UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) - Sustainable Finance and Client-Facing Banking Professional

Consultant Environment Finance & Economy

Overview

Lead sustainable client engagement in banking for UNEP FI.

You have:

• Master's degree in business, finance, environment, banking, or sustainability is required.
• Bachelor's degree can be accepted if the candidate has 9 years of relevant experience.
• At least seven (7) years of experience in a commercial banking role is required.
• Demonstrated expertise in sustainable finance, ESG integration, or sustainability strategy is required.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of other United Nations languages is an asset.

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

UNEP FI is seeking a sustainable finance professional with strong banking and client-facing experience to help drive the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) worktrack on engaging clients on sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities. The role requires a commercially minded professional who can bridge sustainability expertise with front-office banking realities and support banks in translating sustainability ambitions into practical client engagement and business opportunities. The consultant will help bridge the gap between business units and sustainability functions within banks, ensuring that sustainability commitments are translated into tangible business actions, products, and client engagements. Particularly expertise in dealing with commercial clients from high-impact/risk sectors as well as SME clients will be valuable.

Work Location

Working remotely / Home-based

Expected duration

6 months (with possibility of renewal)

Duties and Responsibilities

The 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. One of the top banking priorities over the coming years will be 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 Worktrack on engaging clients on sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities. This is an umbrella initiative under which several workstreams will be running in parallel, starting with a workstream on the Essentials of Client Engagement, two sectoral workstreams (on Digital infrastructure, data centres and AI, and on Agriculture, with a focus on dairy/livestock) and a workstream on supporting SME clients in their sustainability journeys. One goal is to set up a community of client-facing practitioners and convene engagements with stakeholders in the real economy, including trade associations. The Sustainable Finance Professional with a client relationship management background will contribute to the goals and the success of the worktrack. This professional will lead, strategically advise, and participate in some of the workstreams. Specific tasks and responsibilities UNEP FI requires a Sustainable Finance and Client-Facing Banking Professional to: • Lead and coordinate at least one strategic workstream under the PRB worktrack on client engagement, focusing on sectors such as agriculture, digital infrastructure, data centres & AI, and potentially additional sectors over time (e.g. energy, real estate, metals & mining) or types of clients like SMEs • Develop commercially relevant, intuitive and business-oriented approaches to sustainability engagement for client-facing banking functions, with a strong focus on: • sustainability-related business opportunities and risks, • sector transition dynamics, • interlinkages across sustainability themes, • and practical success factors for effective client engagement. • Support banks in embedding sustainability considerations into client coverage and relationship management, product development and structuring, portfolio management, and credit and risk processes. • Build and grow a practitioner network of client-facing banking professionals (e.g. relationship managers, sustainable finance leads, wholesale/commercial banking teams) by facilitating peer exchanges and workshops, identifying emerging needs and priorities, fostering ongoing engagement and collaboration across banks. • Help banks strengthen collaboration between sustainability teams, strategy and risk functions, and front-office business units by developing practical materials such as client engagement scripts, business case narratives, sector playbooks, questionnaires, and training materials for commercial teams. • Develop concise, practical outputs from workstream activities, including session summaries, sector guidance notes, client engagement tools, and briefing materials tailored to banking practitioners. • Liaise with external knowledge partners, including consultancies, data providers and think tanks, to bring in relevant expertise on sector economics, technologies, transition pathways, sustainability risks and commercial opportunities. • Collaborate closely with UNEP FI banking teams and thematic workstreams to support the broader UNEP FI banking strategy and work programme. Deliverables include amongst others: • Successful delivery of at least six workstream sessions and peer exchanges tailored to client-facing banking practitioners. • Establishment and growth of an active network of banking professionals engaged in sustainability-related client dialogue. • Development of practical client engagement materials, including: sector briefs, guidance notes, engagement scripts, questionnaires, and workshop summaries. • Creation of practical internal guidance and training materials to support commercial banking teams on sustainable finance opportunities and client engagement approaches • Contributions to recommendations and practical approaches for integrating sustainability considerations into banking processes, including credit, risk and portfolio management. The consultant will report to the overall supervisor the Head of UNEP FI and direct supervisor the Co-Head of Banking, UNEP FI.

Qualifications/special skills

Education: A master’s degree in business, finance, environment, banking, or sustainability is required. A bachelor’s degree could be taken in lieu of master’s degree provided the selected candidate has 9 years of relevant experience. Professional Experience: At least seven (7) years of experience in a commercial banking role (corporate, SME, or investment banking), preferably with experience in a client-facing role is required. Demonstrated expertise in sustainable finance, ESG integration, or sustainability strategy is required. Strong understanding of the sustainable finance landscape (incl. relevant regulatory and policy pillars) is an asset.

Languages

Languages: English is the working language of UNEP FI. Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is an asset.

Additional Information

Skills & Knowledge: Client-Facing & Commercial Mindset (Highest Priority) • Experience working in or closely with front-office banking teams, such as relationship management, corporate banking, commercial banking, investment banking, product teams or sustainable finance functions. • Strong ability to translate sustainability topics into commercially relevant, revenue-oriented opportunities and client-ready narratives. • Ability to communicate complex sustainability issues in a clear, intuitive and business-appropriate way for non-expert audiences. • Experience supporting or designing client engagement approaches, commercial strategies or sustainable finance solutions within banking environments. Sustainable Finance & Banking Expertise • Strong understanding of sustainable finance and the banking landscape, including how sustainability considerations connect to: o credit and risk processes, o portfolio management, o product development, o and client strategy. • Good working knowledge of key sustainability themes, frameworks, and market developments relevant to banking. • Ability to identify sector-specific sustainability risks and business opportunities affecting bank clients, particularly in transition-relevant sectors. • Practical understanding of how sustainability can be integrated into banking operations and client engagement processes. Stakeholder Engagement & Network Building • Strong interpersonal and networking skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse stakeholder groups. • Experience facilitating peer exchanges, workshops, practitioner dialogues or multi-stakeholder engagement processes. • Ability to connect sustainability, strategy, risk and commercial teams within banks and foster cross-functional collaboration. • Proven ability to identify relevant stakeholders, maintain engagement and grow practitioner communities over time. Additional Skills • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. • Strong organisational and project management capabilities, including the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in multicultural and geographically dispersed environments. • High level of reliability, responsiveness, and attention to detail.

No Fee

THE 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.

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Added 6 hours ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: careers.un.org