Job Summary
- The Director Environmental & Social Risk Management (“ESRM”) role is to manage environmental and social risk by advising on transactions, client management and specific E&S issues to ensure alignment with the Bank’s referenced environmental and social standards and in line with Bank’s risk appetite. Further to these core functions, ESRM also, to supports the development of Sustainable Finance by acting as an E&S technical specialist and providing advice and subject matter expertise as required.
- ESRM team members are expected to have broad technical knowledge on position statement sectors as well as a practical working knowledge of key international Environmental, Social and Human Rights standards. The job requires the ability to apply key position statement criteria to clients and transactions in order to ensure environmental and social (“E&S”) risks and impacts are managed responsibly and in accordance with best practice approaches.
- ESRM sits within our Sustainable Finance team which serves as a centre of excellence on a broad set of ESG topics, providing thought leadership, strategic advice, and transaction support for SCB’s clients. Sustainable Finance sits within CCIB Client Coverage and works with product and coverage teams to identify and deliver on ESG-related advisory and product opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
The Director ESRM will be responsible for the following:
- Leading on E&S matters for referred transactions and clients to ensure financial services (including advisory services) are carried out in compliance with the Bank’s referenced environmental and social standards (including the Equator Principles). This will require but is not limited to:
- undertaking environmental and social due diligence
- defining the Bank’s requirements to clients, sponsors, external counsel and supporting business teams
- negotiating on E&S matters including loan documentation and action plans
- Driving the development, promotion and implementation of the Group’s sectoral Position Statements
- Actively liaising with front-line teams across the Group but specifically Client Coverage, Sustainable Finance, DCM, Corporate Finance and Trade Finance to manage existing and emerging E&S risks
- Liaising with second line colleagues in Reputational and Sustainability Risk and Climate Risk
- Using their depth of expertise in several sectors and geographies to drive the E&S client strategy for the Group
- Consider reputational risk assessments on transactions and clients and liaise with Reputational and Sustainability Risk to agree classification and appropriate risk acceptance
Strategy
- Promoting ESRM activities and the Bank’s Position Statements internally and externally through a variety of means including panel discussions, blogs, articles etc. Liaise with business teams across the Bank but especially in Sustainable Finance, Client Coverage, DCM, Corporate Finance, Trade Finance and Risk
Business
- This role with work directly with deal teams responsible for clients, transaction, products and services, including many at senior level. It includes:
- Leading environmental and social due diligence on transactions, which includes liaising with multiple parties on a transaction, including the client team, external legal counsel, other banking partners and export credit agencies, environmental and social consultants and the client’s environmental advisors
- Defining the Bank’s requirements to clients and borrowers and supporting business teams achieve outcomes in line with the Bank’s risk appetite for environmental and social risk.
- Maintaining up to date subject matter expertise in environmental, social and human rights topics in a range of sectors and geographies and act as a trusted advisor to the business teams and clients.
- Supporting the ongoing development, promotion and implementation of our Position Statements and related underlying environmental and social policies, standards, guidelines and practices.
Skills and Experience
Processes
- Work within the existing ESRM Process Universe and associated Policies and Standards; Work closely with the ESRM Hub team; Support the design, implementation and education of staff on policies and procedures in collaboration with Risk, Legal and relevant business teams; Represent ESRM on Committees and Forums as required.
People & Talent
- Coach and support junior ESRM team members, Training and Capacity Building as required
Risk Management
- Liaising with colleagues in Reputational and Sustainability Risk and climate risk. Consider reputational risk assessments on transactions and clients and liaise with Reputational and Sustainability Risk to agree classification and appropriate risk acceptance
Governance
Work within the ESRM governance frameworks. Understand, identify and utilise alternative data in the risk assessment process to provide a holistic view of the Bank’s and clients’ risk profiles. Use available dashboards and interactive reporting tools to monitor E&S risk management. Familiarise with key E&S data providers and risk management tools/software used within the E&S risk assessment
Regulatory & Business Conduct
• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct.
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.
Key stakeholders
- Key stakeholders include: Bank staff responsible for clients, transaction, products and services, including many at senior level; External parties, including Government Ministries, clients, staff of other banks and NGOs; Environmental and social consultants; Client Coverage, Reputational and Sustainability Risk, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability staff colleagues
Our Ideal Candidate
- Academic degree in Science, Management, Sustainability, Engineering that is specific to environmental and/or social risk, or specific to Industries (including Metals & Mining, Chemicals, Manufacturing, Agribusiness) or a similar technical/management study;
- 8+ years of relevant working experience in the area of environmental and/or social risk, or Industry (as discussed above).
- Knowledge of Position Statement Industry sector E&S issues
- Knowledge of Environmental, Social and Human rights best practice standards and guidelines, in particular the IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, the Equator Principles risk management framework for assessing and managing E&S risk in project development and the World Bank EHS Guidelines.
- E&S due diligence, impact assessment and risk management experience
- Project management skills
- Stakeholder management and client engagement experience
- Risk assessment and management skills and experience.
- E&S Audit experience.
‘Other’ skills would include:
- Ability to operate in a fast-moving business environment
- Deep knowledge of environmental and social themes, issues and topics
- Knowledge of general global sustainability themes in a business context
- Knowledge of banking, trade finance, transaction management, bank approval processes and credit risk
Role Specific Technical Competencies
- ESG / Climate Risk
- Stakeholder Management
- Banking / Financial Services
- Environmental and Social Risk
- Strategy
- Reporting / Corporate Planning
About Standard Chartered
We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us.
Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.
Together we:
- Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
- Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
- Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term
What we offer
In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.
- Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
- Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
- Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
- Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
- A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
- Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.
Recruitment Assessments
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