Senior Sustainable Finance Environmental and Social Consultant

About the company

SLR Consulting is seeking a Senior Sustainable Finance E&S Consultant, based in South Africa to play a pivotal role in the strategic development and expansion of Sustainable Finance services. This position will focus on identifying and securing new opportunities aligned with international lender requirements, forging strategic partnerships and positioning the business as a trusted provider of high-quality sustainability advisory services. The role will also involve supporting the integration of international best practices into project delivery and contributing to thought leadership to deliver state-of-the-art lender-compliant projects.

The role requires a proactive, solutions-driven individual with demonstrated experience in managing people and large-scale and complex projects and engaging effectively with diverse stakeholders.

The role will be to support the growth and success of SLR’s Sustainable Finance practice in Africa,

Job Purpose

About the company

SLR is in the process of growing our footprint around the globe, and as such we are continuously looking for talented people to join our team and who would add value to Our Business.

We are recognised as one of the global leaders in environmental and advisory solutions, helping our clients to achieve their sustainability goals. SLR has over 100 offices in 13 different countries across the world and we actively encourage collaboration and learning between the many disciplines and services we offer globally.

At SLR you can expect a flexible and supportive 'One Team’ culture that sits at the heart of our business and ensures that we offer a rewarding place to work. You will have the opportunity to work alongside industry leaders and specialists on interesting projects and being part of a team that makes a difference.

Job Purpose

SLR Consulting is seeking a Senior Sustainable Finance E&S Consultant, based in South Africa, to play a pivotal role in the strategic development and growth of its Sustainable Finance services across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan African market. The role will focus on identifying and securing new opportunities aligned with international lender requirements, developing strategic partnerships and strengthening SLR’s position as a as a trusted provider of high-quality sustainability advisory services. The successful candidate will also support the integration of international good best practices into project delivery and contribute to thought leadership in the development of lender-compliant projects.

The role requires a proactive, solutions-driven individual with demonstrated experience in managing people and large-scale and complex projects and engaging effectively with diverse stakeholders. The successful candidate will be based in Johannesburg, on a full-time permanent basis.

The role will be to support the growth and success of SLR’s Sustainable Finance practice in Africa, specifically sub-Saharan Africa, and will be based in SLR’s office in Johannesburg (Sandown), South Africa

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Consultant of our Sustainable Finance team, your responsibilities will initially include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Providing E&S technical skills and Project Management skills for Sustainable Finance projects to our financial clients. We anticipate the auditing part of your work (ESDDs, E&S Monitoring, LIESA role) to be balanced with desktop Advisory work (E&S Management Systems, E&S Strategy, E&S Training and Development Impact service areas).
• Provide top quality project management oversight, ensuring scope, schedule and budget are consistently achieved, including resourcing, site visit logistics and planning, invoicing and client liaison.
• Business development and sales, including identifying, developing and managing new or existing finance sector clients and opportunities, overseeing proposal preparation and winning project work. The opportunities will be spread across various ESG and Impact topics but will primarily focus on E&S due diligence, E&S management systems, E&S performance monitoring and evaluation, and E&S reporting. You will take an active role in responding to client needs including through proposal preparation and other business development activities.
• Mentor, coach and develop junior staff across disciplines, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and accountability.
• Given the nature of the work that you will be involved in, we anticipate that travel will be an important component of your job.
• Facilitating relationship building and growth within the Sustainable Finance teams in other SLR Regions
• Thought leadership, both internally and externally, by actively networking with SLR’s Sustainable Finance team globally, and being involved in conferences and associations relevant to the work we do in Africa.
• You’ll be joining a group that works with a high degree of collaboration and takes pride in the level of service provided to our clients. If you have a highly positive, can-do attitude, and take similar pride in your work, you’ll fit right in.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in environmental management, Environmental Science or related discipline.

• 8+ years of experience, including demonstrated success leading projects.
• Strong knowledge of sub-Saharan Africa and applicable national environmental and social regulatory frameworks.
• Strong working knowledge of international lender standards (IFC, World Bank, EDFIs, etc.).
• Strong consulting experience, with proven ability to develop and manage client relationships effectively
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and inspire teams.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including managing complex regulatory and stakeholder environments.
• Strong reporting-writing and peer-review skills, with the ability to consistently produce high-quality deliverables.
• Willingness to travel.

SLR’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. We actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply. SLR is committed to an organizational culture that recognizes, appreciates, and values diversity & inclusion.