Sustainable Finance Officer

United Nations University Centre for Policy Research is looking for a committed and enterprising Sustainable Finance Analyst to contribute to the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) initiative’s outreach and engagement with the financial sector ranging from banks, insurance companies, digital finance providers, investors, and audit firms.

The Sustainable Finance Analyst will significantly contribute to mobilising, convening, supporting, educating, and partnering with financial sector actors to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking. The role is focused on identifying tools and practices that can shift ‘business as usual’ approaches and, importantly, induce greater interest and cooperation to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking by clarifying risks and emphasising opportunities in industry practices and processes. This role will broaden the community of FAST partners and catalyse interaction amongst existing and new partners in the financial sector.

Over the next years, the Sustainable Finance Analyst will work closely with the FAST Project Director and the FAST project team to implement a programme of work that aligns with donor expectations and ambitions. The Sustainable Finance Analyst will be responsible for shaping activities to support efforts in the financial sector to reduce modern slavery and human trafficking risk in business activities and processes.

About you

You are an experienced sustainable finance professional with a thorough understanding of the identification and management of risks, ideally including those related to modern slavery. You are familiar with sustainable finance initiatives and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in banking, lending and investment practices, as well as compliance and regulatory regimes, financial technology, and the global business and human rights landscape. You value and are also familiar with existing initiatives, research and policy related to these themes and are keen to be part of a team that is able to leverage the transformative potential of this agenda.

You have a proven track record of being involved in ESG or Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that influence practice and decision-making. Your relationship-building and people skills enable you to work collaboratively with others, including through direct outreach and engagement at senior levels. You thrive in innovative and purpose-oriented settings and are committed to diversity, equality, and building a workplace that values excellence, empathy, and individual growth equally.

You are proactive and motivated by the prospect of collaborating with the rich constellation of public and private partnerships developed by the UNU Centre for Policy Research to be part of a bold and impactful programme of work that will extend the capacity of financial institutions, governments and other key stakeholders to reduce the prevalence of modern slavery.

Responsibilities and deliverables

The Sustainable Finance Analyst will report to the FAST Project Director and will be expected to:

• contribute to the implementation of the FAST programme of work related to the financial sector and investors, building on existing initiatives and ensuring future activities align with donor priorities
• collaborate with other members of the FAST project team, including the Workstream Leads for the Government and Multilateral sectors and Vulnerable Populations, to leverage insights
• plan, design, and implement collective learning activities for financial actors focused on risk, due diligence, supply chains, leverage, insurance, and auditing, among others
• produce and disseminate targeted insights for financial sector actors to support embedding anti-slavery and anti-human trafficking approaches in financial sector practice
• design and execute trainings on modern slavery and human trafficking risks for e.g. banks, institutional investors, auditors, insurance, stock exchange personnel
• co-develop screening, compliance, and risk analysis tools for the financial sector to address modern slavery risks
• contribute to authoritative evidenced-based policy reports, recommendations, editorials, and other publications that advance FAST objectives
• organise and participate in meetings and conferences that support FAST outreach, coalition-building and the dissemination of findings, including an annual implementation review conference

Required qualifications and experience

Required qualifications and experience of the position include:

• a master’s degree in business administration, finance, law, political science, international relations, human rights, or public policy; a first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
• a minimum of 3 years (5 preferable) of relevant work experience in or with the finance sector
• demonstrable experience promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and/or corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
• knowledge of issues in the areas of ESG, sustainable finance, business, and human rights, ideally in the context of modern slavery (including human trafficking, child labour, and forced labour)
• excellent analytical and conceptual thinking
• exceptional interpersonal and problem-solving skills demonstrated by the ability to work in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender parity
• excellent English-language oral and written communication skills; knowledge of another official UN language(s) is desirable
• familiarity with statistics, data analysis, and research methodologies is advantageous

At UNU-CPR, we value creativity, curiosity, openness, and respect. The Centre is an inclusive environment welcoming of diversity, where personnel are encouraged to share experiences and perspectives, and support colleagues that challenge the status quo. It is an empowering space that offers all personnel, irrespective of status or background, the opportunity to innovate and enrich our shared community.

Remuneration and entitlements

The successful candidate will be employed under an international PSA contract. UNU offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary in the range of USD 85,000 to USD 95,000, commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the candidate.

Benefits include 30 days annual leave and a health insurance scheme.

UNU will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

UNU is not liable for any taxes that may be levied on the remuneration you receive under this contract. Payment of any such taxes remains the sole responsibility of PSA holders.

Duration of contract

The duration of the initial contract is one (1) year. This is a Personnel Service Agreement (PSA) contract with UNU, with the possibility for renewal subject to requirements and satisfactory work performance. The combined duration on a PSA contract with UNU may not exceed six (6) years. The mandatory age of retirement for PSA is 65 years.

Full job description details are available at: https://unu.edu/about/hr/academic/sustainable-finance-analyst.html#overview