Head of Standards

Job Title:

Head of Standards

Location:

London or EU

Salary:

£60,000 p.a.

Position:

Full Time

Closing Date

13th April 2021

 

 

About the Climate Bonds Initiative

Climate Bonds Initiative is fast growing, dynamic and driven by a big mission.  An investor-focused NGO, we work to mobilise global capital for climate action. We are at the forefront of advances in green finance, working with global stakeholders: governments, investors, banks and large companies.

We lead the market with the only certification scheme for green bonds globally, provide up to the minute green bond data and market analysis and policy advice, advise on green capital market development, and advocate for ambitious change in the financial industry.

 

About the Standards Team

The Climate Bonds Standards Team works with external experts to deliver robust and credible science-based criteria and metrics for assessing green and transition investments across the economy.  It also supports the development of green and sustainability taxonomies globally from the EU to China to Latin America.

These criteria are the backbone to the Climate Bonds Standard and Certification Scheme – where we have just hit the major milestone of certifying $100bn of green bonds to date. They also guide the assessment methodology we use to assess bonds eligibility for green bond indices globally, and our advisory services to governments and policy makers on the changes needed to achieve the Paris Agreement.

We are looking to build upon our success in green bonds and expand our work to criteria for i) the assessment of a broader variety of financial instruments, and companies and their investment plans, and ii) a fuller range of sustainability investments incorporating the range of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

 

This role

The Head of Standards is responsible for the direction and deliverables of the Standards Team; defining the strategy of the team, overseeing and guiding delivery of its programme of work, establishing internal and external partnerships to guide it, and helping to secure funding to resource it.

This is a fantastic opportunity to affect real change and facilitate the financial flows that are essential to enabling all sectors of the economy to transition to a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future. 

 

Key responsibilities

  • Ownership of the Standards Team programme to develop robust and credible criteria and metrics for assessing of green, transition and sustainable investments across the economy.
  • Oversee Climate Bond Initiative’s work to support the development and harmonisation of sustainability taxonomies globally.
  • Establish strategic partnerships with scientific and academic institutions and build a network of technical experts to guide and be ambassadors for our work.
  • Manage the Climate Bonds Standard Board.
  • Manage the Standards Team Manager(s) operationalising this work on a day-to-day basis.
  • Facilitate internal co-ordination between Standards, Policy, Market Intelligence, and other teams.
  • Ownership of the strategy for future development of the Standards Team.
  • Manage the budget for the Standards Team.
  • Manage relationships with funders supporting the work of the Standards Team, and support development of proposals for additional funding.

Qualifications and Experience

 

Essential

  • Bachelor’s degree of 2:1 or higher
  • Extensive work experience in a similar or related role
  • Extensive knowledge of climate mitigation and adaptation needs and associated climate change solutions across a variety of sectors, and familiarity with the SDGs
  • Good knowledge of how sectoral science-based targets can be applied to assets or companies and of leading initiatives and tools such as Taxonomies which translate climate science and SDGs to screening criteria for companies or investments 
  • Proven ability to manage, coordinate and prioritise across simultaneous projects and ambitious timeframes
  • Skilled people manager – as a line manager and in management of external partner organisations and individuals
  • Natural networker, able to bring in partners and collaborators
  • An effective communicator proficient in distilling detailed technical information into easily digestible messages and material for a variety of audiences
  • Enthusiastic, motivated, organised
  • Eligible to work in the UK

 

Desirable

  • Knowledge of bond markets and / or wider sustainable finance markets
  • Postgraduate studies in a relevant subject
  • Other languages

 

Next steps

 

More information on the Climate Bonds Initiative can be found at www.climatebonds.net

Send your CV and cover letter as a PDF file to recruitment@climatebonds.net quoting reference ‘Head of Standards’ in subject line.