PERM: Vertical Office - Sustainability Service Team - Associate

Section 1 - Details

Job Title / Corporate Title

Sustainability Service Team - Associate

Department / Group

Sustainability Strategy Team / STPD

Responsible to / Line Manager

Sustainability Business Manager - VP

Direct Reports

None

Location

London / Other EMEA Office / Part Remote

Date Prepared

July 2024

Certification regime

Out of Scope

Section 2 – Purpose of Job

1. Support first line of defence (1LOD) ESG-related transaction oversight including following procedures and using judgment to handle inbound requests which can be ambiguous or incomplete, documenting decisions, tracking actions, and maintaining reporting.
2. Support front office colleagues on process & procedures, answering transaction-related questions and best practices for sustainability, in coordination with other Sustainability Services colleagues.
3. Work as part of the Sustainability Services team to support the front office in various tasks, including performing the following processes:
   1. Transaction Governance
   2. Sustainable Finance Monitoring
   3. ESG Negative News Scanning
   4. EU Taxonomy Data Gathering
   5. ESG Due Diligence
4. Identify gaps in ESG processes and procedures applying practical experience with transactions and escalate gaps to STPD to ensure they are resolved.
5. Support Sustainability Services AVP with two-way communication with Tokyo colleagues to share information and coordinate on priorities.
6. Work with supervision across complex tasks or assignments and, over time, develop areas of expertise that contribute to achieving the strategy.
7. Apply knowledge to answer queries, deliver assigned tasks on time, perform required day-to-day activities, and flag up if risks or issues are identified or where further challenge or investigation is required.

Section 3 – Background

• A confluence of external forces, including an increasing focus on environmental and social sustainability by both customers and competitors, new regulations, and international efforts to avoid the worst effects of climate change, have meant that financial services firms must be on the leading edge of sustainability efforts.
• SMBC Group has responded through our FY23-25 Medium-Term Management Plan: Plan for Fulfilled Growth. This includes a focus on decarbonisation through SMBC’s ambition to achieve Net Zero in our financed emissions by 2050, directing capital toward social infrastructure, and enhancing our support for diversity and human rights. This role will be a key player in driving the Group strategy implementation in EMEA.
• SMBC Group EMEA has also implemented a regional sustainability strategy, focused on four key ambition statements:
  • Our Customers: We will support our customers on their journey to sustainability
  • Our Solutions: We will be recognised as a Leading Provider of Green and Sustainable Finance Solutions
  • Our Business: Embed Sustainability Management in our Culture, Risk Appetite and all aspects of our Business
  • Our Impact: Pursue long term economic growth through social value creation for stakeholders

• This role will contribute to the implementation of the Sustainability strategy by:
  • Ensuring first line of defence (1LOD) Sustainability-related controls are consistently understood and applied;
  • Supporting client-facing teams to meet customer expectations.

Section 4 – Facts / Scale

• Must operate across a broad range of technical/complex subject matter
• Work alongside a wide variety of corporate grades across EMEA offices.
• Carries out a variety of technical ESG-related tasks
• This role covers all EMEA front office teams and geographies

Section 5 – Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Responsible for completing assigned tasks within the agreed timeframe.
• Contributes ideas or improvements that can be made to systems or processes to help achieve deliverables.
• Supports smooth communication between business end users and the Sustainability Team / EMEA Sustainability Programme.

• Improves controls by identifying problems and suggesting solutions.
• Actively participate and contribute to the implementation of process improvements.
• Active team member.

Section 6 – Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Education & Qualifications
• The role requires the candidate to be educated to degree level in an appropriate field of study – e.g., finance, business, sustainability, environmental science
• Experience & Knowledge
• Previous experience in financial services, markets and banking activities and/or the surrounding ESG regulatory framework preferred.
• Japanese language skills desirable
• Experience working in a fast-paced operational team.
• Ability to manage and monitor progress of various dependencies to ensure deadlines are met.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Able to work collaboratively as well as independently.
• Must be detail orientated, analytical and inquisitive.
• Evidence of effective communication skills both written and verbal including presenting complex information simply and succinctly.
• Innovative thinking and problem-solving.
• Must be able to communicate with empathy and sensitivity with colleagues across a range of functions and seniorities, bearing in mind cultural and language differences as well as the commercial realities of our business.
• Able to work independently and under supervision.
• Practical and willing to take responsibility to ensure objectives are achieved.
• Good time management – must be able to work to deadlines, in an ambiguous environment and under pressure.
• Passionate about the topic of sustainability and committed to continuous self-directed learning on technical sustainability topics

Section 7 – Challenges

• Individuals in the organisation can be highly focused on business as usual.
• The organisation has a culture of long-standing tradition and can be change averse.
• This role must achieve a correct balance by managing their time so that they can deliver within deadlines across a range of tasks.
• This role requires the ability to absorb complex subject matter rapidly and not be afraid to ask questions to ensure clarity and accuracy.
• This role requires the ability to make decisions quickly and methodically with oftentimes incomplete or ambiguous information.
• This role requires a high degree of sensitivity and diplomacy when posing challenging questions to client facing teams.