Adaptation Advisor – Heat in Scotland

A unique opportunity to provide integrated specialist advice to both the Scottish Prison Service (c60%) and Ministry of Justice (c40%) in relation to overheating, water use, water scarcity and wildfire adaptation and resilience policy, assurance and risk management. As a result of the innovative nature, it is a fixed term role.

Advise internal and external stakeholders ensuring compliance with statutory and policy requirements and strengthening operational resilience to adverse weather. Provide input to the Climate Change leadership and governance structures to ensure delivery against the aims of relevant Strategies, Plans and Initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of an impactful evidence base for a climate change risk assessment related to heat, water scarcity and wildfire hazards. Investigating risks and impact risks and impacts on establishments and services, across a range of current and future scenarios, from national screening through to locally detailed analysis.
• Provide expert input to organisational contingency planning, and exercising, gap analysis and development of any new procedures.
• Provide specialist support and input into the design and construction of new prisons and the refurbishment of existing facilities relating to overheating risk impacts, water use & scarcity, including interventions to reduce overheating.
• Lead thematic partnership working between SPS, MoJ and others in areas of research and development. This may include public, private and 3rd sector partnerships to maximise effective interconnected learning.
• Co-develop Adverse Weather Preparedness Audits in conjunction with Flood & Storm Adaptation Advisor, and Resilience team. Plan & roll out initial programme and ongoing monitoring and capacity building.
• Make significant contribution to statutory annual reporting including internal and external statutory requirements.

Person Specification:

SPS recruitment and selection practice is based on the fundamentals of our Behavioural Competency Framework. This identifies behaviours and standards required both of applicants seeking to join us, and our staff in their respective roles. Assessment of specific behaviours, of which there are twelve, will be determined by the role you are applying for. Whilst it is unlikely you will be assessed on all of them, you will be assessed on these identified as key to role.

Qualifications Requirements:

Educated to degree level in a related field such as geography, public health, sustainability, environmental management or have relevant equivalent professional experience. Essential.

Experience Requirements:

Knowledge Skills Requirements:

Knowledge of Scotland and UK climate change outlook, hazards and impacts, and relevant climate change legislation. Specialist expertise in overheating OR water scarcity OR water and wastewater use reduction preferred. Other climate change specialisms will be considered. Essential.

Extensive experience of long-term climate hazard adaptation planning, linking policy to practice at a specialist level within a public sector or private organisation in a related field e.g., sustainability, environmental management. Essential.