Climate Adaptation Assistant

Contract type: Fixed term (until the end of March 2027)
Working hours: Part time (18.75 hours a week, 0.5 FTE)
Salary: £27,000 per annum FTE (£13,500 per annum for 18.75 hours a week)
Location: Callow Rock, Shipham Gorge, Cheddar, BS27. Opportunity for hybrid working. Site and office visits as required.

About Us

Somerset Wildlife Trust is a local independent charity, and the only organisation uniquely focused on improving the natural environment of Somerset for the benefit of wildlife and people. We champion Somerset’s stunning, diverse, and important natural environment, making the case for nature to the public and politicians. We protect wildlife and lead the recovery of the environment by example, including on our nature reserves.

About You and the Role

As Climate Adaptation Assistant, you will be helping to deliver SWT’s climate adaptation work across various projects. The overarching aim is to support communities to develop Climate Adaptation Plans, explore governance pathways for community-led adaptation, and create scalable toolkits and guidance materials. 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.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

Working closely with the Climate Adaptation Officer and wider project team from partner organisations, you will support the development and delivery of a programme of online and face to face communications, meetings, and workshops for focal communities. You will also help advance SWT’s knowledge and understanding of climate adaptation approaches and help develop adaptation plans for priority habitats. Additionally, you will support the creation of reports to communicate the achievements of the project to our partners and funders.

Responsibility 1: Programme Delivery and Engagement

Engage and educate communities by:

• Supporting the continuing rollout of the Climate Adaptation Toolkit to explain the process of developing community-based solutions to the big issues of climate change.
• Supporting the organisation and delivery of Act to Adapt process and other events with stakeholders.
• Working with the Climate Change Adaptation Officer and Community Adaptation Officer to create reports for focal communities, summarising ideas and feedback from workshops, and providing suggestions for developing local adaptation plans.
• Assisting SWT at external meetings when giving presentations to various audiences.

Responsibility 2: Clear and consistent communications and project administration

Manage and support by:

• Supporting the development and implementation of a communications plan that raises awareness of the project and its impact, gathers support, and highlights Somerset as a place at the frontline for climate change.
• Developing information for lay audiences regarding climate change, sea-level rise, carbon storage and predicted changes in land use, to help people understand what the future may bring, especially in Somerset’s wetland environments.
• Writing copy for social media posts and newsletters about project activities, to keep audiences abreast of the latest developments.
• Assisting with project administration work to share information and project developments with project partners in the UK and Europe.
• Contributing to the creation of reports on project activities to funders.

Responsibility 3: Knowledge-building and research

Provide concise information, expertise and research by:

• Supporting the development of adaptation plans for priority habitats using the RAD approach, which will contribute to managing internationally important wetlands.
• Keeping abreast of national and international climate change developments and relating these to Somerset.
• Increasing personal and organisational knowledge of adaptation approaches.

Additional benefits of working for the Somerset Wildlife Trust include:

• 7% employer pension contribution
• Life assurance
• An annual professional institution subscription
• Flexible and agile working
• Wellbeing support – EAP, wellbeing champions
• Diversity networks through RSWT/TWT
• Paid volunteer days
• Continuous Professional Development opportunities
• Minimum 33 days of holiday (25 annual leave + bank holidays)

The opportunity to make a real and positive difference to nature, communities and the climate.

Additional information:

This is a 0.5 FTE role (18.75 hours a week) for a fixed term until the end of March 2027.

Closing date: Monday 9 March 2026

Interested?

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

Somerset Wildlife Trust is an equal Opportunities employer. Our people are the most valuable asset we have in achieving our strategic goals. We know that while we have amazing people with an amazing diversity of skills, experiences, and backgrounds we have work to do to make sure we are as inclusive and representative as possible.

No agencies please.