Engagement Lead - Climate Change & Nature

This role will have a thematic focus on public engagement in decision-making on climate change and nature. Involve has a commitment to use our skills, time and experience to address big challenges. Climate change is one of those big challenges and is a policy area where citizen engagement on both principles and practice is vital.  It, and Net Zero in particular, risk becoming a polarised and politicised issue where there is little room for considered, inclusive decision making. We want Involve’s approach to offer a way through difficult issues like low emission zones and other challenges in a way that centres social justice and equity. 

We have a significant track record in public deliberation on climate change. We ran the first Climate Assembly in the UK and have since delivered a number of projects in this area including the People’s Plan for Nature. We have developed a reputation for best practice public dialogue, deliberation and capacity building. We want to grasp the opportunity for deliberative practices to make a real contribution to the change needed to respond to the climate crisis. 

This role will primarily sit within our Innovation and Practice (I&P) function but will work closely with our Capacity Building and Standards (CB&S) and Advocacy and Communications (A&C) functions. 

The I&P function is responsible for the deliberative, dialogic and participatory projects and processes that we run. The CB&S function aims to build capacity both inside and outside of public institutions to embed the processes, skills, structures and cultures needed for effective public participation in decision-making. The A&C function aims to build political and public understanding of and support for making participation and deliberation an everyday, integral part of our democracy. 

The Climate Engagement Lead will play a central role in taking Involve’s work on climate, environment and the just transition forward. It will mean a collaborative approach -  co-creating and coordinating our strategy on public engagement through a cross functional work group. 

The job will also involve leading several of our major climate change and nature projects, including the UKRI Thriving Places project; maintaining and growing our reputation in climate and environment networks; and communicating the contribution we can make and impact that we are having. Importantly, this role will work closely with others also working on these areas of work.