Research and Development Internship 1: Buildings Energy Efficiency Retrofits
Closing Date: 28/04/2021

R&D Internship Work Package 1: Develop retrofit menus needed to increase the energy efficiency of the building types found in CCB’s portfolio to specific energy performance levels

Cambridge & Counties Bank (CCB) is a UK bank that specialises in providing lending and deposit products for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The Bank lends to experienced commercial and residential property investors as well as to owner occupied businesses to invest in their own commercial premises. CCB recognises it needs to embed climate change risk across all its operations, especially with regard to credit risk management and its Credit Grading Model, which it uses to assess loan applications.

Through a collaboration between Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) and Faculty for Science & Technology (FST), CCB are providing three paid internships (to be run alongside one another) to help them develop their understanding of how climate change could impact the bank’s business. The internships are as follows:

1. Develop retrofit menus needed to increase the energy efficiency of the building types found in CCB’s portfolio to specific energy performance levels.
2. Analysis and forecasting of real estate energy performance regulation pathways to the 2050 net-zero target.
3. Econometric forecasting of general financial variables (interest rates and inflation) as well as construction- and real-estate sector price inflation 10 years into the future and beyond, incorporating demographic and globalisation trends.

This opportunity is for Internship 1.

Application Closing Date: Wednesday 28^th April
Interview Date: w/b Tuesday 4^th May
Job Start Date: Mid-May (TBC)
Job End Date: Friday 27^th August (estimated – potential for work to extend beyond this date)
Working Pattern: 15-20 hours per week on average
Pay Rate: £10 per hour, plus holiday pay.

Key Skills/Knowledge Required

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• An interest in and understanding of energy performance retrofitting technologies and their applicability to a range of building types
• Familiarity with and competence in the calculation of thermal conductivity “R-values” and thermal resistance “U-values” for common building materials. Else passing EPC training (provided) will be a pre-requisite to commencing on the project.
• Familiarity with the use and development of spreadsheet tools.
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent teamworking skills (as the work will be carried out alongside two other complementary internships)
• Accurate and clear written skills when producing reports.
• Strong organisational skills.

Skills Developed

Working in this role will help to develop the following skills and experience:

• Quantification of building energy performance
• The design and costing of energy-efficiency retrofit packages for common building types
• Business development
• Commercial awareness
• Knowledge sharing
• Teamworking
• Multi-tasking
• Planning and organising
• Problem solving
• Research
• Written and verbal communication.

To meet COVID restrictions this is a remote working internship, expected to start mid-May. Research organised around course requirements with a weekly online project contact meeting. Dr. Kim Kaivanto and the company partner will provide ongoing communication and support.

Due to commercial data considerations, applicants must be resident in the UK.

If you are interested in applying, please submit a cover letter (2 pages A4 max) describing why you are interested in this role and the key skillsets you will bring to the role and email to Simon Hallam (s.hallam1@lancaster.ac.uk ) by Wednesday 28^th April.

If you have any questions about the role please contact Dr. Kim Kaivanto of LUMS (k.kaivanto@lancaster.ac.uk) or Andy Tovey, Head of Credit Risk Monitoring & Control at CCB (Andy.Tovey@ccbank.co.uk).