HEAD OF GREEN BANKING (40 H/WEEK)

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 2021/06

HEAD OF GREEN BANKING (40 H/WEEK)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: Head of Green Banking

Reports to: Director General

Hours: 40 hours, all-in

Duration: open-ended contract

Location: Vienna

We are seeking an impact ambitious, driven and team player professional to lead the work with local financial institutions and international finance providers to catalyse the flow of sustainable financing for clean energy in developing and emerging countries to foster energy access and support selected countries’ resilience and transition to low-carbon development.

ABOUT REEEP

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) invests in clean energy markets in low- and middle-income countries to generate energy access, improve lives and economic opportunities, build sustainable markets, and combat climate change. REEEP is a Quasi-International Organisation under Austrian law operating in a growing international environment that is rapidly expanding in influence and impact. REEEP values innovation, cooperation and commitment and has a young and results-oriented team of approximately 27 staff at its International Secretariat in Vienna, Austria working hand-in-hand with partners based in our countries of implementation.

REEEP is committed to leverage its successful track record in accelerating clean energy markets to unlock important climate and private financing via de development of green lending ecosystems.  REEEP currently co-hosts and implements large programmes such as the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) for project preparation support for clean energy and climate adaptation businesses, the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) for energy access in five sub-Saharan countries, IKI SOARING focusing on local financial institutions in Tanzania and Zambia to unlock lending to the off-grid clean energy and productive use sectors via the following main activities, a credit guarantee with a local bank in Nepal . REEEP is currently mobilizing support for a Green Bank Catalyst programme as part of its 11th Investment Cycle for the period 2021-2025, building on successful work in these programmes.

About the Role

The Head of Green Banking will lead REEEP’s programmes with local financial institutions:

• Oversee implementation, budget, reporting and key performance indicators of REEEP’s existing programmes in Nepal and IKI SOARING, including managing the team allocated to such projects.
• Develop partnerships with local financial intermediaries and development organisations.
• Activities include, but are not limited to the following:
  • translate the Green Bank approach into activities and milestones and a focused execution plan
  • drive the fundraising for the Green Reserve to provide credit enhancement and the green lending capacity building activities
  • engage local financial institutions to agree on training needs, risk mitigation instruments and support to origination and preparation of project pipelines
  • operationalize customized risk mitigation instruments, such as first loss cash reserve account mechanisms and claim processes
  • encourage and advise on co-designing of suitable collateral packages for the clean energy and off-grid sectors, to enable local financial institutions to meet minimum required collateral levels when lending to the sectors (such as based on receivables/revenues/inventories/productive use equipment and other suitable assets)
  • procure and coordinate local experts on providing support to the Green Bank activities at regional or local level, including stakeholder engagement for platforms for change, origination and preparation of eligible bankable pipeline and support post financing to borrowers
  • coordinate implementation of technical support to REEEP from external service providers to develop methodologies and tools to implement the green banking approach

The role is expected to contribute to the following:

• fundraising and business development activities, via calls, events and marketing materials
• partnership, advisory board and risk management meetings
• co-design programmes and support the submission of applications for specific funding windows
• weekly leadership meetings, and
• development of REEEP’s Long-Term Strategy, activities and intervention model.

About the Profile

We are looking for a professional with the following qualifications and experience:

• Relevant work experience for at least 10 years in banking, developmental financial institutions or working closely with them, with MBA or equivalent.
• Previous experience with risk mitigation instruments, such as the use of first loss reserves, guarantees and insurance, structured financial transactions, such as asset-based lending, securitizations, project finance and other types of credit enhancements
• Good understanding of SME access to finance challenges, Green Banking principles, climate finance and sustainable finance landscape, criteria and major actors.
• Understanding of FX risk and FX mitigation instruments, credit review and underwriting processes, and familiar with banking and financial services regulations in general.
• Ideally some experience in due diligence, especially of financial institutions.
• Experience in working with a multidisciplinary execution team, including lawyers, rating agencies, financial institutions, and other lenders.
• Innovative in applying a variety of financial instruments to mitigate risks, align interests and enable lending to the clean energy sector via local financial institutions.
• Well spoken, with good presentation and negotiation skills.
• Highly proficient with MS Excel, MS Office programs.
• Meticulous and diligent.
• Pro-active, independent, service-oriented team player and problem solver.
• Solid interpersonal, communication and time management skills and a team leader.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and previous managerial experience is desired.
• Excellent command of English, REEEP’s working language, knowledge of French is an asset (but not required)

About the Package

For this 40h/week full time all-in position, REEEP offers a minimum annual salary of EUR 56,000 (gross, subject to Austrian social security contributions, currently free of income tax due to REEEP’s special status as a “Quasi-International Organisation”). REEEP is not in the position to cover relocation costs or any other travel costs incurred, e.g. for job interviews.

REEEP’s open-ended contract further includes five weeks paid leave as well as an average of 14 Austrian and UN holidays per annum.  The work location is the Vienna International Centre (“UNO City”) in Vienna, Austria. At the moment REEEP follows a home-office recommendation by the VIC.

The envisaged starting date is 1 August, 2021.

Due to its special legal status, applicants are eligible to receive a legitimisation card issued by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs which grants right of residence for employees upon start of work at REEEP, no work permit is required.

REEEP is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard for age, gender, race, religion, marital status, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation.

REEEP retains the discretion to modify the role and title according to the applicant’s individual skill set and qualification.

About the Application

Applicants are kindly requested to address their CV, motivation/covering letter and any supporting documents to [email protected]. Please note that only complete and timely submitted applications will be considered and that only short-listed candidates will receive individual communication. The selection procedure may include a written test.

Application deadline: 15 June, 2021 (midnight CEST)

This is an advertisement for a full-time staff position. Please do not contact us unless you are applying for a position. Solicitations from service providers and brokers will be deleted and marked as spam.

By sending us your application, you consent to the processing of your personal data indicated in your application documents and related correspondence. Your application is treated strictly confidentially and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your personal data and application documents are only shared with REEEP staff and REEEP Governing Board members of the evaluation committee directly involved in the application process. In exceptional cases, recruitment processes include panel interviews which involve external members. If you are invited to such a panel interview, your application documents will also be shared with external panellists to allow them to prepare for the interview. REEEP will store your personal data and documents until six months after the application process has been completed, unless you consent to REEEP keeping your application in evidence for future job openings. Please see our Privacy Statement for further information on your rights under the GDPR and REEEP’s contact data.