Principal Consultant - Climate Adaptation

Overview:
Role: Principal Consultant - Climate AdaptationLocation: EU (flexible / hybrid) Madrid, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands or possibly other European countries. Salary range: Up to £66,000 plus excellent benefits packageRole ID: 2022-1611 Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable worldRicardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world. Ricardo has considerable and wide-ranging experience of supporting international and bilateral development partners, the European Commission, national, subnational and local governmental bodies, and the private sector in relation to all aspects of climate adaptation planning, policy development, and implementation. This includes consideration of co-benefits and trade-offs between climate adaptation and mitigation, and links between climate adaptation, sustainable development, biodiversity, and disaster risk reduction and management. We are currently looking for a Principal Consultant - Climate Adaptation to join our Climate Action Planning Transparency (CAPT) team. Key responsibilities: As a member of the Climate Action Planning and Transparency (CAPT) team, the primary focus of your role will be to contribute to project delivery, and business development regarding all aspects of climate adaptation planning processes at national and sub-national scales.The role is a senior-level position with responsibility for:Contributing to technical leadership in climate adaptationLeading, managing and contributing to complex proposals and projects where there is a strong focus on the areas outlined below.Working effectively as a team member on a range of projects and proposals and supporting the development of more junior staff.Working with local, regional and national governments in the UK, the EU and around the world, including on projects funded and commissioned by multilateral development banks, bilateral agencies and development partners, projects may include: Identifying and prioritising climate vulnerabilities, risks and adaptation optionsAssessing adaptation-mitigation co-benefitsMainstreaming adaptation into sectoral policies, strategies and fundsDeveloping costed implementation plans for adaptation actions, and associated finance strategiesDeveloping monitoring and evaluation frameworks (including indicators) for adaptation policies, plans, and programmes.Developing adaptation elements related to UK local authorities' declarations of climate emergencies Undertaking impact assessments and evaluations for adaptation policies, strategies and plans. In all aspects of this role, you will work with a highly-experienced, cross-disciplinary team of consultants. You will have the opportunity to make an impact and shape projects, learning from colleagues and contributing your skills and experience. Our CAPT team has recently completed or is currently undertaking projects in many countries across Asia-Pacific, Africa and South America, including with regard to development and implementation of National Adaptation Plans, and adaptation elements of Nationally Determined Contributions and Long-Term Strategies. We have contributed extensively to the development of the EU Adaptation Strategy and are leading UK Government's Climate Services for a Net-Zero Resilient Word. In addition, we are supporting local authorities and regional bodies in the UK to respond to the climate emergency and deliver ‘net zero' ambitions, including from an adaptation perspective. Key competencies and experience: You should have: A higher degree in a relevant field, or equivalent academic experienceExperience of leading bids and projects in excess of £250k plusA minimum of seven years' international adaptation-related experienceExpertise in all aspects of the adaptation planning process at city, sub-national and/or national levelExperience of undertaking climate vulnerability and/or risk assessmentsExperience of working in different cultural environmentsThe capability to facilitate virtual and face-to-face stakeholder consultations, workshops, and capacity-building eventsPrevious experience of operating in a consultancy environmentKnowledge of international climate change policy (e.g., UNFCCC) regarding adaptationStrong literacy in MS Excel, Word and PowerPointFluency in written and spoken English It would be desirable if you have: Experience in drafting concept notes/proposals for climate funding (including GCF) and financeAt least one area of "thematic" expertise, e.g., sustainable development goals; gender; nature-based solutions; climate-smart agriculture; resilient infrastructure; urban planning; disaster risk reduction and management; or the adaptation-mitigation nexusUnderstanding of Spanish or Arabic Skills and behaviours:Proactive, able to work independently and demonstrate initiativeA team player, able to adopt leadership and expert support roles dependent on the needs, as part of a cross-disciplinary teamAptitude for using your technical knowledge creatively to address new challengesAppropriate accuracy and attention to detailExcellent verbal and written communication and presentation skillsExcellent, culturally-sensitive interpersonal skillsStrongly motivated to continue learningOrganisation and time-management skillsFlexibility, resilience, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to live life outside of your comfort zoneWillingness to travel overseas occasionally on short-term (e.g. 1-2 week) assignments up to circa 4-6 times per year Working here Ricardo is an exciting and rewarding place to work and you have the opportunity to make a difference. You will work with teams of talented, dedicated, and supportive individuals. Alongside having a fantastic opportunity to develop your career with us through our broad range of projects, mentoring opportunities and a personalised approach to your learning and development. We are always keen to hear from people who have driven, ambition and a flair for innovative thinking. Wellbeing and work life balance We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that's working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our People are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programmes and policies that support individuals including flexible working, carers policy, mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive Employee Assistance programme. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and ensure a culture of inclusivity, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer. Benefits Our core benefits include 25 days' annual leave, plus 8 flexible bank holidays, a competitive company pension scheme, life assurance and professional subscriptions reimbursement. We also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle. Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please upload your CV and covering letter in English.Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.