NERC Sustainability Internship - Swindon

NERC Sustainability Internship - Swindon

The NERC Sustainability Team is a small, hybrid, Head Office based team responsible for delivering NERC’s approach to environmental sustainability. The team plays a central role in ensuring NERC meets its environmental commitments in alignment with the UKRI Environmental Sustainability Strategy, supporting NERC’s contribution to net zero and wider environmental goals. The team leads on carbon management, sustainability policy and assurance, delivery of sustainability activities, environmental performance monitoring, and external reporting.

Working collaboratively across the organisation, the team maintains strong links with UKRI sustainability colleagues and works closely with sustainability leads and operational teams across NERC Centres. This includes across NERC’s centres:

• British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
• British Geological Survey (BGS)
• National Oceanography Centre (NOC)
• UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)
• National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO)
• National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS).

Sustainability is a crosscutting priority for NERC, and the team also engages with multiple directorates to embed good environmental practice into policy, operations, and decision making.

About the Summer Placement

Student life is great, but taking time out to gain experience of the workplace can be both a rewarding and invaluable experience as you choose your path ahead. We can offer you the opportunity to make a difference from day one. Everything we do has an impact globally and our summer placements are no exception.

This summer placement offers the opportunity to gain practical experience in environmental sustainability within a large public sector research organisation. The role will provide exposure to a range of sustainability activities, supporting the development of analytical, organisational, and professional skills in a real-world policy and operational context.

Throughout the placement, the student will work with the Sustainability Team and engage with sustainability colleagues across the NERC Centres, developing an understanding of how environmental sustainability is delivered in a complex, multisite organisation. By the end of the placement, the student will have an appreciation of how public sector organisations translate environmental commitments into practical, impactful action.

Summary of Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Supporting delivery of the NERC Carbon Pathway Programme
• Supporting delivery of the NERC Environmental Action Plan
• Assisting in the development of environmental communication and reporting materials for staff and external audiences
• Assisting with desk-top environmental research activities, such as reviewing policies, plans and literature to create summary reports, briefings or slides as deliverables
• Assisting with environmental data analysis by collecting, organising and studying data to provide insights and produce infographics
• Establishing relationships and playing an active role as a member of the sustainability team
• Attending meetings and events to support learning with a willingness to travel if required

Person Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

In order to apply for the role, we are looking for the following:

Essential:

• You are in full time education at university, and will be returning to university/your studies to complete your undergraduate degree once the summer placement has concluded (S)
• You have the right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement (S)
• You are studying a specific discipline in geography, natural science, environmental science, biology, sustainability or sustainable development (S)
• Good understanding of the fundamental principles of sustainability (S & I)
• Planned and organised approach to work and meeting deadlines (S & I)
• Able to work well within a team and show initiative (S & I)
• Good inter-personal skills, particularly in communication (both written and verbal) and problem solving (S&I)
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel (S)

Desirable:

• Can work independently, using available resources to overcome problems (S)
• Experience of data analysis and interpretation (S)
• A well-read knowledge of global, national and regional issues that will allow you to communicate the need for environmental sustainability with passion, conviction and reasoning (S&I)
• Willingness to travel to other UKRI sites on occasions (S)
• Graduate member of sustainability related professional membership body (S)

Employee Benefits

• 30 days holiday pro rata
• Flexible working hours.
• Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities

As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status, we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK.

Application Guidance

• Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.
• Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.
• Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.

What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible!

About Us

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a 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. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. 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.

Application Process

• Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role.
• Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded.
• Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered.
• Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

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.

How to apply

To apply for this role and to find out more, please click on the apply button. Please note that applications may close before the application deadline, so apply early to avoid disappointment.