Senior Climate Officer

Job Introduction

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

Thisrole has a starting salary of £45,680 per annum, based on a 36-hour workingweek. This is a 2 year fixed term / secondment opportunity.

We are excited to be seeking a new Senior Climate Officer to join our fantastic team. This role will involve a hybrid and flexible working pattern including being in the office, working from home, and visits to sites across Surrey.

Please note, the contractual location for this role is currently Quadrant Court, however it is our intention to move within the local area to Victoria Gate in Central Woking later this year.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days’ holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years’ service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

As the Senior Climate Officer, you will be working with the Greener Futures Engagement Team, which is responsible for driving community engagement and involvement in Surrey County Council (SCC) objectives, including emissions reductions, biodiversity net gain, behaviour change and more, supporting the expert teams responsible for these various strategies.

Some notable examples of the work we do include running Surrey’s EcoSchools program (for which we have the most Green Flag awards in the UK), supporting Surrey’s Home Energy Advice Team (who have supported over 1800 homes with free energy advice in 18 months), and our Parish Nature & Climate Plans to help drive hyperlocal action.

Your role will be focused on supporting the action happening across Greener Futures key objectives to:

• Make measurable reductions in Surrey’s emissions by educating and empowering communities  
• Explore the creation of collaborative projects and innovative schemes which will reduce emissions and increase pro-environmental behaviour 
• Create cleaner, modern, healthier homes and neighbourhoods

About the Role

If you want to help create cleaner, healthier neighbourhoods and drive collaborative action with Surrey’s communities, then this job might be right for you!

The Greener Futures Engagement Team works across a number of areas to involve communities, businesses, schools and partner organisations across Surrey in action on climate and environment. You’ll be working within this team to help engage a variety of stakeholders in projects and initiatives run by SCC’s Greener Futures and Environment teams, as well as community-led projects across the county.

The role is both public-facing in helping to create and develop projects within the community, as well as involving a significant amount of internal work with a range of employees including councillors, internal comms, and other teams from SCC directorates.

On a day to basis your activities will include:

• Lead on the successful implementation of the Greener Futures Engagement Strategy
• Some line management responsibilities to support a Greener Futures Engagement Officer
• Support fellow team members and make a key contribution to the delivery of their Greener Futures engagement projects
• Liaise with SCC internal comms and manage web presence and social media updates and schedules
• Work with SCC Members in supporting the promotion of a range of community and council projects 

You’ll need good interpersonal skills, and an ability to work with stakeholders from different backgrounds and with a range of personal motivations. Being able to skilfully negotiate a variety of motivations to ensure collaborative and impactful action is vital, and successful candidates will need to demonstrate their ability to co-create successful initiatives within a complex network of partners.

Shortlisting Criteria  

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Experience in design and implementation of engagement and behaviour change strategies
• Management experience
• IT literacy and an ability to adapt quickly to new software and programmes
• Experience in designing and managing digital platforms and / or websites 
• Strong understanding of climate change and the available methods to reduce emissions   
• Excellent writing skills
• A personable, flexible, and engaging way of working

Application Questions

To apply, alongside your CV, you will be asked to answer the following questions:

1. Provide an example of a time you worked with a wide range of stakeholders to deliver a successful outcome.
2. Provide an example of a time you have employed a behaviour change strategy, and detail what the outcomes were.
3. Please include links to any websites, social media or other media channels that you have created and / or managed.
4. What do you personally think is the most useful resource for successful engagement on climate and environment topics?

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact Ben McCallan by email (ben.mccallan@surreycc.gov.uk).

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 5th May 2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where: 

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application 
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form 

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.