Principal Climate Officer

Permanent, full time with flexible working supported
- Salary range $103, 548 - $115,696 plus super
- Preston Location

**About Darebin City Council**

Located in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Darebin City Council is home to one of the largest, most diverse communities in terms of culture, language, religion, socio-economic background, occupation, and housing needs. The city has one of the largest populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents in metropolitan Melbourne. Our Vision is for a community that works together to advance community life.

Darebin Council is recognised as a climate leader and was the first Council to declare a Climate Emergency in 2016. We have achieved national, state and professional recognition for our work in environmental sustainability and climate action and strive to achieve the best outcomes for our current and future community and environment.

**About the Role**

You will be leading Council’s Climate Emergency agenda, using your knowledge and skills to develop and deliver strategies, high impact projects and to embed climate risk management across all Council operations. You’ll help build and strengthen climate capabilities across the organisation, and will work with stakeholders both internal and external to identify partnership opportunities, build influence and support for innovative projects, and foster collaboration.

**Duties**
- Lead Council’s climate emergency agenda, including developing innovative approaches and responses to climate mitigation, climate adaptation and resilience, and climate risk
- Develop, coordinate delivery and monitor climate policies, strategies, projects and programs and other Council sustainability initiatives to address the Climate Emergency and to achieve sustainable outcomes
- Provide expert climate advice and help build and strengthen climate capabilities across the organisation

**Skills & Experience**
- Experience in developing strategies, policies and programs that address opportunities and risks and achieve organisational priorities.
- Demonstrated results in developing and delivering policy, business cases, programs, projects, and monitoring and evaluating performance.
- Demonstrated knowledge of climate change, with expertise in at least one of climate mitigation, climate risk, zero carbon solutions, energy, and climate adaptation and resilience.
- Well-developed communications skills, including the ability to adapt content to meet the needs of diverse audiences, and to write and speak clearly using plain, accessible language
- Well-developed numerical literacy, with a proven ability to gather and analyse data to identify trends, project future states and inform decision making, and to empower and influence stakeholders.
- Analytical and lateral thinking skills with the ability to take the initiative, drive change and implement solutions.

**Culture**

As a progressive leader in Local Government, Darebin City Council is passionate about social inclusion, sustainability, engagement and service excellence. We are proud of the diversity of our workforce and recognise the strength this provides in meeting the needs of the community we serve. We are committed to upholding a positive and supportive work environment that values the contribution of all employees and treats all employees with dignity and respect.

**Benefits**

We offer a range of benefits to our employees including opportunities for personal and professional development, flexible work practices, Employee Assistance Program, recognition and reward program - Appreciate Great and a variety of generous paid and unpaid leave options.

**How to Apply**

We’re happy to adjust our recruitment process to support your accessibility needs.

Contact Drago Lijovic, Coordinator Climate Emergency and Environment Strategy on 8470 8460 for a confidential discussion.

**Applications close on Saturday 11**th** February at 11.30pm.**

Darebin is committed to providing a safe working environment that embraces and values child safety, and thorough ‘Safety Screening’ processes apply.

To work at Darebin City Council, you will be required to supply proof of work rights, a Victorian Employee Working with Children Check and comply with Child Safety standards. All employees are required to undertake an Australian Criminal History Check and may be required to complete a Functional Health Assessment.

Council requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as outlined in the Staff Covid-19 Vaccination Policy.