Climate Action Officer

General information

Staff are contracted to work 37.5 hours. However, Live Here Live Here operates a 4-day working week of 30 hours with staff benefitting from a paid “non-working day”. On occasion you may be required to work on your non-working day. For further information please email jobs@liveherelovehere.org

Purpose of role

Live Here Love Here (LHLH) has been funded by DAERA through the Carrier Bag Levy, to deliver a Climate Ready project. The focus of this is to provide training and support programmes across education, community and youth sectors that build knowledge and awareness about climate change and ways to live sustainably. In addition, the intention is to develop a sense of readiness for individuals and organisations to take action, adjust behaviour and contribute to mitigation and adaption initiatives in response to the climate crisis. The Climate Ready project offers both awareness raising programmes and signposting to key climate action opportunities through the myEARTH website.
 
This role has a particular focus on the recently developed and established, Climate Ready Classroom Award – a suite of training and learning opportunities for both teachers and pupils, fully integrated with the Eco Schools Green Flag programme. Working within the LHLH Education department you will extend the network of links, partnerships and contacts across primary, post primary schools and colleges to expand the delivery of these programmes and achievement of the Climate Ready Classroom Award. This will include direct training to both teachers and pupils, supporting them through meeting the Award criteria, managing certification and building ways to celebrate and publicise this achievement.
 
In addition, you will be required to deliver training to other sectors such as youth and community groups, depending on operational needs of the Climate Ready project.

Duties and expected outcomes

The successful candidate will:

• Work closely with the line manager in overseeing programme delivery across the education sector in NI.
• Build and maintain a network of education contacts that facilitate meeting funded project targets.
• Develop liaison and delivery time spent in schools across NI.
• Drive growth in awareness and uptake of the Climate Ready Classroom (CRC) Award across NI.
• Build high-quality partnerships within sector organisations and broaden the CRC range of resources available to schools and colleges.
• Deliver training programmes to both adults and young people within the education sector including primary/post-primary schools, regional colleges, and universities.
• Maintain an effective, high-quality CRC Award presence on myEARTH that promotes easy access and uptake of programmes.
• Embed the CRC programmes within the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award.
• Work with the Communications Team to develop and oversee a publicity strategy that supports project aims.
• Align training and resources to the NI curriculum.
• Develop and deliver events linked to the CRC Award and wider education initiatives as required.
• Additional duties:
• Deliver a range of climate change and sustainability focussed training to a variety of community and youth audiences.
• Contribute to new resources and frameworks for learning.
• Work with and engage audiences and customers in a way that maintains relations and build reputation.
• Consult effectively with wider team members across departments to improve both efficiency of working and quality of deliverables.
• Provide professional, well-informed, and balanced climate action advice in line with departmental expectation.
• Report as required both internally and to funders.
• Engage in your own research and reading, keeping abreast of local, national, and international climate change/sustainability policy and response.
• Put in place and maintain high-quality admin systems to support project deliverables
• Familiarise, develop, and adhere to all internal policies and procedures.
• Undertake such work as may be determined from time to time up to or on a level commensurate with the main responsibilities of the post.

Person Specification

Qualifications, skills & experience
 Essential

• A teaching qualification with at least two years, school-based, teaching experience.
• A relevant, degree level qualification or at least two years’ demonstrable equivalent experience.
• At least two years’ experience of communicating complex information in various formats within the education sector. Direct experience of developing and delivering training programmes in different forms for different audiences will be an advantage.
• Two years’ experience of establishing and maintaining strong and lasting partnerships and effective working relationships with a range of partners, stakeholders and external organisations.
• Two years’ experience of project and/or programme development and delivery.
• Full current driving licence and access to a suitable means of transport to enable you to perform the duties and responsibilities fully across NI.
• An ability and drive to work creatively and proactively.

Desirable

• Considerable experience of collaborating with the community sector.
• Experience of delivering training or projects focussed on climate change or sustainability.
• Experience of working with environment linked, community initiatives.

Knowledge & Understanding
Essential

• An experience-based knowledge of school learning systems and the NI curriculum.
• Knowledge and understand of teaching processes and programme design/delivery.
• An ability to adjust training content to your group as required.
• An ability to self-review and evolve practice.
• A reasonable knowledge of climate change issues within the Northern Ireland context and at a global level.
• A genuine commitment to the value of individuals and communities in responding to the climate and nature challenge.

Desirable

• A network of school connections and contacts.
• Significant knowledge of current climate change issues within NI.

Personal Qualities
Essential

• An ability to work as part of a team as well as drive forward initiatives independently.
• Excellent people skills with the ability to communicate, clearly and effectively, orally and in writing.
• An ability to show leadership in managing discussion/debates in a professional/confident manner.
• An ability to solve problems, make decisions and meet project deadlines.

General

The nature of this role will be hybrid; from home and our Belfast office, with a requirement to travel NI-wide to deliver training and attend meetings. Mileage will be paid in line with our mileage policy.
IT support and hardware is provided for all staff to enable them to be efficient and effective in their work.
Live Here Love Here operates flexible office hours between 8am and 6pm, with core hours between 10am and 4pm. Your normal days of work will be Monday to Friday, with the odd occasion of an evening or weekend.
 
This position is funded through the DAERA Carrier Bag Levy.
 
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP  
 Live Here Love Here is a community focussed organisation with a commitment to reducing its impact on the planet. A key approach in achieving this is through Carbon Literacy training for all employees.  This programme, delivered in partnership with the Carbon Literacy Project, raises awareness about the climate change challenge that we all face as well as the commitments we can make to behaviour change that will help reduce emissions. 
 New employees will be expected to attend Carbon Literacy training as part of their induction process and contribute to an ongoing dialogue within the organisation about how we can reduce our carbon impact and improve levels of sustainability. 

AUTHORITY 
All staff are expected to:

• Commission work only in line with company procedures and always obtain best value. 
• Refer any media interest or potential news stories to their line manager.
• Operate within the organisation’s policies and procedures at all times.
• Only commission marketing channels (especially print) in line with those agreed by the Chief Executive.

About us

Live Here Love Here is an independent charity established in 2000. Through education, engagement and empowerment, we seek to inspire change by connecting people to nature. Activities include:

Community Engagement is a positive, people-powered campaign that encourages volunteers to appreciate and care for their local areas through regular clean-ups, biodiversity and community gardening projects. Some of the key Community Engagement programmes are Adopt A Spot, The BIG Spring Clean and Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds.

Environmental Education that focuses on educating children, young people, communities and businesses on environmental issues and inspiring climate action. This includes Eco-Schools and the 30 Under 30 Northern Ireland Climate Change Makers programmes.

Local Environmental Quality work that recognises and rewards well managed green and blue spaces across Northern Ireland, particularly through the Green Flag for Parks and Outdoor Spaces, Blue Flag for Beaches and Marinas, and Seaside Awards.