Executive (Environmental and Social), Responsible Investing (12 Month FTC)

About BII

British International Investment is the UK’s development finance institution, owned by the UK Government. With a mission to solve the biggest global development challenges, we aim to create a virtuous circle of investment and impact. Your contribution will be essential. 

It won’t be easy: we do the hardest work in the most complex markets. Be prepared to test your skills, get creative and say your piece as you take on high-profile work as part of a diverse team of exceptionally smart, passionate people. 

In return, you can take your career to all-new places in a culture that rewards curiosity and collaboration, and balances high performance with wellbeing.

BII at a glance

75 years supporting sustainable business growth in developing and emerging markets

£8.1 billion in net assets

1,400+ businesses invested in

950,000 workers in the businesses we support

£9 billion in new investments planned in the next 5 years

600+ people in our diverse global team

3 key development objectives: Productive | Sustainable | Inclusive

Overview

The Responsible Investing (RI) team sits within the Impact Group and plays a crucial role in reinforcing BII’s reputation as a responsible investor. The team ensures BII meets its regulatory commitments and drives higher standards in financial crime risk management, corporate governance, and environmental and social practices across the private sector.

 

The RI Team is structured into three sector teams aligning with our investment pillars: Financial Services (FSG), Infrastructure & Climate (I&C), and Industries, Technology & Services (ITS). It is made up of Business Integrity (BI), Corporate Governance (CG), and Environmental & Social (ES) specialists, focusing on the management of a range of risk-related topics. The team collaborates closely with investment colleagues to ensure BII’s Policy for Responsible Investment (PRI) is effectively applied throughout all transactions and portfolio companies. The RI team is responsible for shaping and operationalising the PRI, ensuring it remains fit for purpose in BII’s investment activities. With professionals based in the UK, India, Nigeria, and South Africa, the team manages investment assessments, portfolio oversight, capacity building, issues management, and market-shaping initiatives that drive improved responsible investing standards and add value across BII’s portfolio.

An Executive in BII’s RI Sector team will have a direct reporting line to a Manager in the team.

 

Purpose

An Executive in an RI sector team will lead the Responsible Investing workstream for both pipeline and portfolio stage transactions, with a particular focus on Environmental and Social risk management. This will include supporting the operationalising of the PRI requirements, fostering a positive team culture, contributing to professional development of team members, thought leadership and market shaping work.

 

This role provides maternity cover within the Environmental & Social (E&S) workstream and will support both pipeline transactions and portfolio management, working closely with investment teams and portfolio companies to manage E&S risks and drive value creation. The successful candidate will be expected to take ownership of a live portfolio and pipeline, ensuring continuity of relationships and delivery during the cover period.

 

Responsibilities

Transactional Leadership & Oversight

· Take ownership of a defined live portfolio across relevant sectors, ensuring continuity of E&S oversight, investee relationships, monitoring activities and internal reporting during the maternity cover period.

· Lead and conduct Environmental and Social due diligence for pipeline and portfolio investments, providing clear analysis and recommendations to investment teams and senior management.

· Serve as a key liaison between the RI and Investment teams, interpreting and operationalising BII’s Policy for Responsible Investment (PRI) with a particular focus on E&S governance but also some latitude to look at BI and Corporate Governance issues.

· Monitor the portfolio for E&S issues, supporting relationship management with investees and fund managers. Including serving as a BII E&S representative on ESG Panels for investees

· Escalate material risks or incidents as appropriate, ensuring robust risk management and compliance.

· Provide proactive portfolio risk monitoring, including identification of emerging E&S risks, recurring themes, material incidents, underperformance and opportunities for value creation.

· Lead or contribute to quarterly portfolio reviews, synthesising E&S performance, risks, incidents, action plan progress and escalation points for RI and Investment teams.

 

Operational Support & Issues Management

· Maintain accurate data and records in line with internal procedural requirements.

· Coordinate responses to significant E&S incidents, complaints, policy breaches or reputationally sensitive matters, working with RI colleagues, investment teams, legal and communications where relevant.

· Track implementation of corrective actions and ensure issues are documented, followed up and closed in line with internal procedures.

 

Stakeholder Engagement & Thought Leadership

· Support and contribute to thought leadership in RI themes across target geographies as needed, particularly climate and environmental themes.

· Collaborate with the Head of RI, Team Heads and Managers, and relevant stakeholders on strategically important initiatives, ensuring commercially relevant and precedent-setting positions are well articulated.

· Support the development of briefing materials, case studies and other materials that showcase how E&S or BI&CG business practices contribute to commercial and impact success.

· Support investees in strengthening E&S management systems, governance structures, reporting practices and capacity to manage priority E&S risks.

 

Develop broader cross disciplinary RI understanding

· Develop cross disciplinary RI competencies via learning by doing, formal and informal internal and external training, and proactive engagement with others in RI team.

· Provide opportunities for others to develop competencies across different RI disciplines.

 

Regional Element

· Support/coordinate RI inputs to regional strategies and investment pipeline, on occasion, meeting with prospective investees to introduce BII’s RI requirements and value creation approach.

· Actively manage relationships with key internal local stakeholders (e.g. investment deal leads), and external consultants and investees as required. Investee relationships may be held across all sectors (FSG, I&C and ITS).

· Develop knowledge of local regulations, trends, listing requirements, industry associations, sustainability/compliance headwinds and market intelligence and regularly share with RI team.

· Provide regional E&S expertise, particularly for Southern Africa and wider African markets, including insight into regulatory developments, operational realities, sector trends and market practice.

· Foster a strong team culture and act as a culture carrier for RI team.

 

Background, skills, aptitude

Essential Skills & Experience

· Significant experience in identifying, assessing, and addressing environmental and social risks, preferably within private equity or development finance in Africa.

· Strong understanding of the IFC Performance Standards and other E&S frameworks.

· Strong understanding of operational realities and practicalities on E&S in Africa

· Proven ability to conduct E&S-focused research and due diligence, both remotely and onsite.

· Knowledge of relevant E&S laws and regulations.

· Excellent research, analytical, and report-writing skills.

· University degree (postgraduate qualification preferred) in a relevant discipline.

 

Technical Skills

· Knowledge of E&S management systems and controls, and how these can be practically applied in operational settings, particularly for private equity.

· Experience in delivering E&S risk management and value addition to a wide range of clients.

· Experience in developing and evaluating E&S programmes and risk assessment frameworks.

· In-depth knowledge of BII’s target geographies and/or priority sectors of investment, with a focus on Southern Africa.

 

Leadership & Influence

· Able to influence and steer senior business leaders on aspects of responsible investing and impact value drivers.

· Effective negotiation skills, including the ability to be persuasive as well as to listen and pragmatically identify when compromise is required.

· Demonstrated ability to independently manage and prioritise a busy and diverse workload with a range of deliverables for a variety of stakeholders.

Risk Management

· Experience in identifying and proposing solutions to complex risks/issues management related E&S or BI&CG topics in investments and demonstrating ability to support broader reputational risk assessments.

· Able to identify the sources and drivers of RI and to develop and implement prevention and management solutions of such risks.

 

Communication & Presentation

· Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, including report writing, use of PowerPoint and diagrams to present information in a concise format.

 

Personal Attributes

· Comfortable with the imperfect and able to draw on prior experience to navigate complexity.

· Able to think critically and consider priorities and proportionality when proposing approaches or solutions

· Enjoy working as part of a team, collaborating and coordinating where appropriate.

· Able to support and mentor colleagues, as well as to take on board feedback and advice

· Flexible and agile work style, with the ability to work on multiple workstreams/topic areas as required

· Strong team player who enjoys working as part of a close team and is willing to collaborate and support the team on a variety of different initiatives and tasks

· Demonstrable alignment with BII’s mandate, mission, and values.

 

Our cultural values

We look for team members who aspire, as we do, to work at our best and to be:

 

· Impact-led, commercially rigorous

· Tenacious in the face of challenges

· Collaborative and caring

 

British International Investment is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background.

 

Please provide a cover letter with your application

Salary: Competitive