Research Associate – Trivallis

18330BR

Welsh School of Architecture

Research

Advert

Research Associate – Trivallis 

The Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) is seeking to appoint a highly motivated Research Associate.

This role will be embedded within The Centre for a Low Carbon Built Environment (LCBE) based at the WSA but will work very closely with Trivallis Housing Association. Bringing their experience on low carbon solution and the UK housing stock, the successful candidate will work with colleagues at WSA with long term experience of the different stages of retrofitting as well as being embedded within a team who are carrying out ground-breaking research across the retrofit process. 

The successful candidate will review and assess processes and assets currently in place at Trivallis including:
•    investigating and evaluating of current data collection and sharing to methods to identify optimised long-term solutions for the organisation;
•    collating and reporting low carbon case study housing projects carried out Trivallis and undertaking energy modelling on these to evaluate the how alternative options would perform to inform the decision making process;
•    investigating monitoring data available and the processes in place to use the outcomes as effectively as possible; and
•    reviewing the current organisational set up to identify how it could support long term implementation of low carbon solutions. 

Through these activities the successful candidate will identify areas for improvement and development to enhance the delivery of future programmes of work for both new build and retrofit homes. Trivallis will ensure that the learning and development will help to push forwards towards Net Zero whilst providing safe, warm, affordable homes for residents. Outcomes will be shared with the wider housing sector across the UK to enable other organisations to learn from the research.

For informal enquiries about the post please contact Professor Jo Patterson (Director of Research) [email protected] 

This post is full-time and available immediately. This post is fixed-term for 12 months. 

Salary: £39,347- £44,263 per annum (Grade 6).
Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale.

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 6 March 2024

Closing date: Friday, 22 March 2024

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at:  Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

The successful candidate will conduct research within the area of the deployment of low carbon solutions within the social housing sector and contribute to the overall research performance of the School and University, carrying out research leading to the publishing of high-quality research and to pursue excellence in research and to inspire others to do the same. 

Research 
•    Conduct research that supports the large scale deployment of low carbon solutions within the social housing sector and contributes to the overall research performance of the School and University through the production of measurable outputs including bidding for funding, publishing in national academic journals and conferences, and the recruitment and supervision of postgraduate research students.
•    Collect, analyse, interpret and present data obtained from the social housing company and other sources, including existing and future demonstration buildings/communities where low carbon systems have been or are being installed, organisational information including staff data collection processes and data management including development and maintenance databases using appropriate software.
•    Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research including research funding proposals.
•    Attend and or present at conferences/seminars at a local and national level as required.
•    Undertake administrative tasks associated with the research project, including the planning and organisation of the project and the implementation of procedures required to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
•    Prepare research ethics and research governance applications as appropriate.
•    Review and synthesise existing research literature within the field of low carbon deployment in the social housing sector.
•    Participate in School research activities.
•    Build and create networks both internally and externally to the university, to influence decisions,   explore future research requirements, and share research ideas for the benefit of research projects.

Other
•    Engage effectively with industrial, commercial and public sector organisations, professional institutions, other academic institutions etc., regionally and nationally to raise awareness of the School’s profile, to cultivate strategically valuable alliances, and to pursue opportunities for collaboration across a range of activities. These activities are expected to contribute to the School and the enhancement of its regional and national profile.
•    Undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to, and which will enhance performance.
•    Participate in School administration and activities to promote the School and its work to the wider University and the outside world
•    Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria 

Qualifications and Education
1.    Postgraduate degree at PhD level in a related subject area or equivalent or relevant industrial experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
2.    An established expertise and proven portfolio of research and/or relevant industrial experience within the following research fields:
i.    Planning, design and/or implementation of low carbon solutions in the housing sector.
ii.    Social housing in the UK.
iii.    Domestic scale energy modelling.

3.    Collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of large quantitative and qualitative data sets from buildings, systems and people data together with comparing outcomes with appropriate benchmarks where appropriate.

4.    Knowledge of current status of research in the specialist field low carbon solutions associated with energy demand reduction, renewable energy supply and/or energy storage and their implementation into housing.

5.    Proven ability to publish in national journals and at national conferences and/or other research outputs.

6.    Knowledge and understanding of competitive research funding to be able to develop applications to funding bodies. 

Communication and Team Working
7.    Proven ability in highly effective written and oral communication skills across a range of media with experience of communicating with a range of different types of organisation and levels of ability, including individuals involved in research projects/members of the public.

8.    Proven ability to supervise the work of others and motivate individuals using excellent organisational skills whilst collating information from a variety of sources and disseminating material to appropriate stakeholders including Government, industry, academia, NGOs and the public.

Other
9.    Proven ability to engage and collaborate effectively and flexibly within interdisciplinary groups.

10.    Proven ability to work without close supervision.

Desirable Criteria 

11.    Relevant professional qualification(s).

12.    Evidence of collaboration with industry, government, NGOs and/or the public/community organisations.

13.     Proven ability to adapt to the changing requirements of the Higher Education community. 

14.    Evidence of ability to participate in and develop both internal and external networks and utilise them to enhance the research activities of the School. 

Additional Information

Information about project.

This research is part of an exciting collaboration with Trivallis housing association who want to establish an efficient and cost-effective process that enables them to deliver housing that exceeds standards and provides better quality homes for its residents. They want to provide safe, warm affordable home for residents whilst attempting to achieve Net Zero. Trivallis own 10,825 homes across Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council. They have approximately 450 staff and work to improve the quality of all their homes to meet Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023. Between 2024-2027 they aim to deliver 220 new build homes.

The Centre for a Low Carbon Built Environment (LCBE) at the Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) have been leading whole house energy system projects for the last 15 years in collaboration with local authorities and social landlords, residents and supply chains. This research Centre has provided evidence that implementing appropriate, affordable and replicable demand reduction solutions with renewable energy supply and energy storage can not only reduce carbon emissions but also significantly reduces energy bills which in turn reduces fuel poverty, provides more comfortable and healthy internal living conditions as well as a higher quality-built environment. The LCBE team continue to carry out research on a range of projects pushing appropriate and replicable whole house energy system approach forward. These include the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Green Transitions Ecosystem project ‘Transforming housing and homes for future generations’, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Homes As Power Stations programme and monitoring of Swansea Councils new build stock.

The Welsh School of Architecture

The Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) is consistently ranked amongst the top schools of architecture in published UK and Worldwide league tables and has been ranked within the top 50 of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Rankings for the past 4 consecutive years.

The WSA also had 90% of its research impact judged as outstanding (4*) in the 2014 REF (Research Excellence Framework). This placed us at the top of the table for impact in the assessment panel for Architecture, Built Environment and Planning.

Our research underpins the BSc and MArch degree programmes as well as the specialisms we teach through advanced Masters programmes that cater to graduates across the broad spectrum of built environment professions. We set high standards for our students and expect great things from them, this is why we stand by the quality of our graduates and are proud of what they achieve.

The distinctiveness of this School lies in its tradition of combining creativity with the understanding needed to realise designs through practice, its reputation for high quality research, the calibre of its staff and in its unique location in a friendly, liveable and affordable capital city that is a gateway to the stunning landscape of Wales.

Job Category

Academic - Research