Director, Climate Finance Partnership (CFP) E&S Officer

About this role

Climate Finance Partnership (CFP) E&S Officer: Job Description

Job Title: Director, CFP E&S Officer

Organization: BlackRock Climate Infrastructure (BCI)

Location: New York or London

Role Description

• Overall responsibility for management of CFP’s Environmental and Social risks and opportunities
• Lead day-to day implementation of CFP’s ESMS, and assist in its review on an annual basis and update as needed
• Provide/facilitate E&S training and E&S support to CFP team and ensure that CFP projects and platforms have received training
• Ensure CFP E&S requirements are implemented for each investee and that records of E&S reviews (i.e. assessment and monitoring) are maintained
• Lead, with support from Investment Team, Technical Team and external advisors and consultants, the organization and completion of due diligence of potential investments, including providing professional judgement on:
• Eligibility of a potential project/platform investment with reference to the fund’s exclusion list
• Assigning risk categorizations and identifying which IFC Performance Standards could be applicable to a potential project/platform investment
• Determining the approach to due diligence based on the risk categorization and applicable IFC Performance Standards
• Ensuring that appropriate diligence reports are completed for all proposed investments
• Liaise with the investee and CFP legal team to define appropriate E&S obligations in investment and operational agreements
• Prepare E&S Review Summaries, with any required E&S Action Plans (ESAPs) for inclusion in the investment memorandum to be submitted for consideration in the investment decision process
• Oversee E&S management, monitoring and reporting across the portfolio, including internal reporting to the fund and external reporting to investors and other stakeholders. This includes:
• Organizing and conducting monitoring of portfolio Projects/platforms E&S performance and implementation of the ESAP, with the support of specialized consultants where necessary
• Collecting E&S related Key Performance Indicators from asset managers and portfolio projects/platforms
• Implementing CFP E&S Standards at investment portfolio level including the implementation of ESAP items
• Preparing the annual E&S report for investors
• Advising on and recommending appropriate remedies to resolve E&S issues in case of non-compliance, and where needed, preparing a corrective action plan with specific follow-up procedures
• Assisting with reviewing and responding to E&S related grievances received by the fund
• Support engagement with CFP investors and ongoing management of investor E&S requirements – in particular the Climate Impact Committees and annual Sustainability report, and periodic Impact analysis.
• Ensure that CFP maintains its SFDR Article 9 status and contribute to annual Periodic Reporting
• Support E&S development across additional BCI funds (including CFP successor funds)

Candidate Must Have The Following Qualifications And Experience

• Advanced university degree (masters or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, preferably environmental engineering, environmental or social studies; development studies / development finance; or a similar area.
• At least ten years’ work experience in a related field (relevant sector, E&S and / or sustainability etc.), preferably within E&S consulting, development finance or private equity / the wider investment industry.
• Experience and demonstrable commitment to our markets.
• Knowledge of relevant sectors and E&S issues.
• Understanding of the challenges associated with implementing E&S improvements in emerging markets.
• Expertise with the application of the IFC Performance Standards. Knowledge of with the World Bank’s EHS Guidelines and / or similar standards.
• Familiarity with SFDR Article 9 and/or EU Taxonomy.
• Experience analyzing the E&S management systems of companies.

Candidate Must Have The Following Personal Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, including report writing (use of PowerPoint and diagrams to present information in a concise format) and oral communication. Additional language skills (Spanish, French) preferred but not required.
• Effective negotiation skills, including the ability to be persuasive as well as to listen and pragmatically identify when compromise is required.
• Highly motivated and results driven.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent logical reasoning and structure in thought and communications.
• Proven ability to mentor and grow the skills of team members.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage and prioritize a busy and diverse workload with a range of deliverables for a variety of stakeholders.
• Enjoy working as part of a team, collaborating and coordinating where appropriate.
• Good judgement and attention to detail.
• Ability to travel, often at short notice.