Senior Manager, Climate Contribution Fund

South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.

The Climate Investment team is responsible for developing and managing sustainable impact funds, as well as other facilities, vehicles and platforms for investments in climate action. Our scope of expertise covers a variety of topics related to sustainable land-use, low-carbon energy, climate-smart cities and/or clean technology, to name just a few. If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!

Job summary:

The role of the Senior Business Developer is to co-develop, position within South Pole and in the market, and potentially later manage the fundraising and client relations for the non-profit Climate Contribution Fund that funds projects/ventures with a positive climate and SDG impact, without generating carbon credits but measuring and reporting the financial flows as well as GHG avoidance/removal contributions towards national and international climate targets (NDCs/ Paris). You will act as the main point of contact for relevant stakeholders, e.g. funders/clients, South Pole KAM & consultants teams, CI leadership team.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Co-Develop the concept and offering (e.g. tailor slide deck for funders/clients, internal alignment)

• Lead the positioning of the Climate Contribution Fund within South Pole and in the market

• Engage with KAMs, consultants, clients and external stakeholders (e.g. WWF, AEK) to make sure we have broad support and funding prospects, and feed insights back into the fund development and set-up process

• Secure one or several anchor funders/clients

• Engage with CI team to make sure what we propose to clients can be implemented

• Evaluate whether existing entity (LRF, gGmbH or Belgium entity) can be used for fund set-up or another structure would be more suitable/attractive to clients needs

• Present progress to CI and other relevant boards (incl. approval for further steps)

• Once decision is taken to formally set up the new fund, co-create the statutes and guidelines, and put together governance bodies

• If time, start to strategize about our offering on
  • 
    
  • Scope 3 Climate Funds (inside and outside the Contribution Fund
    
  • Corporate Climate Funds(inside and outside the Contribution Fund)
    
  
  

Potential later stage responsibility after set-up of fund:

• Manage the fundraising activities, i.e. actively contributing to the business development activities of the funds in line with clients’ needs, with support from other internal teams (KAM, Fundraising & Partnerships, Platforms).

• Potentially co-manage the fund, which would include
  • 
    
  • Oversee the management of the funds enabling clients to contribute to a planetary net zero target by supporting climate projects/ventures or beyond their own value chain transition.
    
  • Together with investment experts (from CI BL), management of pipeline development, project assessment, due diligence, and preparing investment memos for the investment committee.
    
  • Where appropriate, identify technical assistance needs and manage the implementation of related tasks.
    
  • Executing investments and portfolio management, supported by legal and technical specialists in a multi-stakeholder and multi-geographies context.
    
  • Organise board and committee meetings, and oversee reporting.
    
  
  

Requirements:

• Extensive experience in corporate sales and/or consulting at South Pole

• Profound experience in the coordination of multi-stakeholder projects within South Pole, but also with external stakeholders

• Excellent stakeholder and client management skills, including ability to lead contract negotiations

• Broad network among corporate clients and substantiated knowledge about corporate opportunities, needs, requirements/aspirations in regards to their climate targets

• Good knowledge of the public debate around beyond value chain mitigation, carbon markets, climate contribution, NDCs

• Experience with developing new client offers, ideally in the area of investments and funds

• Add-on: Experience or knowledge in the impact investing space and/or project implementation in the climate change mitigation area

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation. 

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make and South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.