About the job

Job summary

This position is based in London

Job description

Organisation Details  

The Climate Change Committee is the independent expert statutory adviser to Parliament and the UK Government on climate change policy. It was created as a key part of the long-term legal framework set out in the Climate Change Act (2008). The Act sets a long-term target for 2050 (Net Zero, a 100% reduction in net emissions from 1990) and requires that carbon budgets (five-year caps on emissions) are set on a path towards the long-term target. The Act also requires that the UK assesses and responds to the risks that it faces as the climate changes. 

The CCC has established itself as a high-profile, high-impact expert body in the analysis of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Its reports can be accessed from the CCC’s website: www.theccc.org.uk

The CCC is comprised of two Boards (‘the Committee’ and ‘the Adaptation Committee’) and an analytical secretariat. The Committees have a distinguished membership of leading experts from the fields of climate change, science, engineering and economics: www.theccc.org.uk/about-the-ccc/the-committee. The Committees are supported by a Secretariat of around 40 economists, operational researchers, scientists and other analysts. 

The CCC was the first body of its kind in the world and brings together different strands of expertise from its members, from government, the research community and business. It draws on existing information and undertakes its own analysis to provide expert advice to Ministers and to Parliament. It is required to give advice to Ministers on climate change matters covered by the Climate Change Act and on an ad-hoc basis as and when requested.

Job description  

The post holder will primarily be the health adaptation lead in the secretariat (with built environment as a secondary responsibility). This will include producing analysis and policy recommendations related to the impacts that a warmer climate in the UK will have on human health and the adaptation options that can be used to limit these impacts. This post offers an opportunity to experience working in an independent advisory non-departmental public body, develop a profile as a leading national expert on climate change, health and the built environment, and hone skills related to research and analysis, data visualisation, and written and verbal communication.

Over the period of this post a particular focus is expected to be on leading analysis for health and the Built Environment inputs into the fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA4) and the Committee’s next Progress Report to Parliament - due to be published in 2025. Specific tasks associated with this post are likely to vary depending on the Adaptation Committee’s work programme priorities but will likely include:    

• Leading on CCRA4 coordination for the health workstream, with input into the built environment workstream as required. This will include:
  • Overseeing external research projects to strengthen the Committee’s knowledge base and advice to Government.
  • Conducting bespoke in-house analysis to build a more quantitative evidence base regarding the deployment of adaptation options that could help reduce heat risks.
  • Inputting analysis into the Committee’s separate CCRA4 advice reports.
  • Liaising with the CCRA4 consortium and chapter lead authors.
  • Providing sector expertise to wider CCRA4 inputs as required. 
• Leading on the CCC’s adaptation health and building themes for the next UK Progress Report to be published in 2025. This will include:
  • Finalising the analysis for the report, including updating indicators, assessing indicator gaps and priorities, drafting recommendations.
  • Writing draft and final chapters.
  • Engaging with relevant policy leads and stakeholders from across Government, including from DLUHC, BEIS, UKHSA and NHS to develop, test and communicate the Adaptation Committee’s findings and recommendations.
  • Working with the Committee on key messages and recommendations.
  • Ensuring that key priorities and recommendations are communicated to policy leads and stakeholders.
• Presenting (often on highly analytical topics) to a wide variety of internal and external audiences regarding the Committee’s advice. Regular internal presentations of working analysis to the Adaptation Committee for challenge and scrutiny by the expert committee members will also be required.

• Drafting relevant chapters of other Adaptation Committee reports or other dedicated outputs for publication.

We are looking for candidates with very strong technical, analytical and writing skills (for example those working in scientific, economic or operational research disciplines) backed by an ability to engage a range of stakeholders and communicate results in an insightful, compelling way. Expertise and previous knowledge and experience of working in health, the built environment and/or climate change policy is highly desirable. The post requires a self-motivated, enthusiastic person with excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.

For the initial application and sift, assessment will be carried out against the following: CV and suitability statement. If we receive a very large number of applications, applications will be sifted against the lead criterion (Climate Policy Analysis Experience).

The CCC office is based in Canary Wharf, London, with staff expected to attend the office for 40% of their contracted hours. The pay band for this role is £56,935 - £63,345 and the expectation is that the successful candidate will join on the minimum of the CCC G7 pay band. 

We support a wide variety of working patterns such as compressed hours, hybrid working, part time hours, job sharing and flexi time. National pay bands may be used where staff apply to work from home for more than 60% of their working hours and live outside London. Regular attendance at our London office, for example for meetings and training, will still be required. The national pay band for this grade is £52,620 - £59,492. 

The Climate Change Committee are committed to creating a workplace culture where all staff feel valued, supported and can develop their potential. We work hard to ensure all staff can flourish and succeed, working with and respecting people’s different backgrounds and personal circumstances.  We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. For more information on our EDI commitments, please read our strategy here https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/

The CCC cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. The CCC does not hold a Visa sponsorship licence.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,935, Climate Change Committee contributes £15,884 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.Please refer to Job Description

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.