The IES is a charitable membership organisation which aims to unite science and people to solve environmental challenges. We activate our global network of leading education institutions, researchers, professionals, and policy makers to stand up for science, scientists and for the natural world.  

CHES is our education arm that oversees the largest accreditation scheme of environmental degree programmes in the world

This is an exciting time to join this small and rapidly growing environmental charity! 

About the role 
The Education & Professional Development Officer is responsible for managing the Institution’s growing education and continuous professional development (CPD) portfolio. We are seeking an individual passionate about environmental education, who understands the vital role professional bodies play in supporting lifelong learning. This role would be particularly suitable for a part time academic or professional member of staff within a university or a part time postgraduate student. The position is part time for three days a week, with flexibility of which days you work. The job can be done remotely or at our office in Shoreditch, London

You will seek to deepen our existing affiliations with our academic partners and forge new relationships. You will build the value of IES student membership and interact with our committee of educators. In this quickly growing organisation, you’ll have responsibility from ‘day one’, so you must be confident and able to learn quickly.

Relishing a varied workday and the chance to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, you will need to be highly organised, motivated and able to fit into the collaborative culture of the office.

Why work for us?
At the IES, we know that the secret of a successful professional body is the quality of the people behind the membership services.

Our small, inclusive team work collaboratively with one another, as well as our fantastic trustees, members and partner organisations, to fulfil our mission of advocating for science and the environment.

With a good list of employee benefits and a social calendar connected to the office, we are sure you will enjoy the culture of working at the IES. We care about nurturing your career development with individualised professional development plans and a separate budget that you can spend on your learning. 

This is a brilliant opportunity for an individual wanting a career with real impact.

Job role
Education

• Manage our HE & FE institutional membership scheme, promoting membership to new universities and FE colleges and developing our membership offering
• Proactively seek out and engage with potential membership and accreditation leads, projects and policy in the education sector
• Engage with critical agendas for the environmental education sector, such as employability, student recruitment, diversity and inclusion, and provide guidance and support to our members in navigating these challenges
• Interact regularly with our current and potential student membership, devising new methods for engaging them in our work and supporting them through their academic journey and transition into professional work 
• Promote and oversee our degree programme accreditation scheme 
• Manage and develop the Institution’s career services for students, graduates and members seeking work
• Be the main point of contact for our education committee and help fulfil their strategy and work plans. 

Professional Development

• Oversee the IES’s CPD audit and training of auditors
• Oversee the mentoring scheme and CV clinic

Person specification
This is a multi-skilled position and we recognise that no candidate is likely to have all the desirable skills.

Essential

• Undergraduate degree, level 5 or above technical qualification, or equivalent experience
• Understanding of the educational sector
• At least one year’s office-based experience
• Excellent time management with ability to prioritise and juggle projects, and meet strict deadlines
• Clear and confident communicator, both written and orally
• Strong empathy and interpersonal skills
• Comfortable working autonomously and within a small team
• Flexible approach with the ability to use own initiative and rapidly respond to varying stakeholder needs
• Demonstrable ability to quickly pick up new tasks and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement

Desirable

• Knowledge of CRM systems
• Experience in managing complex projects with competing priorities in a professional environment
• Experience of working in a professional body or learned society, university, college, research institute or charity
• Familiarity with educational policy and issues for the sector

How to Apply 
Please send a CV, cover letter (stating "why us and why you?") and equal opportunities monitoring form (docx) to Adam Donnan (adam@the-ies.org) by Noon on Friday 4th February 2022. We will get back to you on or after the application deadline. Interviews will take place remotely via Zoom on the 10th/11th February, with a view to the successful candidate starting as soon as possible.