Net Zero Lead

Salary: £38,000 FTE
Hours: 30hrs per week (4 days)
Term: Permanent (subject to organisational funding)
Reporting to: BEFS Director

About BEFS

Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) is the strategic intermediary body for Scotland’s built environment sector, bringing together civic, voluntary and professional organisations that operate at national level. As an umbrella organisation, BEFS informs, debates and advocates on strategic issues and policies affecting the built environment. Our aim is to communicate the importance of Scotland’s built and historic environment to: policy makers at all levels of government, private owners and investors, and amongst professionals and voluntary organisations. BEFS is currently majority funded by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

Background/need:

How can the sector deliver Net Zero, both for itself but also for Scotland?

This role is a response to the challenges and opportunities ahead; we see a role for BEFS, positioned as the strategic intermediary for Scotland’s existing built and historic environment, to de-mystify what delivering Net Zero means in practice, supporting the existing work of the sector (and beyond!), building capacity whilst avoiding duplication of effort, and driving a much needed coordinated and holistic approach to Net Zero and the Climate Emergency.

To do this, we have created a new role within BEFS Team, to support the sector and increase BEFS ability to integrate our approach to Net Zero into all BEFS strategic and advocacy activity.

BEFS is a key delivery partner for Our Past Our Future (OPOF), working towards a Route Map to Net Zero.

The role

This role within BEFS Team involves leading on BEFS co-ordinated and strategic approach to delivering Net Zero through its own work, and – crucially – connecting existing sector work and research; building Member and sector capacity and coordinating a robust, collaborative and data driven approach, ensuring that the historic environment is recognised as a valuable asset and key player in Scotland’s journey to Net Zero, and in tackling the Climate Emergency.

We envisage that this role will evolve and respond to a changing political climate as needed, engaging with the legislative process and working towards ensuring that the sector is equipped to respond to the Climate Emergency in the long term.

Key responsibilities include:

• Work with BEFS Team to map and coordinate all existing Net Zero work, across all business BEFS areas
• Undertake sector (and beyond) mapping of Net Zero activity
• Advocate for Net Zero solutions presented by the existing and historic built environment, through sector coordination, cross sector, and portfolio working
• Align with and support OPOF delivery priorities, working closely with BEFS Director and Team on developing a Route Map to Net Zero
• Connect and amplify existing research and data, identifying skills, research and data gaps
• Drive and coordinate the use of existing data and research as well as commissioning new where required; working collaboratively to present a coherent evidence base
• Undertake and enable research and strategy including looking at international good practice
• Stakeholder working and relationship building; enable innovative and collaborative approaches
• Undertake regular horizon-scanning through contact with Government and key stakeholders; support BEFS work to convey the current context, challenges and opportunities across sector back to Scottish Government
• Project development and fundraising: identify, develop and shape projects (from initial idea to project brief) which will inform/evidence advocacy and delivery activity
• Participate actively as part of a small and busy team, supporting and working with colleagues across all of BEFS work

The Net Zero Lead will work with BEFS Team on the strategic objectives identified in BEFS Manifesto 2026, supporting positive action towards the key policy asks relating to Net Zero.

Manifesto policy asks of government:

• Additional investments in historic and built environment data collection and research programmes
• Investigate the international experience with Material Passport schemes and consider adopting a suitable model in Scotland
• Holistic approach to existing and new climate emergency legislation; ensuring wider policy alignment, and consistent cross-party support beyond parliamentary cycles.
• Establish a Ministerial Oversight Group on Retrofit, to devise and deliver a Retrofit Delivery Plan
• Invest in preventative spend across built environment specialisms to meet Net Zero, place-making, and heritage targets, and to reverse the decline of essential skills
• Recognise the cross-cutting benefits of investing both in skills provision and training but also the culture shift required towards greater recognition of these skills as desirable careers
• Commit to investment in and enabling pathways to bring vacant and derelict land and buildings back into use at scale

This will involve working closely and collaboratively with existing and new stakeholders and partners, shaping baseline recommendations and Route Map to Net Zero for the sector. The role is also intended to deepen BEFS ability to provide meaningful and active support to the delivery of HES’ Climate Action Plan, Green Recovery Statement, The Skills Investment Plan and the Archaeology Strategy.

Key relationships:

BEFS Director – working with BEFS Director to ensure that BEFS Net Zero work is fully integrated and supported across all areas of BEFS work.

BEFS Head of Policy and Strategy – working with BEFS Head of Policy and Strategy to maximise the impact of BEFS strategic approach to policy and public affairs in relation to Net Zero delivery and advocacy.

BEFS Head of Operations – working with BEFS Head of Operations where required, to establish effective, efficient procedures, streamlining work and fulfilling reporting obligations.

BEFS Policy and Communications Officer – working closely with BEFS Policy and Communications Officer across policy areas, including research and drafting consultation responses.

BEFS Communications Lead – working with BEFS Communications Lead to shape strategic content, messaging, and audience development.

Other: 40+ BEFS Member and Associate representatives, BEFS Board members, BEFS Working Groups (Places of Worship Forum, Conservation Officers Group, Tenement Maintenance Working Group), civil servants within Scottish Government, Minsters and MSPs, Historic Environment Scotland, Our Past Our Future delivery team, professional bodies, and the wider historic and built environment sector.

BEFS is an equal opportunities employer. Please see our Fair Work and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion statements on BEFS website for more information.

Person specification

If invited to interview, you will be asked to demonstrate how your experience meets the requirements of the post. We will look for evidence of past experience, and your approach to the key responsibilities outlined above.

Essential

1. Ability to demonstrate breadth of sector knowledge and the wider policy landscape relating to Net Zero and the historic and existing built environment
2. Demonstrable technical knowledge relating to the Climate Emergency and Net Zero in relation to the historic and existing built environment
3. Strong analytical skills, with an ability to distil information and stakeholder opinions, across a broad range of topics/disciplines in the built environment sphere
4. Knowledge and experience of the historic and wider built environment sector, including key stakeholders and lead organisations
5. Experience of working in a public facing role and the ability to connect with stakeholders and build consensus, seeking opportunities for collaboration and joined up working
6. Experience of project management and delivery
7. The ability to think and work strategically
8. Highly self-motivated, able to work flexibly, balancing priorities as necessary
9. High attention to detail, with strong written and verbal communication skills, including facilitation experience
10. Advanced use of IT packages including Office 365 and Adobe etc.

Desirable

1. Degree or post-graduate qualification (or equivalent experience) in built environment-related discipline (e.g. planning, conservation, surveying, archaeology, architecture) or public affairs.
2. Experience of stakeholder engagement/facilitation skills.
3. Confidence with online/remote working technologies and programmes such as Teams, Zoom. Knowledge/familiarity of other programmes such as Miro, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, WordPress and MailChimp are also an advantage.

BEFS expects all applicants to support the values, ethos and objectives of BEFS, demonstrating credibility and integrity, and proactively committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.

Pension: Company Pension Scheme. Alternatively, contributions can be made to a properly constituted pension scheme of your choice

Annual Leave: The full-time annual leave is 35 days pro rata, and includes public holidays (core to be taken: 2 Christmas, 2 New Year, and 1 at Easter)

Location: The job is home-working based – the team all currently live in or within a relatively easy commute to Edinburgh and Glasgow – with monthly in person team meetings and occasional travel to both internal and external meetings.

BEFS meetings and events have previously taken place most frequently in Edinburgh (occasionally Glasgow, Perth, Stirling, Inverness).

Closing date for applications: Saturday 31 January 2026

Interview date: Early February 2026. Dates tbc

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Hazel Johnson, BEFS, [email protected]

Useful further reading:

• About BEFS
• BEFS Work
• BEFS Manifesto