Climate Adaptation Assistant

Climate Adaptation Assistant

Salary: £23,000 – £25,000

Contract type: Fixed Term until the end of March 2024, possible extension

Working hours: Full time

Location: Callow Rock, Shipham Gorge, Cheddar, with opportunities for hybrid
working

As Climate Adaptation Assistant, you will be helping to deliver SWT’s climate adaptation work
across various projects. The over-arching aim of this work is to develop climate change
adaptation pathways at a county level, and in specific local areas relating to flooding,
drought and wildfire. This is designed to foster climate change resilience and adaptation in
the county, and therefore involves working with a variety of stakeholders, including SWT
colleagues, partner organisations, farmers and landowners, experts and academics, local
councils and community groups. Additionally, you will have opportunities to undertake training
for personal and professional development.

As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) sixth assessment report laid out in
March 2023, we are now on the brink of irrevocable damage from climate change; this is our
‘final warning’ and the time is now for action to address this crisis.

The report highlighted that restoring nature was one of the key actions needed to address this
issue. Somerset Wildlife Trust (SWT) are at the forefront of this work in Somerset, and fully
committed to this path through our Wilder Somerset 2030 Strategy and to delivering a vision
whereby we reverse biodiversity loss and tackle the climate crisis.

Come and join the team to make a real difference.

Climate Change Assistant

The Climate Change Adaptation Assistant’s role is to support the delivery and embedding of
SWT’s climate adaptation work in Somerset, building on the Co-Adapt Adapting the Levels
project. This work helps to protect our fabulous wildlife and landscapes as well as local
communities, using nature-based and natural process solutions to manage water, heat and
wildfire that will help map a positive future for Somerset in the era of Climate Change.

Key outputs for the project will be:

• Co-creating Climate Adaptation Plans with communities across Somerset including the coast
• Inputting a climate focus and RAD (Resist, Accept, Direct) approach with project focus
  areas (such as the Adapting the Levels Landscape Recovery project in the Brue Valley)
• Climate adaptation support for Agriculture on the Somerset Levels and Moors – supporting
  the Moor Association project.
• The management of priority habitats, identifying triggers for ecological transformation and
  mapping options

Community engagement and consensus-based solutions approaches are major elements of the role.
The role will also include a large degree of partnership working and liaison with technical
experts in the Climate Change Adaptation Pathways and RAD approaches.

Closing date: Monday 1 July 2024

Interested? 

If you would like to find out more about this position and to apply, please click the
‘Find out more & apply’ button. You will be directed to the Somerset Wildlife Trust website where you can download the job description and application form.

Somerset Wildlife Trust has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan and is committed to
continuing to improve the equality, diversity and inclusion of every aspect of our work; we
know we need to engage with everyone to live our values and achieve our goals. We welcome
applications from everyone and are happy to discuss any accommodations or arrangements that
would make the recruitment process better for you, and the working environment should you be
employed.

Please let us know if you require the documents in a different format, or any other adjustments
to assist you in the recruitment process.

No agencies please.