View Vacancy -- Graduate Scheme - Sustainability Officer

Open Date
20/01/2023, 13:50
Close Date
19/02/2023, 23:55
MRC Harwell Institute

The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) https://www.har.mrc.ac.uk/ is located in a growing science and innovation campus in Oxfordshire and is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of genetics research. As the hub of the new MRC National Mouse Genetics Network, the specialist facilities and capabilities of the MLC support groups of researchers across the UK to accelerate our understanding of human diseases, such as cancer, developmental disorders and neurodegeneration. 

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a great place to work. The MRC encourages the integration of clinical and discovery research to elucidate both disease processes and potential new therapies. The MLC provides vital scientific support for the UK biomedical community and focuses on preclinical research using mouse models, which supports clinical research and therapy discovery. 

UK Research and Innovation is a new entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, more information can be found at www.ukri.org

MRC - 5
Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire
£25,798 per annum
Fixed Term
Administration & Management
Full Time
23 Months

Location: Mary Lyon Centre, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire 

Contract: Full time, 23-month fixed term contract  

Salary: Band 5 – £25,298 per annum  

Would you like to play a key role in implementing sustainability?

If you are interested in training to allow you to work in a scientific environment, identifying developing and implementing new sustainability initiatives this could be the post for you.

About the MLC Graduate Training Scheme

The MLC’s Graduate Training Scheme offers structured training, with a real job with real responsibilities from day one.  It will allow you to use your degree in a dynamic, creative and collaborative culture, while gathering expertise and skills.

The combination of work experience and training, as well as professional development delivered by the core programme provides a high-quality experience for graduates. 

We know that you want to use your talent, skill, and dedication to make a difference and at the MLC you will get the opportunity to do just that. Your work will support world-leading science and innovation and enable ground-breaking research that will inspire, shape and define our future.  

About the role

We are recruiting a Graduate Sustainability Officer on the MLC Graduate Scheme. This an opportunity to be trained to evaluate the sustainability requirements of MRC Harwell, develop projects to monitor and improve environmental issues and, where appropriate, put in place processes to improve sustainability. 

Main Duties/Key Responsibilities:

  • Training provided to identify sustainability future requirements at MLC MRC Harwell in line with the UKRI sustainability plan and current best practice
  • Information gathering across all departments to support and develop a site wide strategic plan
  • Work alongside all departments to implement site wide strategic plan and where necessary assist in changing current thinking
  • With guidance from senior staff identify what sustainability ideas are being considered and implemented across other MRC units and how these could be implemented at MRC Harwell
  • Assist in maintaining the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF)
  • Build relationships with all staff across the MRC Harwell facility to encourage the uptake of environmental actions and messages
  • Support senior staff by facilitating meetings, drafting communications and liaison with internal and external team members
  • Assist in maintaining the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF)

About you

To be eligible for this opportunity, all candidates will need to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria: 

Essential:

  • Degree level qualification in science with a proven interest in sustainability issues and/or comparable experience in an environmental science or sustainability field 
  • Knowledge of current sustainability projects 
  • Knowledge of sustainability standards and accreditations 
  • Passion for environmental sustainability
  • Desire to forge a career in sustainability
  • Excellent analytical and reporting skills
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Excellent level of IT literacy and good working knowledge of Microsoft packages
  • Pro-active and flexible approach to work, with a willingness to travel on occasion

Desirable:

  • Qualification in environmental science, an energy or engineering field
  • Previous experience in a laboratory environment 
  • Experience of supporting sustainability projects 
  • Knowledge of the LEAF process
  • Experience of implementing sustainability ideas and applying for and evidencing organisations’ sustainability accreditation

Benefits

Choosing to join our Graduate Training Programme means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, all bank holidays plus 2.5 privilege days, access to shopping and travel discounts, cycle to work scheme and wellbeing initiatives.  

For the full list of benefits, please visit here.  

How we support Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community.  

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the Disability Confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for vacancies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to Apply

Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based on how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert. 

The closing date for applications is 11.55pm on 19th February 2023.

You are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications. 

We can be flexible on the start date, but the successful candidate must be able to start by September 2023.

The MRC is a great place to work and progress your career, be it in scientific research or the support functions.The MRC is a unique working environment where our researchers are rewarded by world class innovation and collaboration opportunities that the MRC name brings. The MRC is an excellent place to develop yourself further and a range of training & development opportunities will be available to you, including professional registration with the Science Council.

Choosing to come to work at the MRC (part of UKRI) means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement to access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme, as well as the chance to put the MRC and UKRI on your CV in the future.

Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We welcome applications from all sections of the community irrespective of gender, race, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability or age. As "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants with disabilities 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.

This opportunity is closed to applications.