Head of Sustainability

Company Description:

Our client is a global financial services business. They provide a wide range of services to clients in the energy, commodities and financial markets, through their diversified offering in liquidity, market access and infrastructure services. 

The role sits within the Corporate Affairs department, reporting to the Global Head of Corporate Affairs,  this team protects and promotes the firm's reputation externally and internally by engaging with potential and existing employees, clients, and investors, as well as other stakeholders and the broader community.

Job Description:

The Head of Sustainability will work, collaborate and influence with and across multiple departments.

• Implement and evolve the firm's overall sustainability strategy, framework plan, meeting agreed targets and metrics.
• Ensure that Sustainability and ESG remains aligned with the firm’s overall business goals and targets, and is integrated and embedded throughout the organisation.
• Lead or support on other strategic projects and plans across E, S and G as part of the sustainability plan.
• Sustainability and ESG Committees contributing to strategy and actions where applicable, and leading appropriate workstreams.
• Risk management: Collaborate with internal Risk teams, Financial Crime, Business Change Approval Committee (BCAC) and others to ensure sustainability and ESG is appropriately integrated within all risk measurement and mitigation processes e.g. physical, transition and operational.
• Internal and External Reporting: Support the internal Reporting team, and Head of Reporting.
• Regulatory compliance and horizon scanning: Work with our finance and reporting teams and internal Legal Counsel to ensure the firm is complying with existing ESG regulation.
• Work alongside Head of Reporting, Head of Corporate Affairs and the Sustainability Marketing and Communications Manager on the Sustainability Report.
• Support IR team to ensure that the firm is meeting investor and credit rating agencies expectations and answering ESG reporting requests.
• Manage and develop a sustainability and ESG scorecard with annual targets.
• Support HR where appropriate to continuously develop and progress the ‘People/ Social’ targets, KPIs and commitments e.g. DE&I, social and community impact, volunteering and charity support.
• Engagement and training: ensuring that the Board, Senior Management and all employees are upskilled on ESG topics and practices, appropriate to their role, and encouraged to participate in sustainability initiatives.
• Lead on strategy and plan to ensure the business delivers on its ‘Goal to become a Net Zero Aligned with their regulatory requirements, create, manage and implement the firm's Transition Plan and Pathway to Net Zero 2050.
• Ensure a plan to reduce GHG emissions.
• Supply Chain sustainability: Working with the Head of Supplier Management and their suppliers to measure, influence and improve their environmental and social practices and performance.
• Carbon Offsetting: Work with the business to ensure carbon offsetting is in place.
• Innovation and Sustainable Solutions: Work with the business to identify and implement innovative solutions that drive sustainability in operations.
• Support the business where necessary as they lead on their Environment goal to become a go-to provider of environmental products and find new sustainable solutions for clients.
• Engage and collaborate with industry groups to shape and influence industry standards

Minimum Requirements:

• 10-15 years’ experience working directly in Sustainability and ESG, with the most recent role being of a similar managerial (Head of/ Executive Director) level of Sustainability and ESG.
• Experience working in listed financial services and / or working in a regulated environment and knowledge of the risk and compliance requirements associated with this.
• Strategic collaborator with insight and agility, able to anticipate future challenges, ensuring operational effectiveness.
• Senior managerial capabilities to drive and deliver against the Sustainability and ESG Strategy.
• A collaborative team player, approachable, self-efficient and influences a positive work environment.
• Resilient and adaptable in a challenging, fast-paced and changing work environment.
• Excels at building relationships, networking and influencing others, both internally with colleagues and externally within the industry and sustainability forums and networks.
• Highly organised to prioritise multiple tasks and projects, within demanding timeframes.
• Strong presentation and communications skills (written and spoken), to deliver key messages.
• Comfortable with (positively) challenging the status quo, when required; whilst also being mindful of what is best for the business at it its’ current level of sustainability maturity.
• Must be ethical and adhere to corporate rules, values, and principles.
• Digitally literate and comfortable using online tools.
• Strong execution skills in relation to Sustainability and ESG strategy delivery and outcomes, with proven success across all responsibility areas.