ESG & Climate Risk Expert at Family Bank Ltd

Job Purpose:

The Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and Climate Risk expert will be responsible for developing and overseeing climate risk, environmental, social and corporate governance policies and procedures, as well as overseeing ESG and climate risk implementation program in compliance with the Central Bank Guide on Climate Risk, Sustainable Finance Initiatives by Kenya Bankers Association, Family Bank policies, IFC performance standards and other internationally recognized best practices.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical expertise on key issues related to environmental and social impact assessment and on sustainability risks in the design, preparation, implementation of the Bank’s ESG Policies, CBK Guide on Climate Risk as well as best industry practices and standards such as IFC performance standards
• Contribute to the development and revision of policies, strategies, guidelines, manuals, tools and procedures, in order to provide Bank staff with the ability to quickly assess and recommend measures to address social and environmental matters within the lending and other related processes.
• Develop a program for capacity building on ESG and climate risk for the Board, through e-learning modules, workshops, etc.
• Provide expert leadership for the development and implementation of best practices and innovative approaches related to sustainability and risk management.
• Work with risk department in risk assessment aimed at identifying areas of exposures within the Bank with regards to ESG and Climate Risk as well as develop mitigating factors and ensure that they are implemented.
• Embed ESG standards and climate risk within the Bank’s Strategy and Operations.
• Work with credit and risk department to ensure that environment and social due diligence is conducted within the lending processes.
• In conjunction with risk department, identify all key potential social and environmental impacts and risks of transactions and ensure that their magnitude and significance are well understood by and mitigated within the Bank.
• Ensure that the Bank customers in all segments (retail, SMEs and corporate) understand the applicable ESG policies, guidelines and project-specific requirements, and have the necessary commitment and capacity to manage social and environmental impacts and/or risks adequately and supported by mechanisms that facilitate implementation.
• Collaborating with finance, strategy and risk departments in developing sustainable finance risk tools, development of ESG risk frameworks, sustainability reports and global initiatives on climate risk credit modelling,
• Responsible for embedding ESG and climate risk within the Bank’s lending policies, ESG risk appraisal tools and appropriate monitoring and reporting frameworks.
• Work with Finance and Strategy department and other stakeholders to mobilize technical and financial support to enhance the environmental and social sustainability of operations, adding value to operations, including through external expertise where deemed necessary.
• Regularly report to Senior Management Board and CBK on ESG and Climate Risk related matters.
• Be the key point of reference on Environment, Social, Governance and Sustainability matters in the Bank.
• Work with the Customer experience in responding and managing ESG related complaints.
• Any other official duties that may be allocated from time to time by management.

The Person:

The ideal candidate must possess the following:

Qualifications

• A Degree in Environmental Science, Social Studies, Development Studies or other related field.
• A Master’s Degree in a related field is an added advantage.
• Professional qualification or certification in environment or climate risk related field.
• At least 6 – 8 years of relevant experience in the financial sector in implementation of ESG and climate related policies.
• Experience in lending processes and incorporating ESG and Climate Risk within the lending policies and processes, including with IFC Performance Standards and Universal Standards for Social Performance Management.
• A good understanding of how environmental, social and climate risk related concerns relate to material business risks and opportunities.

Key Competencies and Attributes

Interpersonal:

• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead diverse groups and develop strong networks.
• Flexibility and agility to contribute in a senior capacity to a broad range of banking risk engagements.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task effectively, with a practical solutions-driven approach.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, across senior individuals within the firm and our banking clients.