Climate Change Strategic Advisor

Te Whakapakari Tahi I Tō tātau Taiao - Enhancing our environment together.

Our vision is a healthy environment and a resilient and prosperous community.

**About The opportunity | Ko te āheinga**:
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) is at the forefront of addressing climate change challenges within our region. We are committed to leading Hawke’s Bay towards a carbon-neutral future by 2050. Our work involves collaboration with local councils, mana whenua, central government, and various stakeholders across multiple sectors. We are seeking a dynamic and influential Climate Change Strategic Advisor to spearhead our climate response programme and drive the regional climate action plan.

**About you | E pā ana ki a koe**:
As a Climate Change Strategic Advisor, you will play a pivotal role in coordinating HBRC’s climate response programme under the guidance of the regional Climate Action Joint Committee. Your work will directly impact our journey towards achieving carbon neutrality for the region by 2050. This position offers the unique opportunity to work closely with Councillors, the Executive Leadership Team, mana whenua, and decision-makers across a range of sectors, both regionally and nationally.

You will also have:

- Significant work experience (at least 7 years) in climate change mitigation or adaptation, environmental policy, research or delivering sustainability or social impact programs.
- A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in climate change, social science, public policy, or a related field.
- Excellent knowledge of climate change issues (mitigation and adaptation) and sustainable management concepts and practices.
- Sound understanding of climate science, relevant international, central, and local government policy, adaptation-related issues, and adaptive planning techniques.
- Demonstrated ability to engage with business and community leaders and influence change.
- Experience leading programmes and projects, with a proven ability to bring diverse views together for collective action.
- An understanding of reporting frameworks.
- Resilience, adaptability, and flexibility to keep up with the ever-changing nature of HBRC

**What we offer | Nga huanga mōu**

HBRC offers a supportive and collaborative work environment where your contributions will make a significant impact on our region’s future. We provide competitive remuneration, professional development opportunities, and the chance to be part of a dedicated team committed to making a difference.

The salary range for this role is between $114,120 to $126,800 dependant on your level of qualification and experience.

Other benefits of working for our team include:

- Flexible working options to support work/life balance
- 5 weeks annual leave after 3 years
- 4% superannuation after 3 years
- Life insurance and income protection
- Subsidised eye tests and lenses, flu vaccinations, and other well-being initiatives
- Strong commitment to developing and upskilling people within a supportive working environment.

See a full list of our staff benefits here

As an equal opportunity employer, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. We recognise that collaborative and innovative organisations depend on having a workforce made up from a diverse range of perspectives and experiences. We're all about excellence, and we encourage open communication - if you need any specific support, just let us know Our main goal is to empower each person to share their unique talents to contribute to the outcomes for our community. This commitment ensures that our workplace is a dynamic and progressive space where everyone can flourish.

HBRC is responsible for Civil Defence emergencies and as such, all staff may be called upon to support the response.

View the full job description here.

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**About us | E pā ki a mātou**:
At Hawke’s Bay Regional Council our purpose is to work with our community to protect and manage the region’s precious taonga of rivers, lakes, soils, air, coast and biodiversity for health, wellbeing and connectivity. Our organisation is diverse and our work is varied. Our structure comprises of six key business units; Corporate Services, Integrated Catchment Management, Asset Management, Māori Partnerships, Policy & Regulation, and the Executive Advisory Group which also consists of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

**We focus on prioritising**:
Te kounga o te wai, te haumarutanga me te mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi o te whakamarutanga | Water quality, safety and climate-resilient security.

Kia koi, kia toitū hoki te whakamahinga o te whenua | Climate-smart and sustainable land use.

Kia ora, kia āhei, kia mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi hoki te rerenga rauropi | Healthy, functioning and climate-resilient biodiversity.

Kia toitū, kia mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi hoki ngā ratonga me ngā hanganga ā-whare | Sustainable and climate-resilient services and infrastructure.
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