The Sustainability Manager provides input into the due diligence process and plays an ongoing role in the management, monitoring, and optimization of the fund manager’s assets. Investments typically include core infrastructure such as toll roads, airports, ports, renewable energy (wind, hydro, and solar), digital and telecoms towers, and medium-to-large companies operating on the African continent.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategy Formulation: Assist in determining the ESG and impact strategy of the fund manager, acting as the senior point of contact.
- Management Systems: Understand, drive, and improve the environmental and social management systems of the fund manager.
- ESG Due Diligence: Support the investment teams to determine if potential investments conform to OMAI ESG requirements including UNPRI, Equator Principles, IFC Performance Standards, IFC EHS and Sector Guidelines, ILO, and other relevant standards.
- Sector Expertise: Provide expertise across multiple sectors and asset classes to effectively manage ESG risks and drive the delivery of positive impacts.
- Project Review: Review the sustainability aspects of projects and assist specialists with project implementation and contractual compliance.
- Asset Monitoring: Assist asset managers in monitoring and influencing assets in the implementation of their sustainability obligations, including site visits and management engagements.
- Reporting & Engagement: Prepare investor and sustainability reports and respond to ad-hoc investor/shareholder ESG-related queries.
- Data Management: Handle sustainability data management and analysis to derive insights for internal and external clients.
- Training: Train investment teams on sustainability-related issues.
- Compliance & Representation: Ensure Fund compliance with ESG requirements, represent OMAI in public forums on Sustainability topics, and represent OMAI in governance forums and committees.
- Thought Leadership: Provide thought leadership thinking and deliverables.
Qualifications & Proficiencies
- Relevant qualifications in environmental and/or social sciences.
- 10+ years of relevant experience.
- French-speaking capability is required.
- Appropriate professional registration or certification.
- Working knowledge of UNPRI, Equator Principles, IFC Performance Standards, IFC EHS Guidelines, ILO, UN SDGs, and other relevant sustainability standards.
- Experience in the broad discipline of ESG including Environmental and Social (ES) Screening, ES Impact Assessments (ESIAs), ES Due Diligence, Risk Assessment, and ES Management Systems (ESMS).
- Experience working with and applying specialist biodiversity, biophysical, and socio-economic knowledge, including climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Exposure to sustainability aspects associated with capital-intensive infrastructure projects (oil & gas, thermal power, renewable energy, roads, ports, etc.).
- Experience in implementing and monitoring environmental and social management systems and plans within construction and operational businesses.
Key Attributes & Competencies
- Ability to manage third-party consultants (set terms of reference, review proposals, make appointments, manage budgets).
- Ability to critically review and integrate information.
- Ability to influence for successful data collection and present information in written/verbal forms concisely.
- Experience in working across cultures in several countries.
- Self-driven, self-motivated, flexible, and dynamic.
- Excellent intellectual and conceptual abilities with high attention to detail.
- High level of confidence, resolve, and resilience.
- Concern for high-quality work, consistently maintaining the highest standards of quality and productivity.
