Head of Climate Change

**Key information**:
**Salary**:£91,268pa

**Grade**:13

**Contract type**:Permanent, Full Time

**Reference**:HOC/09/25

**Contract details**:Permanent - Full Time

**Interview date**:Week Commencing 3rd November 2025

**Application closing date**:Sun, 12/10/2025 - 23:59

**Head of Climate Change**:
**Good Growth**

Good Growth is responsible for delivering and implementing the Mayor’s environment, transport and economic strategies and for the effective implementation of the London Plan. The Directorate is also responsible for regeneration (where the programme is not housing led), enterprise, growth, capital projects and design work.

**About the team**

The Environment and Energy unit is responsible for the policies and programmes related to the Mayor’s ambitions around the natural environment, climate adaptation and his net zero 2030 target. The 25-strong Climate Change team sits within this unit.

The Climate Change team leads three areas of the Mayor’s work: climate mitigation, adaptation and green finance. Climate mitigation leads on London’s net zero strategy, including our external work with partners like C40 and our internal initiatives such as climate literacy training. Adaptation includes the GLA’s work to lead London’s response to extreme heat and flood risk, as well as delivering the Mayor’s manifesto commitment around clean and healthy waterways. Green finance supports the delivery of the London Climate Finance Facility, including the £500m Green Finance Fund, and the recently announced climate finance taskforce.

**About the role**

This senior role will play a pivotal part in the Mayor’s ambitions towards net zero. The Head of Climate Change leads an expert team of around 25 people working across a range of disciplines. The postholder will need to support the team through periods of uncertainty and change, whilst leading a high-performing and inclusive culture.

The Head of Climate Change will need to demonstrate strong strategic leadership, policy development and programme delivery skills across a range areas. This includes overseeing delivery against the manifesto commitment to clean up London’s waterways, the Mayor’s ambitions to enable the scaling up of green finance for decarbonisation projects in London, and setting the strategy for the path to net zero by 2030.

The postholder will need to develop strong working relationships with the Deputy Mayor and the wider Mayor’s Office, supporting their decision-making and ensuring team resources are focused on priorities. In addition, effective partnership working with government, London Councils, functional bodies across the GLA Group, and a wide range of agencies, utility providers and third sector partners will be key to successful delivery.

The Head of Climate Change is the Programme Director for the Mayoral programme ‘Reducing Non-Residential Emissions’. This involves supporting the SRO to ensure good governance, delivery of key outputs, identification and mitigation of risks, and careful management of budgets to maximise delivery and ensure value for money.

On behalf of the GLA, the Head of Climate Change will play a critical leadership role for London’s climate sector in reducing our city’s carbon emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

**Skills, knowledge and experience**

**Please use your supporting statement to set out how you meet the following five essential criteria in no more than 1500 words. Scores against these five criteria will determine shortlisting for interview.**

1. Experience at a senior level leading a large, diverse, multidisciplinary team or department within a complex organisation. A track record of building a high-performing and inclusive team culture and ability to ensure the team is aligned with organisational priorities.

2. Experience of providing high-quality professional advice to senior staff and politicians, and experience of building trust and confidence with elected members (or equivalent office holders).

4. Ability to work in a structured, outcomes-focused way providing a high standard of programme management to ensure successful delivery of projects to scope, budget and timeframe.

5. Sound understanding and experience of financial management across multi-disciplinary functions, including budget formulation, financial monitoring and demonstrable evidence of corporate management of resources to achieve best value for money.

6. Excellent relationship management and collaboration skills across organisational structures and ability to build effective strategic partnerships with government, industry and other key stakeholders.

At interview the behavioural competencies from the JD may be assessed as well as the essential criteria above.

**Please find the full Job Description here**

**How to apply**
- A personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria outlined above in the advert.

**If you have questions about the r