Senior manager, climate change adaptation

Role overview

The EBRD (the Bank) promotes the transition towards sustainable and equitable market economies in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Southern & Eastern Mediterranean by investing and creating an enabling environment for the private sector. Climate change is a major challenge for the EBRD region, which requires urgent action from governments, businesses and communities alike. The EBRD is committed to supporting practical action to help combat climate change and cope with the impacts of a changing climate, in line with its overarching commitment to supporting environmentally sound and sustainable development.

The Bank's strategy in the sustainable energy sector is to mainstream energy efficiency and climate change-related activities into the Bank's operations through its Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) which is supported by the Energy Efficiency and Climate Change team. Reflecting its focus on climate change, the team is seeking a Senior Manager to develop its climate change adaptation operation. The Senior Manager will be based in London and will be part of a team which comprises professionals with backgrounds in banking, finance, carbon markets, energy policy and engineering. The team's mission is to provide services to clients so that Bank funding is targeted to the fullest extent at rational energy utilisation and climate resilience in industry, infrastructure, buildings and services.

Since 2006, the Sustainable Energy Initiative has put climate change at the forefront of the Bank?s operations through innovative, scaled-up investment in clean energy and energy efficiency. A priority identified in the third phase of Sustainable Energy Initiative(SEI3), launched in May 2012, is to scale up activities in the area of adaptation to climate change, recognising the evolving climate change challenge and the growing need to promote climate resilience. Many parts of the EBRD region are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with potentially serious implications for the sectors and industries in which the Bank invests, and for the economic development of the region. There is an urgent need to mobilise private sector action on adaptation, alongside government efforts.

The Senior Manager will lead the development of EBRD's climate change adaptation agenda and its mainstreaming into banking operations.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

The Senior Manager will be responsible for technical and policy oversight, and overall management, of the SEI3 adaptation workstream, building on the adaptation activities and pilot projects developed during SEI2. Specifically, this will entail:

• Overall management and oversight of the adaptation workstream, including providing policy and technical oversight, and setting the strategic direction in line with the operational priorities of the Bank
• Conducting and reviewing climate change analysis at the country and sector level, including the identification of new business and investment opportunities for climate adaptation. In order to achieve this objective, the role will involve,
• Carrying out adaptation market studies in target countries to identify and develop adaptation-related business opportunities
• Carrying out analysis of specific sectors in order to develop new adaptation-related business opportunities and products, as well as sector-specific tools and packages to support operational teams
• Ensuring that Country Strategies and Sector Strategies are informed by sound analysis of climate change risks and adaptation priorities
• Integration of adaptation measures into the scope of climate-sensitive projects
• Providing technical guidance and support for Banking Sector teams in climate-sensitive sectors
• Screening projects and integrating adaptation measures into project design
• Providing advice to clients on adaptation and climate resilience, both directly and through outsourced technical assistance.
• Leading on policy dialogue on adaptation within the Bank and with the Countries of Operations.
• Leading on the Bank's engagement on adaptation with external partners (e.g. MDBs, bilateral donors, UNFCCC, private sector, etc.)
• Managing the Bank's engagement with international climate finance mechanisms for adaptation (e.g. Climate Investment Funds, Global Environment Facility, Adaptation Fund, Green Climate Fund)
• Leading on external policy and/or methodological issues and initiatives that impact on the Bank's adaptation activities (e.g. norms and standards related to categorizing adaptation efforts, tracking adaptation finance, monitoring and reporting, etc.)

Essential skills, experience and qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in the field of environmental management, climate change, international development or other relevant field from a leading university in the country of education
• Minimum ten years of relevant experience from within an IFI, consultancy, government or regulatory institution or leading organisation in the field of climate change impacts and adaptation, environmental management, international development and/or finance
• Excellent experience of IFI policy issues and investments operations, ideally from a climate change and/or environmental sustainability perspective
• Familiarity with best practice and emerging issues in the field of climate change adaptation, especially with regard to IFIs, donors and the private sector experience
• Experience of IFI/UNFCCC processes and activities in the field of climate change adaptation
• Demonstrated track record of managing complex programmes and issues and providing leadership and innovation
• Demonstrated track record of delivering on schedule - either at project or programme level
• Demonstrated ability on handling client relationships and working with diverse stakeholders, including governments, MDBs, civil society organizations and private sector
• Working knowledge and understanding of knowledge management systems, policies, procedures and practices within the broader group of Multilateral Development Banks
• Good understanding of multilateral/European climate finance policies and climate finance mechanisms
• Computer literacy
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

Competencies and personal attributes

• Passionate about sustainable energy and the climate change agenda with a clear willingness/ability to pursue operations that can be implemented to mitigate and adapt to climate change effects.
• Integrity and team working - ability to operate consistently within business guidelines and ethics and work sensitively in multicultural environments, building effective working relations with clients and colleagues to deliver the objectives of the team and the wider Bank.
• Planning & organising - self-motivated, ability to work to and meet tight deadlines and to plan and organise work unsupervised in a logical and efficient manner.
• Communication skills - ability to communicate appropriate, concise and accurate information in verbal and written formats, appropriate to the audience at the time and confidence in handling senior stakeholders.
• Analysis and problem solving - the ability to tackle issues and problems in a logical and practical manner.
• Influence, persuasion and negotiation - the ability to convince others to own point of view. Negotiates jointly acceptable solutions via compromise, creates win/win situations
• Demonstrated ability to strike the balance between complex policy objectives and practical, implementable and operable approaches for doing business.
• Ability to build support for innovative approaches and activities
• Good commercial judgment and awareness
• Flexible in working hours and willingness to travel to and work in EBRD countries of operation.

This job description is not limited to the responsibilities listed and the incumbent may be requested to perform other relevant duties as required by business needs.