Senior Manager, Carbon Markets (ESG)-Africa at KPMG

Position Summary

• KPMG Africa is looking for a best-in-class candidate to help grow the decarbonization business across our different sectors and service lines in Africa, including but not limited to, carbon finance, carbon markets and carbon project development/verification. The ideal applicant would be able to find client opportunities for KPMG, manage and develop relationships with partners, develop appropriate market strategies and assist in execution. Predominantly a client facing role, a key performance metric is the sales and revenue generated for KPMG- though it does not exclude the need to formalize and structure the operational support required to build this practice internally.
• The role will be located in Nairobi, Kenya and will be on initial two-year contract terms (renewable subject to performance).

Role and Responsibilities

• Acting as KPMG’s focal point on Carbon Markets in Africa
• Participating to KPMG International’s efforts related to Carbon Markets and acting as a relay for Africa in global calls and working groups discussions
• Leading client discussions, proposals and project execution efforts
• Contributing publicly to the visibility and communication of KPMG’s activities and outcomes in the field of Carbon Markets
• Authoring (or contributing to the production of) Carbon Markets related Thought Leaderships and reports
• Leading the identification and qualification process of opportunities related to Carbon Markets in Africa (e.g., VCM projects, Article 6 projects or policy-based opportunities)
• Actively supporting KPMG Africa’s Member Firms, whenever relevant and possible, throughout client engagements related to Carbon Markets (e.g., proposal, client pitch and delivery of the work)
• Actively contributing to the ongoing effort of internal capacity building of KPMG Member Firms’ colleagues in Africa on topics such as climate finance, carbon markets, Article 6 readiness, other types of carbon pricing instruments etc.
• Supporting the development and management of institutional frameworks and databases for carbon market implementation in Africa in-house and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders (e.g., ACMI)
• Working on the analysis and capacity building support required for the successful implementation of Article 6 cooperative approaches in Africa

Attributes and Skills

• Understanding of ESG, especially the decarbonization drivers and carbon finance aspects.
• The ability and experience to generate demand for carbon market consulting services.
• The ability to create new, profitable lead channels while mining existing sales channels for opportunities. 
• Ability to present and communicate clearly with client stakeholders (from senior executives to users).
• Must be able to work autonomously and in a team, while seeking leadership guidance appropriately.
• Ability to plan, coordinate and track multiple business development activities.

Expected Experience:

• Masters of Sciences in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or Environmental Law.
• 10 years of work experience in the field of Climate Finance and Carbon Markets
• Clear understanding of Carbon Pricing Instruments operating, planned, or considered in Africa and interlinkages (present and future) with Carbon Markets.
• Must have Deep knowledge across the VCM landscape.
• Demonstrated experience in the development cycle of carbon projects 
• Knowledge and expertise in Nature-Based Solutions (forest conservation, afforestation, and reforestation activities) would be considered a plus
• Must have familiarity with Partnerships for Carbon Accounting Financial (PCAF), and good understanding of standards in the Carbon Market (such as Verra and Gold standards).
• Data analytics or previous experience with registries would be a plus.
• Candidate ideal location: Nairobi. Although other locations in Africa can also be considered.
• Language requirement: fluent in English (both in speaking and writing).