Analyst - Climate Change Adaptation

Overview

Role: Analyst - Climate Change Adaptation

Location: Spain, Madrid

Salary: 25,000-30,000 Euros

Role ID: 2023-1786

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world

Ricardo 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.

Energy & Environment, one of Ricardo plc’s five operating business units, is a leader in sustainability consultancy, solving complex environmental challenges through industry-leading analysis, advice and data. With more than 40 years of heritage in addressing air quality, environmental and sustainability issues, our customers value us for our deep understanding and breadth of services covering the entire value chain from evidence, policy & strategy to implementation.

We are currently looking for an Analyst Consultant - Climate Adaptation to join our Climate Action Planning Transparency (CAPT) team.

Key Responsibilities

As an Analyst Consultant, you will provide research and analytical support to the CAPT team and our climate adaptation experts. 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, our climate adaptation projects include:

• Identifying and prioritising climate vulnerabilities, risks and adaptation options
• Assessing adaptation-mitigation co-benefits
• Mainstreaming adaptation into sectoral policies, strategies and funds
• Developing costed implementation plans for adaptation actions, and associated finance strategies
• Developing 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.

Specific tasks will be dependent on your level of experience and interests, and will vary, but are likely to include active involvement in: bid and project management; liaising with clients and subcontractors; developing and implementing methodologies; desk-based research and policy analysis; organising and facilitating virtual and face-to-face stakeholder consultations, workshops, and capacity-building events; and development of final project outputs. Given the variety of projects that the team works on, you will be a self-starter, responsible for the quality and delivery of your work, and will work alongside other consultants to incorporate your contribution into wider project outputs.

In all aspects of this role, you will work with a highly-experienced, cross-disciplinary team of consultants. You will have the opportunity to develop your experience and learn from colleagues to grow your skills and expertise rapidly. 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 city action plans, 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. You will contribute to both the delivery of this existing exciting work and the development of future projects.

Key competencies and experience

Essential

• A Bachelors (2.1 or above) and higher degree in a relevant field.
• A keen interest in climate adaptation.
• Awareness of key environmental and climate change issues.
• Experience of, and a high level of skill, in qualitative research.
• Strong literacy in MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Desirable

Experience of working in a consultancy environment or in a customer-facing commercial environment

• Technical knowledge, and experience of contributing to, climate vulnerability and/or risk assessments.
• The capability to contribute to facilitation of virtual and face-to-face workshops and capacity-building events.
• Experience of working in different cultural environments.
• Understanding of a second language.

Skills and Behaviours

• Proactive, able to work independently and demonstrate initiative, as well as operate effectively as part of a team.
• Aptitude for using your technical knowledge creatively to address new challenges.
• Appropriate accuracy and attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Culturally-sensitive interpersonal skills.
• Strongly motivated to continue learning.
• Organisation and time management skills.
• Flexibility, resilience, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to live life outside of your comfort zone.
• Willingness 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.

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. 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.