Background
The amended Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act outlines TII's obligations regarding climate change and carbon budgeting.
The Government's annual Climate Action Plan (CAP) outlines TII's specific obligations regarding climate action and reducing carbon emissions.
As required by CAP, TII publishes an annual Climate Action Roadmap (the Roadmap), setting out TII's pathway to reducing carbon emissions to 2030 and beyond.
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Job Description
A Climate and Carbon Specialist is now required to lead the ongoing assessment and management of TII's carbon emissions, ensuring reduction pathways outlined in the Roadmap are delivered, ensuring carbon reductions are achieved.
The Climate and Carbon Specialist will review implications of the proposed new carbon budgets and how they influence TII's activities and projected pipeline of future projects.
A particular focus of the role will involve assessing the carbon impacts and benefits of actions identified in several key national policies responsible for driving the necessary adaptation and mitigation actions, including, but not limited to, Project Ireland 2040, the National Planning Framework, the National Remote Work Strategy, Our Rural Future - Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, NIFTI, NR2040, DoT's Sustainable Mobility Policy, DoT's Haulage Strategy and relevant Government circulars, including Department of Transport's recent report regarding low carbon cement and concrete and the proposed new programme for Government.
The Climate and Carbon Specialist will support the development of TII's Climate Adaptation implementation plan in line with TII's Climate Adaptation Strategy as well as developing and enhancing TII's carbon management tools (TII Carbon Inventory and TII Carbon Assessment Tool) to capture new innovations and legislative changes, to ensure that these tools incorporate best practice when it comes to data collection, data validation, data storage, carbon assessment, management and reporting.
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Role and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will support all activities across TII.
Specific responsibilities include:
* Leading the development of a carbon management plan for TII and providing technical expertise on carbon emissions, assessment, analysis and reporting, aligned to global standards such as the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol.
* Leading TII's Carbon Inventory incorporating the collection and validation of carbon emissions data related to TII's activities, working to improve data quality by identifying gaps and opportunities to increase confidence in existing and future data sets.
* Leading the implementation and delivery of TII's pathway to reduce carbon emissions outlined in TII's annual Climate Action Roadmap, supporting TII's contribution to Ireland's Climate Action Plans.
* Providing technical expertise and data analyses regarding carbon reduction opportunities (including changes in relevant legislation) and develop cross divisional carbon management plan in conjunction with colleagues across TII.
* Developing and managing a multi-year programme for carbon inventory reporting at TII.
* Advising local authorities on how to implement TII's new climate standard, particularly defining future climatic baselines for development areas and identifying how receptors in these areas could be impacted by various climatic hazards.
* Supporting a programme of stakeholder engagement and communications to drive improvements across TII, liaising and collaborating with colleagues, stakeholders and advisors.
* This may include support on initiatives to generate new data or improve data quality.
* Leading the assessment of the potential of carbon offsetting projects and proposing recommendations for implementation, where appropriate.
* Advising on and developing methodologies and processes for carbon assessment, visualisation and reporting that support decision making, programme planning and tracking of TII's performance in achieving its Net Zero targets.
* Leading in the development and management of research and innovation opportunities within TII and in collaboration with its supply chain.
* Providing climate and carbon support to Regional Managers, Engineering Inspectors for both public transport and road project and to the senior environmental team during the project planning phases to ensure the delivery of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR) and Natura impact Statements (NIS).
* Participating in national and international working groups related to climate and carbon issues and engaging at relevant conferences, where appropriate.
* Leading in the development of new planning, design, construction and commissioning and maintenance standards to ensure a consistent approach is used for the treatment of climate and carbon issues for all transport-related projects.
* Preparing responses to parliamentary questions, departmental requests, FOIs and questions raised by members of the public in relation to climate and carbon issues associated with all TII activities.
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Essential Requirements
Each candidate must be of good character.
Health A candidate for and any person holding the role must be fully competent and capable of undertaking duties attached to the role and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
Education & Experience The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate the key competencies for a Grade 1 position, as well as the following job-specific requirements:
Essential
* A recognised third-level degree qualification (NFQ Level 8), in environmental science, climate/meteorology (or equivalent discipline); and, preferably, a masters degree or higher in environmental science which had a strong focus on air quality or climate (or equivalent discipline).
* A minimum of seven years relevant post-graduate experience in GHG management and climate assessment.
* Experience in GHG management, including GHG assessment aligned with PAS 2080 Carbon Management in Infrastructure (BSI).
* Proficiency in carbon accounting and the development of Carbon Management Plans.
* Be experienced in Climate Change Risk Assessments (CCRA) including the interpretation and application of climate change data (historic and projections) and have experience managing climate change impacts.
* Experience in data collection for undertaking carbon assessment calculations for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
* Excellent people management and teamworking skills.
* Excellent interpersonal, presentation and communication skills and can build working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Desirable
* The Climate and Carbon specialist should hold membership of the relevant/appropriate professional body.
* Have technical knowledge of, and be up to date with, relevant legislation, policy and standards, the relevant EIA planning and climate change guidance and the criteria for evaluation and classification of the significance of impacts.
* Experience in delivering climate and carbon assessments for EIAR in national road and public transport projects.
* Knowledge of and experience in sustainable asset management including climate adaptation, and resilience.
* Experience and knowledge in the application of TII's Carbon Assessment and Roads Emission Tools.
* Fluency in the English language, both written and oral.
* Full driving licence
Note: In order to assure the shortlisting panel that you satisfy these requirements, you must explicitly reference how you meet the requirements in your application.
Failure to demonstrate these may prevent your application progressing to future shortlisting stages.
Candidates who come under consideration following the final selection stage will be required to provide documentary evidence of their eligibility, including qualifications and evidence of fluency in the English language.
Candidates who are unable to show that they hold the required qualifications may be withdrawn from the competition at any stage.
An invitation to interview or any element of the selection process is not acceptance of eligibility.