C40 SOUTH AFRICA BUILDING PROGRAM TECHNICAL OFFICER: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN NEW BUILDINGS, DURBAN

Position Title: Technical Officer, Energy Efficiency in New Buildings

Location: eThekwini Municipality, Energy Office, 5 Walnut Road, SmartXchange Building, 3rd Floor.

Reporting to: Programme Manager, Sustainable Energy Africa and Line manager within the City

Salary range: ZAR 520 000 – 780 000 per year total cost of employment (relocation costs will not be covered)

Hours of work: 8 hours a day, Monday to Friday.

Contract period/Term: Fixed term – January 2018 - December 2020.

Application submission: Please send your letter of application and C.V. with contactable references to Hlengiwe Radebe at hlengiwe@sustainable.org.za no later than Friday the 22nd of December 2017. Applications without this detail will not be considered. Certified copies of qualification must be available on request.

Note: Although the employment is with the local C40 Delivery Partner, Sustainable Energy Africa, the Technical Officer will be seconded to one of the four C40 member cities and will be located in the respective city, and report on a daily basis to the relevant city line manager. The C40 member cities should in no way be considered as the employer.

Background:

Sustainable Energy Africa, a Cape Town based not for profit organisation, is the local ‘delivery partner’ of the C40 South Africa Buildings Programme. The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group connects more than 90 of the world’s greatest cities which have committed to tackling climate change. C40 positions cities as a leading force for climate action around the world. Working across multiple sectors, C40 convenes networks of cities providing a suite of services in support of their efforts towards creating a sustainable future, including: direct technical assistance; facilitating of peer-to-peer exchange; and research, knowledge management and communications. As a climate organisation of the world’s greatest cities, C40 supports its members to move on to a low carbon development pathway, adapt to climate change, curb GHG emissions and engage in partnerships among themselves and with global organisations, national governments, the private sector and civil society.

Improving building energy efficiency represents a significant opportunity for cities to reduce their carbon emissions and contribute to global emission reduction commitments. C40 Deadline 2020 research shows that achieving abatement in line with what is needed to restrict global temperature rise to 1.5° C requires a radical and comprehensive transformation to reduce building energy demand and clean up the energy supply. Cities have a crucial role to play in the implementation of zero carbon building policies and programmes to meet national ambitions and targets and to go beyond these to achieve the significant GHG emission reductions so urgently needed. To boost its existing networks and initiatives C40 is funding a programme of deep technical assistance to cities on energy and buildings, known as Building Energy 2020.
The aim of the C40 South Africa Buildings Program is to support the C40 member cities of Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Tshwane to achieve city-wide implementation of policies and programmes to deliver low and zero carbon buildings. The programme will amplify individual city solutions by providing a platform for showcasing city learnings and successes with a broad network of South African municipalities.

Job Description:

The Technical Officer (TO), Energy Efficiency in New Buildings, should have a passion for addressing climate change and be excited by the opportunity to work with a pioneering local city to help them accelerate the implementation of transformational building energy policies during the programme period. The TO will be an experienced building professional who can provide robust technical energy assistance to achieve regulatory change and mechanisms to achieve a city-wide zero- or low-carbon objective for the built environment. Understanding of building design and building energy codes, as well as excellent communication abilities, will be vital skills to provide cities with the technical assistance they need to deliver transformative policies and programmes. All things being equal, Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDI) placements will be given preference.

Essentials skills and experience of the Technical Officer:

• A building professional with clear building energy efficiency experience, at least 7 years in a senior position, and a background, at least a four year degree, in architecture, engineering, building surveying, building physics, or development/urban planning.
• Familiarity with policy and building code/regulation documents with working knowledge of the South African building energy codes/regulations including Part XA SANS 10400 standard and the SANS 204 guidance standard.
• Hands on experience of working on new building energy efficiency and building regulations/codes, preferably with a city or municipality, or via a consultant working for a city or municipality.

The ideal candidate will also have:

• Experience of working with or for metropolitan municipal governments in South Africa.
• Familiarity with the enforcement processes for building energy regulations as well building energy performance monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience of facilitating workshops with multiple stakeholders from the public and private sectors to contribute to policy consultation and implementation.
• Experience of contributing technical expertise to the implementation of low and/or zero carbon projects.
• An understanding of how building energy regulations/codes interface with other building regulations and associated health and safety implications.
• The TO will be based in the City, reporting both to the designated City line manager and the Program Manager within Sustainable Energy Africa. The role will be varied and include delivering technical assistance and research to relevant city departments as well as engaging with the C40 SA Building Programme team for planning, feedback, shared-learning and support activities. Some travel within South Africa will be required.
• Responsibilities will include some or all of:
• Working with the City and SEA to develop and deliver a work plan to achieve ambitious energy efficiency policy and programmes, factoring in likely roadmaps to a 1.5 degree climate mitigation target.
• Developing a ‘roadmap’ for low/ net zero buildings with the municipal officers, supported by the delivery partner, including policy and regulatory aspects.
• Driving and being responsible for the development of enhanced energy efficiency policy and codes (technical content).
• Supporting outreach activities with stakeholders consulting on the development and implementation of enhanced energy efficiency policy and programmes.
• Identifying, through consultation with the municipal officers and the delivery partner, where additional capacity and research is required to support policy objectives and what can be included in the delivery plan.
• Liaison with other departments within the municipality around related policy and implementation practice including legal, finance, procurement, development, housing and environment policy concerning enhanced energy codes implementation.
• Working with the municipality to identify potential pilot/demonstration projects for implementation of enhanced energy performance requirements and once established, support implementation and profiling of leading green buildings as well as effective enforcement and building energy performance measurement.
• Providing and/or supporting briefings to senior municipality officials on progress against the implementation plan.
• Present technical information in a clear and concise format to inform policy and programme development and implementation.
• Engage with and provide mutual support to the Technical Officers in other cities within the programme and, with support from municipal officers and delivery partner, provide input into the design and facilitation of knowledge-sharing events amongst the other South African C40 cities as well as well as other South Africa municipalities.
• Participation in Sustainable Energy Africa-C40 workshops as part of knowledge sharing/learning activities.