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Senior Policy Officer - Climate Change Adaptation

Reference: MAY20220211
Expiry date: 2022-06-30 22:59:00.000
Location: Flexible in UK
Salary: £33,600.00 - £37,275.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance and Annual Leave
Attachments: CandidateGuidanceNotesNov21.pdf

This is an excellent opportunity to influence important decisions across the UK on both helping nature adapt to climate change and the role nature can play in helping wider society adapt to a warming world.

We are looking for an effective advocate, passionate about securing the policy outcomes that help nature and people adapt to climate change. You will have strong policy development and advocacy skills, knowledge about ecology, climate change and nature conservation as well as strong people skills to drive forward this work internally and externally.

What's the role about?

We need to develop the knowledge, policies and advocacy to help nature adapt to a world that is 20C warmer than pre-industrial levels and along a trajectory of ongoing change. Adaptation presents a very significant challenge to both people and nature and the UK’s Climate Change Committee has underscored that the UK is currently under-prepared for the likely warming. Risks to nature form a significant part of the picture; while nature can also play a significant role in helping humans to adapt.

This role will allow the successful candidate to provide strategic leadership to use the latest evidence to develop new policy and influence relevant government policies, including the UK’s Third National Adaptation Programme, to secure successful outcomes for nature. 

The Senior Policy Officer will work within the Land, Seas and Climate Policy team in the RSPB’s UK Policy and Advocacy Department. Internally, the role will involve working with policy staff across the UK to build and advocate RSPB’s adaptation policy across the devolved, UK and global context, including the UK’s Overseas Territories. As part of this you will help facilitate join up between our science, land management and policy expertise. It will involve building relationships with RSPB operations and reserves staff to ensure that the RSPB’s own ecology and reserves management work is aligned with addressing the opportunities and risks as our climate warms.

Externally, you will build relationships and common approaches to adaptation across both statutory and NGO nature conservation organisations, towards integrating effective adaptation across UK nature conservation delivery. The role will also focus on helping to develop and coordinate advocacy strategies to share the adaptation policy with Government decision makers and ensure their effective implementation.  The post-holder will be responsible for the RSPB's Westminster and Whitehall decision maker facing advocacy, as well as relevant arms-length bodies, whilst working closely with colleagues in other parts of the UK to ensure our priorities are delivered effectively within available capacity, providing information, advice and support where needed.

Key aspects of the role include:

Developing effective policy positions based on sound science and evidence

Developing and delivering influencing strategies that will achieve results

Delivering the right mix of outputs and materials to further the RSPB’s climate change adaptation objectives

Undertaking advocacy and communicating persuasively to decision makers and nature conservation bodies

Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders

Helping to plan and coordinate work across different teams and disciplines to ensure we influence policy decisions in each of the four UK countries.

Working closely with colleagues to develop and deliver communications material that effectively further RSPB ‘s policy advocacy objectives.

Working closely with RSPB ecology and land management staff to develop RSPB’s internal adaptation capacity.


Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

You will:

Be able to demonstrate a good knowledge of climate and nature policy and science in the UK or wider, with relevant academic or professional qualifications

Be able to act independently to generate, lead and coordinate work with others to develop adaptation pathways and policy positions, associated influencing strategies and lead their implementation effectively

Have a proven track record in good project management and have strong time management, prioritisation and organisational skills.

Be able to analyse complex issues in a fast-paced environment.

Have well-developed advocacy and influencing skills and be able to engage with a wide range of individuals and organisations, including at senior levels.

Have a good understanding of the role of public facing communications/campaigns to support policy advocacy.

Have written and verbal communication skills to a very high standard; professional and persuasive.

Be confident and capable of being a public face for RSPB policy and advocacy to the media and social media.

Be a competent user of core MS Office programmes

Further role details 

This is a full-time, permanent role at 37.5 hours per week, however we are open to applications from candidates who would look to conduct this role on a part-time, pro-rata basis. The successful candidate can be based flexibly, however regular travel to London and Bedfordshire will be required, and further afield in the UK on occasion. 

The closing date for applying for this role will be Thursday 30th June. We are looking to conduct interviews for this position on July 8th. For further information please contact cheryl.hunt@rspb.org.uk

As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.