Environmental and Social Credit Risk Manager - Sandton at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Business Results (80%)

• Ensure implementation of Equator Principles requirements, to meet Equator Principles Association (EPA) Membership commitments and reporting requirements within Absa, providing guidance to deal teams across the Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB) and Commercial Property Finance (CPF) operations and product areas.
• Provide guidance to Environmental and Social Risk Officers in Absa Regional Operations on wide remit of Environmental and Social Matters
• Confirm that lending facility requests are compliant with regulatory, legal and internal requirements
• Provide guidance to Absa CIB Legal teams on appropriate Environmental and Social language to address deal E and S Risks
• Identify the applicability of Environmental and Social requirements and standards and refer material matters to relevant governance and credit committees for further review or decisions
• Review and assess sector case referrals across CIB to establish environmental considerations and requirements and deliver clear, concise, and commercially aware recommendations to the business
• Conduct Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD) in accordance with Absa Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), meet applicable Absa funder requirements and provide recommendations for inclusion to credit / investment submissions
• Play a key role in the embedment of the ESMS across CIB operations
• Consider strategic Climate Change Risk impacts when recommending credit / investment applications
• Ensure adherence to Conduct Risk Framework, Reputational Risk Framework and all regulations associated to Environmental Risk
• Develop and implement requirements through business processes, collate information for reporting and serve as a CIB central point of specialist expertise contact for ES related queries
• Identify where applicability of IFC Performance Standards is required
• Support and provide input to sustainability and environmental policy development
• Recommend, implement and integrate environmental and social controls into credit procedures and processes
• Confirm compliance with applicable sustainability and environmental policies and standards. 
• Conduct client site visits, where required
• Provide specialist sustainability, environmental and social risk advice, input and guidance.
• Assist the businesses to become more familiar with the available environmental and social risk management assessment tools and techniques
• Support Group Sustainability Risk initiatives to implement the Principles for Responsible Banking Framework and Group Sustainability Framework
• Ensure Sustainability internal and external assurance providers requirements are met , and implement correcting actions to close out any findings timeously
• Actively contribute to Sustainability and Climate Projects and initiatives of CIB, supporting the Group Sustainability and Strategy, Group Sustainability Risk, Treasury and Deal Teams to secure sustainable business

Stakeholder Management and Reputational Enhancement (10%)

• Act as an ambassador for Absa, representing the Bank’s position on environmental and social risk issues
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and participate in applicable working groups
• Compile annual Environmental and Social (E&S) reports for reporting to Absa funders (supported by management of various stakeholders including HR, credit and other data providers) ensuring that Absa capital requirements met
• Lead on CIB entity related annual due diligence arrangements, coordinating Environmental and Social specialist submissions across CIB regional operations
• Contribute to the content of environmental and social reports for internal or external stakeholders thereby strategically positioning environmental and social credit risk management
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues across the lending value chain (e.g. frontline, legal, transaction managers etc.) and provide expert support and guidance as appropriate
• Maintain dialogue and network with relevant opinion formers, to understand key areas of interest and expectation
• Represent Absa position on Environmental and Social risk matters to clients where required to do so

Business Transformation (5%)

• Research, analyse and interpret developments in the environmental arena to understand the legal, ethical and practical implications to support benchmarking, tool development and process improvements
• Proactively identify areas where business would benefit from additional guidance and identify opportunities for positive impact

Grow Talent and Capability (5%)

• Raise credit and other banking staff awareness of environmental credit risk considerations and issues and help staff to bridge any internal process or other knowledge gaps
• Provide training to stakeholders across CIB on Absa environmental and social credit risk strategic approaches and requirements
• Ensure ongoing performance development to ensure generic personal skills are enhanced
• Research, develop and maintaining new tools, techniques and processes to enable business areas and risk teams to place greater reliance on self-analysis.

Minimum Requirements

• Business related B Degree in Sustainability/Commerce and/or Environmental and Social Management, equivalent NQF level 6 qualification or Higher (Environmental Management related qualifications given preference)
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the Internet
• No criminal record
• Preference will be given to South African Citizens and permanent residents of South Africa in possession of proof of permanent resident status
• The appointment will be made in line with the Employment Equity strategy
• At least 3 years’ experience in Sustainability (Environmental Risk and Social Discipline. Environmental consultancy and site visit review experience preferred.
• At least 2 years’ experience in a financial institution (preferred)