Workstream Lead - Design for Age Friendly Homes

Workstream Lead – Design for Age Friendly Homes (BNIL-003)

Full Time – 35 Hours per week

Blackwood Neighbourhoods for Independent Living

Remote work Available

Substantive place of work: Within region of Head Office (Edinburgh) or a Neighbourhoods region (Tayside, Moray, Glasgow)

Salary £33,541 - £36,260 per annum

We have a new, exciting opportunity for a Workstream Lead -Design for Age Friendly Homes to join our Blackwood Neighbourhoods for Independent Living team. This newly created, key role supports the successful delivery of a new ground-breaking and unique project.

As part of a ground-breaking £12.5 million government funded project, Blackwood is seeking to create neighbourhoods that support people as they age so they can live five more healthy, active years.

Working with partners and co-designing with the local community, these neighbourhoods will combine technology, designing, products and services in a physical and digital environment.

The overall programme will operate across three demonstrator neighbourhoods in Scotland, with industry and academic partners. It addresses five themes:

 Sustaining Physical Activity

 Designing Age-Friendly Homes

 Managing the Common Complaints of Ageing

 Creating Healthy and Active Places

 Supporting Social Connections

The successful applicant will take a leading role in building on the existing Blackwood Design Guide which will create a new design standard for accessible new-build homes maximising independent living in Phase 1 of the project and create a new standard for the adaptations, retrofit, and improvement of existing homes maximising independent living in phase 2.

More specifically this role leads in the co-design (working closely with an expert team along with people in the neighbourhoods) of creating homes that are affordable, accessible, beautiful and connected and place-based healthy ageing solutions including parks, outside gyms, urban health and wellbeing courses and facilities that will help deliver 5 more healthy productive years for the people in the demonstrator neighbourhoods. This role has 2 direct reports, and reports into our Programme Lead. Regular travel between neighbourhoods and occasionally our head office (Edinburgh) will be expected.

Can you bring this to Blackwood…?

o Experience of delivering on a theme within a project at lead level?

o Experience of designing homes and living spaces to meet a range of needs?

o Experience of managing an expert team?

o A passion for person-centred co-design and co-creation?

o Strong collaboration skills?

o An ability to create an inclusive environment that encourages participation and creativity, which is suitable for people of all ages and abilities including people with disabilities and reduced mobility?

o A flexible approach to ever changing needs as the project evolves?

If you are saying yes, then you might be the candidate we are looking for!

Educated to HND level or above, you are a confident, proficient and forward-thinking professional who builds networks, works collaboratively with partners, and embraces change and innovation.

Also, you can demonstrate competency, experience and success in the areas of Programme Design & Development, Programme Delivery and Budget Management required for this role.

Our Employee Benefits package

Our people are our greatest assets and we have been in awe of the fantastic work all our teams have continued to provide to our customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, we provide:

o Fully paid induction and personal development opportunities

o Company sick pay scheme on completion of probationary period

o 34 days’ holiday per annum, pro rata for part-time hours

o Company pension scheme and Death in Service Benefit

o Flexible and family-friendly policy and procedures

o Access to employee wellbeing support networks such as a 24/7 Employee Assistance Program, Mental Health First Aiders, Wellbeing Hub and employee engagement forum

Covid-19 measures

The wellbeing of our teams is paramount to us and we continue to support our teams by following all government guidelines and advice from health and regulatory bodies. We have designed specialised training to ensure our teams feel safe and confident which includes Covid-19 e-Learning module for all employees.

We ask that all applicants read the Job Pack available on the careers page of our website. Blackwood are committed to diversity and inclusion and as an accredited Disability Confident Employer, we will interview all disabled candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the post.

Interviews are likely to take place online due to current social distancing guidelines; arrangements will be confirmed with shortlisted candidates.

Guidance for applicants

In accordance with the new immigration rules, employers must hold a licence of sponsorship to recruit all overseas candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK. It is with regret that this role does not meet the current suitability requirements set by the UKVI to enable sponsorship of migrant workers. Therefore, we cannot progress applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK.

We ask that all applicants read the Job Pack before completing the application form, available on the Careers section of our website. Successful candidates will be required to obtain a Basic Disclosure Certificate.

Blackwood is committed to diversity and inclusion and as an accredited Disability Confident Employer, we will interview all candidates with a disability who meet the minimum requirements for the post.

Closing date for applications is Monday 9th August 2021, 9am.