ABOUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
The Land Development Agency (LDA) is a commercial, semi-State body that seeks to maximise the supply of affordable homes on public and other land in a financially sustainable manner, supporting the creation of thriving communities and delivering ongoing positive social impact. It is overseen by an independent board of directors and is funded with €5 billion of equity capital committed by the Government. It is also permitted to borrow up to €1.25bn
The LDA has commenced construction on a number of projects on State land and has a delivery pipeline in excess of 17,000 homes. It also works in partnership with the country’s largest and most experienced homebuilders and will deliver a further 8,000 homes under the Government’s Project Tosaigh initiative. Additionally, the LDA is working on large-scale longer-term strategic areas by master-planning and bringing forward planning applications in locations such as Limerick Colbert Quarter, the Digital Hub in Dublin and Sandy Road in Galway.
The Land Development Agency strives to be at the forefront of changing Ireland’s housing options for the better. The Agency will do this by providing sustainable and innovative infill developments, as well as working with local authorities and other partners to design and plan for large-scale strategic areas. It will do so in a manner that fully supports Ireland’s compact growth and climate change agenda.
The Assistant Sustainable Design Advisor position is within the Strategic Planning Business Unit. The successful candidate will report to and support the Urban Design & Sustainability Manager in implementing the LDA’s strategic objectives, as defined in the LDA’s Sustainable Development Strategy, in master-planning projects and development projects and support the development of policy, procedure & guidance notes as required.
This role will have a primary focus on workstream 2 within the Strategy – project support. However, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to all aspects of the Sustainability Teams work.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Coordinating the implementation of the LDA’s strategic objectives in development projects with the relevant Planning, Development, Construction, Cost & Asset Managers & Project Teams.
Supporting the integration of LDA strategic objectives and targets including the integration of HPI and other indicators which support LDA reporting obligations in relation to climate action and sustainable finance.
Participation in project design reviews and assessments and providing professional advice and support as required to ensure that the LDA’s sustainable design objectives & sustainability targets are being achieved.
Ensuring consistent & effective reporting on sustainability metrics by design teams across all project stages.
Supporting the development of sustainable urban design, building design & detailed design guidance to meet the LDA’s strategic objectives and the integration of this guidance into relevant briefing documentation & design guidance documents.
Supporting, the procurement and management of design teams and external consultants as relevant.
Working effectively with a variety of stakeholders, statutory and non-statutory.
Preparing reports for LDA management and other stakeholders internal and external as relevant
Requirements:
Be passionate about Sustainability in the built environment and committed to actively participating in a Team, focused on delivering real change, at scale in a collaborative environment.
Have excellent design skills and experience to promote quality in the built environment and demonstrate an understanding of how design quality can contribute to environmental and social sustainability.
Have a strong knowledge of relevant planning / building control and technical building regulations,
Have a strong knowledge of building energy performance /sustainability standards and legislation at EU and National Level as well as non-statutory best practice approaches/ standards.
Demonstrate an understanding of the socio-ecological and socio-economic issues which impact the successful delivery of affordable sustainable communities & homes.
Demonstrate an ability to learn and upskill to meet the changing regulatory landscape and the LDA’s strategic ambitions.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and be curious about how we might do things better
Qualifications and Experience:
Professional qualification in a design discipline in the built environment e.g. engineering, architecture, architectural technology etc.
Have knowledge of certification schemes including but not limited to IGBC Home Performance Index (HPI) V3.0 & Passive House Standard.
Be familiar with EU & national policy & regulatory drivers such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and EU Taxonomy
Have at least three years’ satisfactory experience of relevant work experience on large scale residential led projects. Other relevant experience may include but not be limited to, developing and implementing sustainable design solutions for medium to large scale housing projects, supporting the implementation of sustainable development strategies in housing projects/ regeneration schemes, managing & reporting on the implementation of sustainability measures for new-build or retrofit housing projects etc.
It is desirable that applicants hold a post-graduate qualification in sustainability in the built environment (please provide brief description of each course, year of completion & NFQ level).
To Apply:
The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 22nd January 2024.
The Land Development Agency (LDA) is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to promote and support a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we endeavor to provide reasonable accommodation.