Climate Action Advisor: North East

About Ashden  

Ashden boosts climate innovation in the UK and the Global South. Our support brings clean energy to villages and refugee camps and fixes up cold and draughty homes. It makes schools more sustainable, helps communities protect and restore the nature around them. Let’s Go Zero is a national campaign uniting teachers, pupils, parents and their schools as they all work together to be zero carbon by 2030. We’re also working with national government to ensure the right support is in place to help all schools reach this goal through seven policy actions.  

The Let’s Go Zero campaign is seeking two Climate Action Advisors based in the North East as part of its new climate action advisors project. This initiative will link thousands of schools across the whole of England with advice and support from a network of 31 local climate experts.     

About the Role 

Do you have a passion for climate action? Are you confident engaging with external stakeholders? We're looking for two advisors to support school leaders, local authorities and others to carry out projects that reduce emissions and inspire students and the wider community. We know schools are eager to take climate action, but often lack the information to do so.  

You will play an important role helping them develop their plans, secure funding, and work in partnership to achieve their goals. You will support future new initiatives announced by our coalition members, the Department for Education, or other organisations working in schools, to ensure a smooth flow of information, enabling schools to transition to zero carbon. 

This is an exciting and varied role, with the potential to support thousands of schools on their journey to zero carbon.  

What you might find yourself doing: 

Climate action advice: 

• Advising school leaders, multi academy trust leaders, local authorities and local networks about climate action in buildings, estates and within school activities. 

• Developing relationships with local authorities, supporting their current initiatives, building on the work already being done to support schools in the area. 

• Attending and speaking in person at local and online events to encourage climate action and promoting sustainability.  

• Visiting some schools in person to provide direct 1:1 guidance to school leaders. 

• Recording all school engagement, advice and action in the Let’s Go Zero tracker and ensuring all team members do the same. 

• Working in partnership with other Climate Action Advisors across England. 

Communications: 

• Communicating complex guidance to a mixed audience – helping school leaders, estates staff, finance teams and teachers to understand their impact and possible action. 

• Working with the communications team to generate insights into Let’s Go Zero’s work, contributing to articles and blogs. 

• Producing case studies of action in schools to be shared with the wider climate action network. 

About You 

  You’ll thrive in this role if you have: 

• Excellent interpersonal skills, a flexible approach and work well in a team. 

• A track-record in either climate change, decarbonisation, sustainability or education (obtained through previous roles, volunteering or other routes). 

• A passion and commitment to climate action.  

• A good understanding of climate action in schools, colleges or nurseries.  

• Excellent communication skills to be able to share guidance with school leaders individually and in groups.  

• Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritise accordingly. 

• A collaborative mindset with ability to work effectively with a range of partners and team members and colleagues to help them improve their skills and knowledge. 

• Good IT skills. 

It is also desirable (but not necessary) for you to have: 

• An understanding of decarbonisation in the education sector, government education and/or net zero policy. 

• Experience providing advice to others and explaining complex options. 

• The drive to be an active and self-led learner who keeps abreast of developments. 

• Flexibility to work outside office hours from time to time, using sustainable transport whenever possible. You will be managing your own diary.  

• Experience of coordinating meetings and events involving multiple people/teams, with an education or environmental element. 

• Experience with MS Office suite systems. 

Some of our benefits:

• Flexible working hours and location 

• Pension – a sum equivalent of 12% of annual salary 

• 22 days annual leave rising by one day every year to 25 

• Office closed between Christmas and New Year  

• Maternity and Paternity leave 

• Volunteering policy 

• Interest free season ticket loan 

• Cycle to work scheme 

• Eye care 

• Annual occupational health check-up 

Application Process 

The Assessment Day will take place on Tuesday 21st May in Manchester. We will reimburse travel expenses and pay a contribution towards your time.   

Please let us know if you have accessibility needs and/or require reasonable adjustments people@sfct.org.uk.  

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks will be carried out for the successful candidate. 

Questions 

• Why is this a contract role? 

The Climate Action Advisors project is part of a wider partnership with Green Future Investments Ltd and Let's Go Zero which runs until March 2026. Although we hope to extend the project beyond the funded period, all new roles related to this project will be on a fixed term contract. 

• Do I need to live in one of the regions specified to apply for this role? 

Yes. The role is remote but you are required to live in one of the regions specified to ensure we have Advisors who can provide advice and support to schools in that area. 

• How much time will I spend visiting schools? 

This will be 20-25% of your time. 

• Can people outside of the UK apply for this role?  

No. We are unable to apply for visas and can only accept applications from candidates who have the right to live and work in the UK.  

• Can I have feedback on my application?  

Due to the volume of application we receive, we can only provide individual feedback to candidates who attend the Assessment Day.