Environmental and Social Credit Risk Manager

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together one story at a time.
- With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.Job Summary

To play a key role in protecting the bank from material sustainability, environmental and social risk in its Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB) lending portfolios. This activity encompasses:

- Assisting the CIB Head of Environmental and Social Risk in Environmental Credit Risk Management (ECRM) to mitigate environmental and social credit risk issues in the lending book
- Provision of specialist input, support and guidance to stakeholders across CIB operations on sustainability, environmental and social risk issues to protect Absa from environmental credit, collateral and reputational risks
- Research and assess environmental and social issues, legislation, and industry initiatives to align to best practice
- Integration of environmental and social risk management into the credit risk appraisal processes and presentation of environmental and social positions at credit risk committees
- Protect Absa’s reputation by ensuring that Absa’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) runs optimally, supporting Absa strategic objectives and Sustainability positioning, meeting both internal and external needs
- 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

**Job Description**:
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
- 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 (suppo