandry, and other facilities
• Making improvements to the biodiversity on the site by enabling and managing small projects and working on an ongoing basis with site staff and contractors
• Communicating the achievements in environmental sustainability improvement across the site and to other stakeholders
• Improving the use of resources onsite by working with the supply chain and the operations team, and by making improvements to waste segregation and reduction
• Interpreting and smoothly introducing mandatory environmental standards, and monitoring and reporting to the site and services
• Disseminating best practice to the entire MRC Harwell staff and supporting the introduction of best practices
• Being a visible presence onsite, to attend meetings, audit environmental impact, and arrange sustainability activities
• Working with environmental leads from across the MRC facilities, as well as UKRI and external stakeholders, to identify initiatives that can be introduced to MRC Harwell

Working Relationships:
As the environmental sustainability lead onsite, the post-holder must establish and nurture relationships with colleagues from across MRC Harwell, the MRC as a whole, and UKRI, at all levels of responsibility. This includes:

• Estates, facilities, and lab management, to reduce energy and water usage, reduce waste and improve segregation and recycling, and improve the biodiversity and species abundance of the site
• Researchers, research groups, and animal technicians, to lessen the impact of the research that is undertaken on the site
• The MRC Head Office team and the wider UKRI environmental sustainability community, to report and communicate successes and challenges
• MRC Harwell's suppliers and contractors, to develop lower-impact supply chain options and shape services to promote greater sustainability

Career Development:
The post-holder will benefit by being part of the MRC Harwell graduate programme. This will provide general vocational training in a busy and exacting work environment, teaching the post-holder general skills related to life-science research.

The post-holder will also be formally trained, in line with the competencies set out by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, to become an environmental sustainability professional; building upon their experience gained through their university degree.

As well as the formal training programme, the post-holder will be mentored by experienced and dedicated MRC staff in a supportive environment.

Additional Information:
The post-holder will be required to be on site daily; occasional working from home may be possible outside of the initial training period in certain circumstances.
Interviews will be held on Thursday 8 May and Friday 9 May 2025.

Person Specification:
Education/Qualifications/Training required:
Essential:

• Degree level qualification in environmental sustainability or a related field, with a proven interest in sustainability issues and/or comparable experience in an environmental sustainability role

Desirable:

• Experience of internship and/or voluntary work in an environmental sustainability related field

Knowledge and Experience:
Essential:

• Knowledge of current landscape and key themes and principles relating to environmental sustainability in the UK

Desirable:

• Previous experience in a laboratory environment
• Experience of supporting sustainability projects

Personal Skills/Behaviours/Qualities:
Essential:

• Passion for environmental sustainability
• Desire to forge a career in sustainability
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills
• Proactive approach in implementing sustainability ideas
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent level of IT literacy and good working knowledge of Microsoft packages
• Proactive and flexible approach to work, with a willingness to travel on occasion

Desirable:

• Demonstrable experience of supporting or implementing sustainability in an organisation
• Experience of reporting data to meet sustainability accreditations and/or standards

Further Information:
The post-holder will be expected to work onsite to be a visible presence, championing environmental sustainability, and making a valuable and positive contribution, with a range of stakeholders.

Equality & Diversity:
The MRC values the diverse skills and experience of its employees and is committed to achieving equality of treatment for all. Our objectives are that all individuals shall have equal opportunities for employment and advancement on the basis of their skills, aptitudes and abilities. The MRC is committed to the engagement and retention of the best possible talent and to creating an environment that encourages excellence in scientific research through good equalities and diversity leadership and management.

Corporate/Local responsibilities & requirements:
The post-holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the MRC's:

• Code of Conduct
• Equality and Diversity policy
• Health and Safety policy
• Data Protection and Security policy

The above lists are not exhaustive and the post-holder is required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post.

All employees are required to act professionally, cooperatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the MRC.

The MRC is a unique working environment where scientific researchers and professional support staff can actively partake in world class innovation and collaboration opportunities and their skills and knowledge through accessing a wide catalogue of training & development, including professional registration with the Science Council.

In addition, MRC (part of UKRI) provides its community of employees access to a whole host of useful benefits, including a defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement (30 days plus 2.5 privilege days & 8 bank holidays), family friendly policies (6 months full pay maternity & adoption leave), a range of shopping/travel discounts, access to our Employee Assistant Programme Scheme, Health and Wellbeing Support and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.

Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We warmly invite people from diverse backgrounds and heritage, including people who identify as having a disability, to apply for a role that excites them. As "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants who have disclosed they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider whether this conflicts with your personal values or beliefs.

We will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as an essential part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.