Climate Change Adaptation Officer

As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (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 are at the forefront of this work in Somerset and are 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.

Developing and further embedding the ‘Act to Adapt’ process, through our ‘Adapting Somerset’
and ‘Somerset’s Wilder Coast’ projects to support communities and to develop plans to adapt
their local areas to the impacts of climate change.

Responsibility 1: Providing leadership and technical expertise

Being proactive and nurture strong relationships by:

• Providing leadership on SWT Climate Change Nature Adaptation work.
• Working closely with the Local Nature Partnership Coordinator and Advocacy Manager, and
  wider project team from partner organisations, to develop and deliver a programme of online and
  in-person communications, meetings and workshops. This is designed to foster climate change
  adaptation in the county supporting nature’s recovery and community resilience, and therefore
  involves working closely with farmers and landowners, all layers of local council,
  infrastructure experts, academics and the general public, including communities already
  impacted by flooding.
• Providing line management to the Climate Adaptation Assistant.
• Continuing developing the RAD approach for priority habitats, alongside the Landscape
  Recovery team, which will contribute to managing land within internationally important
  wetlands.
• Keeping abreast of national and international climate change developments and relate these
  to Somerset.

Responsibility 2: Engagement with Communities and Creating Robust Partnerships

Lead engagement efforts by:

• Contributing to discussions and workstreams developing climate change adaptation pathways
  at a county level, and in specific local areas relating to flooding, drought and wildfire.
• Developing information for a lay audience regarding the role of nature in reducing the
  impacts of climate change, including: sea-level rise; predicted changes in land use; warming,
  etc. and to help people understand what the future may bring especially in Somerset’s more
  vulnerable nature habitats.
• Supporting people’s wider understanding of the role of nature to mitigate climate change
  through carbon sequestration and storage.
• Continuing the rollout of the Act to Adapt process in local communities, organising events
  and workshops and using the Climate Adaptation Toolkit to explain the process of developing
  community and nature based solutions to the big issues of climate change.

Responsibility 3: Developing sustainable projects and evaluation

Lead and support projects and reporting by:

• Working with the Somerset Local Nature Recovery Strategy team to incorporate climate
  adaptation and vulnerability principles to these priorities.
• Assisting with work to share information and project developments with project partners in
  the UK.
• Developing and implement a communications plan that raises awareness of the project and its
  impact; garners support; and highlights Somerset as a place at the frontline for climate
  change. This will include engagement through social media and the production of awareness
  materials in printed and online formats.
• Managing the budget of the Adapting Somerset project and keep track of time contributions
  to the ELM’s Landscape Recovery and Somerset’s Wilder Coast projects.
• Monitoring and evaluating progress and impact, meeting project milestones and reporting to
  funders.
• Representing SWT externally in meetings, in the media and by giving presentations to
  various audiences.

Closing date: Wednesday 15 May 2024.

Interested?

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the
apply button to be directed to our website. 

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.

No agencies please.