UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) - Implementation Support Lead Banking

Result of ServiceImplementation Guidance : PRB Signatories commit to analyzing their impact, setting targets in areas of most significant impact and reporting regularly on their progress within the first four years of their responsible banking journeys. These steps are often new to banks and need to be communicated and explained. Throughout the responsible banking journey, banks need to be onboarded, participate in working groups and workshops, engage with and work on the materials and guidance documents that UNEP FI has produced, develop new approaches and methods for sometimes new areas of work for banks and build capacity in these areas. All these elements must be accompanied, coordinated and managed. Topics that arise in the market as new trends, or are demanded for by members, also fall within the remit of the Implementation Lead, such as a project on the responsible usage of AI. The Implementation Lead oversees coordinating the implementation guidance efforts described, delivered by different members of the team, to support banks in advancing from foundational to leading practices, the result of this providing members with the support they need and ultimately showing them added value of being a UNEP FI signatory. Thematic guidance : PRB Signatories commit to setting targets in areas they identify to have most significant impact in and act in their responsible banking journeys. Some of the existing guidance needs to be updated and refined over time, some new guidance documents must be developed (e.g. on integrated approaches across different thematic areas, or on circular economy as an enabler for the four priority areas for a global responsible banking sector). One big strategic goal of this work is to drive innovation and shape global good practice across all four interconnected priority areas (climate, nature, healthy & inclusive economies and human rights). All these efforts to guide banks in their thematic works need to be coordinated with other UNEP FI thematic leads as well as external stakeholders, to ensure consistency and streamlined delivery of support at global and regional levels. The result of this is driving norms and shaping good practices in the global responsible banking sector. Client engagement worktrack: One of the top banking priorities over the coming years will be the to support the real economy transition by helping banks to support client transition. For that reason, a new multi-year initiative designed to strengthen client engagement practices has been set up, the PRB Client Engagement Work track on Sustainability. This is an umbrella initiative under which several workstreams will be running in parallel, starting with a workstream on the Essentials on Client Engagement, a workstream on Business Case & Sectoral Opportunities and a workstream on supporting SME clients in their sustainability journeys. The work track as well as the different workstream need to be overseen and managed, falling under the remit of the Implementation Lead as well. The result of this is to support banks’ clients transition their business models, thus supporting the real economy transition. PRB Framework : Following the PRB 2030 process and the framework review undertaken in 2024 and 2025, the PRB framework has evolved, with a UN Responsible Banking Journey being the backbone of implementation moving forward. Guidance materials, reports, Community of Practice summary notes and recordings as well as regional capacity building materials need to be coordinated and aligned with the evolved framework, which is an effort across the different UNEP FI teams and is coordinated by the Implementation Support Lead as well. In addition to that, the Implementation Lead acts as the banking focal point for the PRB Academy, the training platform of the Principles for Responsible Banking, by providing strategic advice on members needs and module content, as well as signing off on module developed. Furthermore, the Implementation Lead plays a crucial role in providing steer and inputs across UNEP FI in terms of framework alignment and connecting the dots between different initiatives, given the Lead’s cross-cutting and strategic overview role. The result of this is streamlined offering across UNEP FI, thus providing high-quality services to members at any point of their implementation journeys. Work LocationWorking remotely / Home-based Expected duration12 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The overall objective of the UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is the strategic partnership between the United Nations and over 500 banks, insurers and investors. For over 32 years UNEP FI has been shaping and driving the international sustainable finance agenda, setting global standards and growing a global network of leading financial institutions. Through its work-streams and regional activities, peer learning, methodology development, training and research, UNEP FI promotes sustainable finance and helps the financial industry align with and contribute to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP FI needs a consultant to oversee developing guidance required for PRB signatories along their implementation journey, helping members to understand and apply the guidance materials produced and providing support to members to help their clients transition towards a net zero, nature positive and just future. These guidance documents are global in nature and the basis for developing capacity building which is tailored to region-specific or banking type-specific contexts. UNEP FI also needs a consultant to lead on the strategic priority of supporting member banks’ clients in the real economy transition, set up as a multi-year programme including different workstreams that require oversight and management. Lastly, UNEP FI needs a consultant to coordinate and align guidance materials, reports, summary notes and recordings as well as regional capacity building materials with the evolved PRB framework, to act as the focal point for the PRB Academy, and to play a crucial role in providing steer and inputs across different UNEP FI teams in terms of framework alignment and connecting the dots between different initiatives. Specific tasks and responsibilities : The Implementation Lead will: ● Coordinate and oversee the implementation guidance work for signatories of the Principles for Responsible Banking, to help them deliver on their commitments, including coordinating capacity building and peer exchange via communities of practice on the globally produced guidance with banks on a thematic or regional level ● Deliver thematic guidance to signatory banks, as well as ensure close and effective collaboration between UNEP FI’s banking team and the Thematic Leads ● Lead on a project on the responsible usage of AI to determine the scope of a project plan ● Initiate and coordinate efforts to build interlinkages between impact areas, by providing advice where integration could happen across different teams, and especially by managing projects aimed at integrated approaches (e.g. Integrated strategy development, integrated transition/action planning, or sectoral approaches) ● Lead the PRB Client engagement worktrack and oversee the workstreams of that worktrack, with a particular focus on sectoral approaches ● Develop the setup for a sectoral workstream of a high impact/high-risk sector (e.g. Agriculture, power generation, metals & mining or real estate) incl. The concept for integrating thematic work following banks’ internal processes and realities work with UNEP FI banking sub-teams to develop and deliver on the banking strategy and work programme, in close collaboration with PRB governance bodies ● Act as the focal point for review requests of materials produced by other UNEP FI teams, and for framework-related requests ● Lead on efforts to help members navigate through the materials and guidance produced, by providing the backend structure for a webpage update project, and by acting as the banking focal point in the development of thematic journeys (in alignment with the Responsible Banking Journey) ● Act as the Banking focal point for the PRB Academy, by providing steer on future modules and content, and by providing the UNEP FI final sign-off on modules developed Outputs and Deliverables: • Launched new guidance documents (e.g. circular economy and the interlinkages with the four priority areas) • Coordinated the socialization of existing guidance documents particularly for different thematic areas and/or in different regional contexts, with successful delivery of Community of Practice sessions delivered by the team in the priority areas of Healthy Inclusive Economies, Nature as well as Circular Economy as an enabler • Lead and manage the PRB Client Engagement Work track on Sustainability and its different workstreams, with a particular focus on sectoral approaches and real economy engagement • Delivered a project plan for a project on the responsible usage of AI • Delivered the backbone structure for banking materials for a UNEP FI webpage update • Delivered sign-off on new modules produced for the PRB Academy • Initiated projects aimed at integrated approaches and acting as the banking industry representative providing steer in the development of these (e.g. an integrated climate journey, nature journey, embedding different areas into the transition planning work etc.) The consultant shall be under the overall supervision of the Head of UNEP Finance Initiative and report directly to the Banking Programme Officer and the Programme Operations Manager, UNEP FI. Qualifications/special skillsEducation: A bachelor’s degree in business, finance, environment, banking, or sustainability is required. A master’s degree may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree, provided the candidate has 8 years of experience. PhD desirable. Professional Experience: At least ten (10) years of work experience in sustainable banking or sustainable finance is required. Experience working in the private sector, ideally banking, as well as in international organisations required. Experience of working in sustainability management/ as a sustainability manager required. Minimum of four (4) years of work experience in stakeholder engagement and management is required. Experience in team management needed. Experience of working in or with the United Nations is desirable. LanguagesLanguages: English is the working language of UNEP FI. Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is an asset. Additional InformationSkills & Knowledge: ● Ability to engage senior and multiple stakeholders, knowledge of the sustainable finance landscape and/or the banking industry and ability to craft, design and deliver on an implementation support strategy and program ● Strategic thinking and the ability to foresee steps and trends is required to achieve meaningful outcomes and maintain the framework effectiveness ● Creative and enthusiastic professional with excellent oral and written communications skills, with ability to communicate clearly and succinctly. ● Strong organizational and time management skills with ability to develop and review guidance materials and target setting approaches, fit for purpose for banks’ needs globally. ● Very good knowledge of the finance industry, sustainable finance, environmental as well as social themes is required. ● Ability to prioritize multiple activities concurrently in an organized and timely manner with attention to detail. ● Highly motivated and able to work independently as well as in a team. ● Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain good working relations across diverse stakeholders in a multicultural, geographically dispersed and online environment ● Reliable - delivers consistently high quality within agreed timeframes. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.