Head of Sustainable Finance at KCB Bank Kenya

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Lead, develop, and deliver the bank’s green lending / finance strategy, as well as green bonds and sustainable lending/ financial instruments. 
• Drive the achievement of sustainable finance targets & financed emissions reduction targets.
• Design and oversee the commercialization of sustainable finance products in liaison with product teams, business units, cross functional teams, and subsidiaries.
• Deliver best-in-class input on execution of sustainable finance opportunities whilst providing high quality service to internal and external clients.
• Collaborate with relationship management teams to deliver sustainable propositions to the clients, balancing client needs with the risk and returns priorities of the Bank.
• Identify, assess, and recommend sustainable investment opportunities, including green bonds, impact investments, and sustainable financial products.
• Support corporate banking business origination team by providing insight into sustainable finance structures, environmental /social risks and regulations.
• Work closely with Group corporate affairs team to build internal / external stakeholder strategy promoting green lending while ensuring consistent messaging to internal and wider market.
• Design and implement the Bank’s green lending framework, policies, processes, and procedures.
• Performance monitoring and evaluation: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track green lending progress. Regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of green lending initiatives, identify areas for improvement, and implement corrective actions as needed. 
• Develop and maintain productive strategic working relationships with key stakeholders (GMC, EXCOM, Line Managers, ESG Consultants, partners among others).
• Prepare and deliver reports on green lending performance, progress, and achievements to internal and external stakeholders. Develop communication materials to raise awareness and engage employees, customers, and the public.
• Develop a deep understanding of sustainable finance market practice, particularly transaction structuring, ESG analysis of corporate clients, complex structures to ensure opportunities maximization and risk mitigation. 
• Manage risks within the regulatory and compliance framework of the Bank and ensure compliance with Bank’s policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead, motivate, and continuously develop a credible high performing team. 

  QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE 

Academic:

• A Bachelors’ degree in Sustainable development or related field.
• Masters degree in Sustainability, environmental studies, development economics, finance, law, international relations will be an added advantage 

Professional qualifications in any of the below areas will be an added advantage

• Project Management/Programme Management
• Environmental and Social Certification 
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 
• Carbon Accounting

Desired work experience: 

• At least 10 years’ experience Sustainability and environmental management.
• Experience in strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, policy and governance
• Demonstrable experience and understanding of the sustainable finance solutions, sustainable lending / green funding,  Climate Risk Management and green taxonomy
• Strong interpersonal skills, people management, stakeholder engagement and partnership management skills
• Outstanding written communication skills to write senior and complex correspondence, reports, presentations, policies, procedures, processes and strategy papers
• Excellent IT / computer skills including use of Microsoft Office Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.