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Chief Executive

Ecology Building Society started as, and remains, a group of like-minded people committed to building a more sustainable future. We are proud of our work at the forefront of the sustainability agenda, working as a champion for a greener society for 40 years. Our business is dedicated to building a greener society by providing mortgages for properties and projects that respect the environment and support sustainable communities, funded through our range of simple, transparent savings accounts.

Our impact isn't about the profit we make – it's about the difference we make to the environment and to communities across the UK. Since 1981 we've lent to over 3,500 projects, supporting individuals, charities, environmental businesses, and community-led housing organisations to realise their sustainable living ambitions. In 2020 we lent £39.3 million to support 230 sustainable properties and projects.

About you

From these strong roots, we are now looking for a Chief Executive who can build on our unique strengths to lead Ecology into its next phase of growth and impact. They will play a leading role in ensuring that the aims of the Society, particularly regarding its ecological mission, are met. We are looking for an exceptional leader, able to inspire, support and motivate their colleagues and everyone they meet to deliver exceptional work. You will need to be deeply values led, with demonstrable experience of growing the impact or the organisations that you have worked in.

We are seeking to attract a strategic and visionary leader, who is values led and passionate about the broader sustainability agenda. Ecology’s next Chief Executive will be able to evidence experience of operating successfully at board or senior management level in an organisation of relative scale and complexity. The ability to evidence a track record in managing growth and identifying new opportunities will be key.

As a key leader in the wider sustainability sector, you will understand how to work collaboratively across the stakeholder landscape, and evidence success in building the profile of your current and previous organisation.

It is desirable that candidates bring previous experience of working in Financial Services: regulatory approval by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a requirement for the role.

To Apply

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Ecology Building Society on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference HASARA. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Wednesday 1 December 2021.

If you have a passion for the environment and an interest in sustainable living and working practices and have a people-oriented approach, then this is a superb opportunity for you to support our ethical vision.

Part-time role: Monday to Friday, up to 21hrs hours per week, Salary up to £15K (FTE £25K Pro Rota for 21 Hrs) 

Ecology Building Society is a successful member-owned financial institution with a clear environmental focus and a mission to promote sustainable development. We are committed to building a greener society through the provision of a range of simple, ethical savings products to support mortgages for properties and projects which respect the environment. With more than 35 years' experience, around £200m in savings balances and over 11,000 members, we’ve got ambitious plans for our future.

We don't just support others to try to live and work more sustainability: we do it ourselves. We put our ethical principles into practice throughout our operations, including managing the environmental impact of our offices and working spaces.

The successful candidate's main responsibilities will be to maintain the upkeep and support the evolving development of the Society's eco-build head office premises: managing and coordinating all repairs, improvements and ongoing maintenance of the building and grounds, ensuring the health and safety of colleagues, and aligned with the mission of the Society.

Main areas of responsibility

• To keep colleagues safe by ensuring the building meets all health & safety regulations and that effective procedures and training are in place for all colleagues and visitors.
• To oversee the day-to-day operation of the facilities and to check that standards are being maintained.
• To monitor and record energy consumption, generation and other sustainability metrics for reporting and measurement purposes.
• To manage the operation of the security systems and services - including access control, CCTV, systems, fire control systems and the intruder alarm.
• To manage other services and contracts used to operate the premises from cleaning through to the maintenance of the lift and plant room equipment.
• To prepare and implement long-term plans for the facilities, including strategies for the procurement of contracted services.
• To prepare the annual budget for the operation and maintenance of the facilities.
• To ensure best practices are followed for maximising the building sustainability, efficiency and the reduction of the carbon footprint.
• To manage the development of tenders issued to external contractors and to thereafter supervise the successful delivery of the work.
• To respond to incidents (such as failures in the supply of power, water etc) and to coordinate with the Business Continuity Incident Management Lead to maintain essential services and communication.
• To ensure all Society Policies relating to the Health & Safety of the building, and colleagues are maintained, and adequate controls are in place to monitor ongoing safety compliance.
• To ensure an equipment database is kept up to date.
• To support the Society in the arranging of special events - such as onsite member functions.
• To if necessary, carry out minor repairs and fixes within the bounds of the regulations and own skills and qualifications.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Experience, knowledge and a keen interest in sustainable, energy efficient buildings and building systems.
• Promotes the sustainability agenda in the maintenance of the buildings and in the procurement of services and materials.
• A recognised qualification in Health & Safety.
• A proven understanding of building maintenance requirements and the ability to undertake minor repairs.
• Ability to prioritise and manage workloads.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Work effectively as part of a team and has the ability to work productively and efficiently without supervision.

Person specification

The ideal candidate must have experience working within a facilities/ maintenance environment, or similar. We are looking for an organised, flexible and motivated individual, who is a team player with drive to deliver our office reconfiguration and its upkeep, with pride and passion. If this sounds like you, then we look forward to hearing from you.

Deadline: 25 April 2021
Part-time hours: 21 per week
Salary: Up to £15k

Ecology is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably skilled or qualified applicants, regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/beliefs, sexual orientation or age.

This is a superb opportunity to develop a career in HR & Governance, working within a leading ethical financial institution. This is a true generalist role with the opportunity to gain experience across the full colleague life cycle.

Full-time role:  35 hours per week

Ecology Building Society is a successful member-owned financial institution with a clear environmental focus and a mission to promote sustainable development. We are committed to building a greener society through the provision of a range of simple, ethical savings products to support mortgages for properties and projects which respect the environment. With more than 35 years’ experience, around £200m in savings balances and over 11,000 members, we’ve got ambitious plans for our future.

The successful candidate will provide administrative support to the HR & Governance team to ensure that all administrative and transactional activity is completed to the highest standard across the full employee life cycle and in support of corporate governance activities.

Main areas of responsibility

• Managing the administration of recruitment campaigns including the posting of advertisements, candidate management and co-ordination, candidate screening, interview booking, supporting line managers in the interview and assessment process, and updating candidates of the progress/outcome of their application.
• Co-ordinate colleague onboarding activity, including due diligence checks, offer paperwork, induction, and training to welcome new colleagues to the Society.
• Maintain and administer colleague records including new starters, changes, attendance, leavers, correspondence, and updates on the HR information system.
• Ensure HR records are maintained within GDPR guidelines.
• Support the processing of monthly payroll, extracting information and MI as required.
• Administer the Society’s learning and development activities, including co-ordination of the online learning system, ensuring colleagues are allocated learning activity relevant to their role.
• Manage the Society Policy’s Governance Framework, co-ordinating activity to ensure all policies are reviewed, updated, and approved within the framework guidelines.
• Providing administrative and organisational support for the HR Manager & Company Secretary across a variety of tasks.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Previous experience in an HR Administration /Assistant role is essential;
• CIPD HR Qualification of level 3 or above;
• Well-developed organisational and administrative skills, including strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritise and control own workload;
• Excellent communication skills and ability to promote and uphold HR initiatives and values, including discretion and confidentiality;
• The ability to research employment law and policies and apply knowledge on a day-to-day basis;
• Excellent IT skills and business software such as Microsoft Office, and;
• Excellent interpersonal and customer-facing skills.

Working for Ecology

You'll be based in our unique eco-build office in Silsden, West Yorkshire with some requirement to work from home during the pandemic. As well as a great working environment and supportive team you will enjoy:

• A salary of £23,000 per annum;
• 23 days annual leave plus bank holidays;
• Free parking;
• A holiday purchase scheme;
• Annual performance-related bonus scheme, and;
• After 3 months service, you will be entitled to a competitive Society pension contribution and death in service life cover.

Our mission matters

The majority of the UK's 16 million houses waste energy on a massive scale – contributing up to 27% of our carbon footprint. We know that properties can be built, converted, renovated or improved with respect for the environment, and with comfort and affordability in mind. We're here to help people and communities across the UK make it happen. You don't need to take our word for it, we're:

• Proud winners of the Build It Awards 2020 - Best Self Build Lender category;
• Recognised as highly commended in the 'What Mortgage Awards 2020' Best Shared Ownership Mortgage Lender for our support of affordable housing options;
• Winners of the 2019 'Mortgage Finance Gazette awards' Best Self Build Lender recognising excellence in providing mortgages for self and custom build;
• A two-awards winner at the 'ICAEW Finance for the Future Awards' 2019 - winning the Building Sustainable Financial Products award and being recognised for our Climate Leadership;
• An accredited Living Wage employer, and;
• The first building society in the UK to be awarded the Fair Tax Mark in 2016.

If you would like to be part of our team and help make a difference, then please send your CV and supporting covering letter to [email protected]  before the closing date of the 14 February 2021.

Ecology is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably skilled or qualified applicants, regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/beliefs, sexual orientation or age.

This is a superb opportunity to further your career in risk and compliance with a leading ethical financial institution.

Ecology Building Society is a successful member-owned financial institution with a clear environmental focus and a mission to promote sustainable development. Our members save with us in the knowledge that their money is being used to make a positive environmental impact whilst giving them a fair financial return. Our impact isn't about the profit we make - its about the difference we make to the environment and communities across the UK. Since 1981 we've lent to over 3,000 projects, supporting individuals, charities, environmental businesses and community-led housing organisations to realise their sustainable living ambitions.

Main responsibilities

A core member of the Risk & Compliance team, you will be responsible for ensuring the Society complies with current regulation and meets its regulatory obligations (including Prudential Regulation) through sound regulatory judgement, advice, education and oversight. Working within a defined framework, you will identify, remediate and mitigate risks for the Society (including Fraud & Financial Crime, Anti Bribery & Corruption, Conduct, Data Protection, Outsourcing & 3rd Party Risks) ensuring that proactive and proportionate risk-based oversight ensures key risks are known, documented and adequately controlled.

This is a second line role, requiring you to adopt a risk-based and proportionate approach to risk mitigation solutions working closely with the 1st line of defence to ensure operational success upon implementation. You will support quality and timely delivery of Risk & Compliance review activities in response to Regulatory findings, emerging issues and other unplanned for initiatives.

You will be responsible for proactive issue management, status reporting and the production of Risk & Compliance MI Dashboard to inform governance forums.

About you

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Proven experience in a risk and compliance role within financial services (PRA/FCA regulated), generating outputs to Board level;
• Experience of interpreting legislative requirements to inform advice and oversight;
• Experience of adopting a risk-based and proportionate approach to issue resolution;
• Experience of embedding a culture of risk and compliance awareness;
• Operational experience of managing various risk types (including Strategic, Financial, Operational, Ethics and Credit).

Working for Ecology

You'll be based in our unique eco-build office in Silsden, West Yorkshire with some requirement to work from home during the pandemic. As well as a great working environment and supportive team you will enjoy:

• A salary of £37,000 to £40,000 per annum (dependent upon experience);
• 24 days annual leave plus bank holidays;
• Free parking;
• A holiday purchase scheme;
• Annual performance-related bonus scheme;
• After 3 months service, you will be entitled to a competitive Society pension contribution and death in service life cover.

Our mission matters. The majority of the UK's 16 million houses waste energy on a massive scale – contributing up to 27% of our carbon footprint. We know that properties can be built, converted, renovated or improved with respect for the environment, and with comfort and affordability in mind. We're here to help people and communities across the UK make it happen. You don't need to take our word for it, we're:

•  Proud winners of the Build It Awards 2020 - Best Self Build Lender category;
• Recognised as highly commended in the 'What Mortgage Awards 2020' Best Shared Ownership Mortgage Lender for our support of affordable housing options;
• Winners of the 2019 'Mortgage Finance Gazette awards' Best Self Build Lender recognising excellence in providing mortgages for self and custom build;
• A two-awards winner at the 'ICAEW Finance for the Future Awards' 2019 - winning the Building Sustainable Financial Products award and being recognised for our Climate Leadership;
• An accredited Living Wage employer, and;
• The first building society in the UK to be awarded the Fair Tax Mark in 2016.

If you would like to be part of our team and help make a difference, then please send your CV and a covering letter in support of your application to [email protected] before the closing date of the 21st January 2021.

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £37,000.00-£40,000.00 per year

COVID-19 considerations:
As an essential service, our office remains open during the pandemic and we are operating a Covid-secure workplace. Colleagues are working remotely and onsite in Silsden West Yorkshire, where appropriate.

• • Full-time, permanent
  • Work remotely (temporarily due to Covid-19)
  • Competitive salary
  • Three years' experience (preferred)

This is a superb opportunity to further your career in risk and compliance with a leading ethical financial institution.

Ecology Building Society is a successful member-owned building society with a clear environmental focus and a mission to promote sustainable development. We are committed to building a greener society through the provision of a range of simple, ethical savings products to support mortgages for properties and projects which respect the environment.

Role overview

The Risk & Compliance Assurance Senior Manager is the Society’s professional support on all aspects of risk and compliance assurance and oversight ensuring that appropriate frameworks and oversight arrangement are designed, integrated, embedded and operating effectively and efficiently.

Main duties and areas of responsibility

• • • Design and implement effective levels of assurance for the Society to assure compliant and ethical delivery of services to our members through creation of the annual Assurance Plan and monthly Continuous Monitoring Plan.
    • Lead the ongoing maintenance/status reporting of the annual Assurance Plan and monthly Continuous Monitoring Plan.
    • Manage and lead review activities in response to regulatory findings, emerging issues and other unplanned-for initiatives.
    • Ensure the Society complies with current regulation and meets its regulatory obligations (including prudential regulation) through robust assurance testing executed in line with the risk & compliance methodology.
    • Identify, remediate and mitigate risks for the Society (including fraud & financial crime, anti bribery & corruption, conduct, data protection, outsourcing & 3^rd party risks).
    • Co-ordinate with first line of defence (e.g. operations) and 3^rd line of defence (e.g. audit) to provide comprehensive proportionate risk-based assurance coverage.
    • Adopt a risk-based and proportionate approach to risk mitigation solutions working closely with the 1^st line of defence to ensure operational success upon implementation.
    • Proactive tracking and reporting of issues arising from risk & compliance review activities and audit reviews providing validation of issue closure where appropriate.
    • Support ongoing proactive audit liaison as required.
    • Utilise testing outputs and analysis to support and inform management of risk & compliance 3^rd party providers/parameter changes required.
    • Support the development of and drive the continuous enhancement of the risk & compliance methodology.
    • Contribute to a culture of risk and compliance awareness across the Society, developing understanding through ongoing education and upskilling.
    • Contribute to the design, development and implementation of a new suite of Management Information to enable production of meaningful and value-added MI to relevant committees to ensure risk and compliance priorities are known and understood.

Applications should highlight demonstratable experience of the following:-

• • • Drafting and informing annual assurance plans/compliance monitoring plans.
    • Managing and executing end to end assurance reviews.
    • Converting legislative requirements into assurance test scripts.
    • Adopting a risk-based and proportionate approach to findings resolution.
    • Proactive tracking, reporting and validation of issue closure.

• Working for Ecology

  Located in Silsden, West Yorkshire, our offices are an eco-friendly design and build. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer:

  • • • • Company events;
        • Company pension;
        • Cycle-to-work scheme;
        • On-site parking available;
        • Competitive holiday allowance with an annual holiday purchase scheme;
        • Life assurance*;
        • Profit sharing.
          * after 3 months qualifying service

   

• If you would like to join our team and pursue a rewarding career in a company that exists to make a difference, then please apply today, sending your CV and covering letter outlining your suitability for the role and alignment with our mission to [email protected].

  Closing date:  31 October 2020