Senior Adaptation Advisor

Selwyn District Council; Rolleston; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life insurance

Flexible working

Great work-life balance

Job summary

Selwyn District Council is seeking a lead for its climate response and adaptation work within the Strategic Policy and Insights team in Rolleston. The role drives the development of district-wide adaptation planning and aligns with the Long-Term Plan and asset management.

You'll translate climate science and hazard modelling into actionable advice for elected members and the public, building partnerships with mana whenua.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in climate change adaptation and natural hazards.
• Understanding of climate science and risk in government policy.
• Experience in adaptive planning and trade-off assessment.
• Ability to communicate technical material to leaders and public.
• Experience building stakeholder relationships and facilitating engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead Council's climate response and adaptation work programme.
• Maintain district-wide climate risk assessments across assets, services and communities.
• Lead community adaptation planning using adaptive pathways planning.
• Provide evidence-based advice on adaptation options, costs and timing.
• Build relationships with mana whenua to inform adaptation decisions.
• Facilitate workshops and public meetings with affected communities.
• Commission and manage external technical work, and represent Council in forums.

Skills

Climate change adaptation

Natural hazards

Public policy

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

• Lead Council's climate response and adaptation work programme from the ground up.
• Complex, high-stakes work with communities across a fast-growing district.
• Competitive salary + life insurance + flexible working

About The Role

Selwyn is building its climate response and adaptation approach, and this role leads that work. You'll sit within the Strategic Policy and Insights team and work closely with colleagues across strategic planning and design, environment, asset management, emergency management, and water engineering.

The work spans climate risk and hazard assessment, adaptation planning with the communities most exposed to those hazards, and the policy and strategy settings that sit behind both. You'll apply adaptive pathways planning and nationally accepted good practice, and help Council work through the options, trade-offs and timing involved.

You'll translate climate science, hazard modelling and economic analysis into advice that elected members, leadership and the public can act on, and make sure adaptation is built into the Long-Term Plan, Infrastructure Strategy, District Plan and asset management plans.

This is a permanent, full-time role of 40 hours a week.

Key areas of focus include:

• Leading Council's climate response and adaptation work programme and keeping it aligned to strategic priorities.
• Completing and maintaining district-wide climate risk assessments covering Council assets, services and communities.
• Leading community adaptation planning for at-risk locations, using adaptive pathways planning and nationally accepted good practice.
• Providing expert, evidence-based advice to governance and leadership on adaptation options, costs, trade-offs and timing.
• Building enduring relationships with mana whenua so their values and mātauranga Māori inform adaptation decisions.
• Facilitating workshops and public meetings with communities affected by climate hazards.
• Commissioning and managing external technical work, and representing Council in regional and national adaptation forums.

About You

You'll be an adaptation, hazards or policy specialist who is comfortable with technical complexity and just as comfortable explaining it in a community hall. This is an emergent field, so you'll enjoy shaping an approach rather than following a settled one.

You'll bring:

• Strong experience in climate change adaptation, natural hazards, resource management or public policy, with a track record of delivering complex work.
• Sound understanding of climate science and climate risk, and of the central and local government policy settings that shape adaptation.
• Working knowledge of adaptive planning techniques, including adaptive pathways planning and trade-off assessment.
• The ability to communicate technical material clearly to leaders, elected members and the public.
• Experience building stakeholder relationships and facilitating engagement on contested or sensitive issues.
• Confidence working autonomously, exercising sound judgement and managing competing priorities.
• Curiosity and a willingness to keep developing your expertise, research and influence.

Experience in local or central government would be advantageous, as would project management experience, knowledge of te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori, and confidence working with spatial and hazard data.

What we can offer:

• Great work-life balance with flexibility
• Career coaching and development
• Life insurance
• Wellbeing and volunteer leave
• Three additional paid leave days each year
• Two weeks paid Partners Leave
• Sick leave from day one
• Continued KiwiSaver contributions during savings suspension
• Discounts with local and national businesses

About us:

Selwyn is New Zealand's fastest growing district. We have a fantastic quality of life, great communities, and a thriving economy. Our Council works actively with residents to provide the services and facilities that help our communities to thrive and grow. Our head office is based in Rolleston (only 25km from Christchurch), which offers an enviable family lifestyle, outstanding local facilities and an easy drive to the ski fields, rivers and hills that make up Canterbury's stunning landscape.

• Be a good human
• Be brave - Think differently
• Better together - Make it happen for Selwyn.

We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we are committed to working with our Treaty partner to deliver on our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.