This is a full-time position at grade 4/5 for which the EIB offers a permanent contract.
*internal benchmark: (Associate) Officer / Analyst
Panel interviews are anticipated for February 2023.
Purpose
The Environment, Climate and Social Office (ECSO) leads the definition of the Bank’s climate, environmental and social policies and their mainstreaming through the EIB’s activities (e.g. the development of methodologies, procedures, guidance material, training and other tools) and supports project teams in the social, climate and environmental due diligence of EIB-financed operations.
Working in a relatively small team of climate change experts, the (Associate) Climate Change Adaptation Specialist will provide technical support and training on managing physical climate risk in EIB projects, as well as measuring, reporting and verification of climate adaptation finance. He/she will contribute to the ongoing enhancements of tools and business process required for project-level physical climate risk management across EIB’s sectors of operations, which are tailored to the different EIB’s financial products. The (Associate) Specialist will work closely with colleagues to enhance the quality and the impact of EIB climate adaptation and resilience investments. The Specialist will also assist in identifying opportunities for climate adaptation and resilience investments in and outside Europe and support the implementation of the EIB Adaptation Plan.
Operating Network
Joining a team of Climate Change Specialists, you will report to the Head of Environmental, Climate and Social Policy and you will work on a daily basis under the supervision of the Head of the Climate Unit. You will work on a daily basis alongside other adaptation specialists and interact closely with ECSO colleagues. You will also closely cooperate with the other parts of the Projects Directorate (PJ) as well as with other Directorates, in particular the Operations, EIB Global, Risk Management, Communication and the General Secretariat Directorates.
ECSO’s climate change experts lead the development and implementation of the EIB’s Climate Bank Roadmap and its related Action Plans, including the EIB Adaptation Plan, in areas that include climate awareness, mainstreaming, operational approaches and institutional capacity for climate risk management. They advise project teams through their involvement in pipeline development, technical support with the EIB Climate Risk Assessment System, and quality assurance in the tracking of climate finance. In sector departments, a close link with climate change advisors is key to ensure consistency in climate risk management and climate action reporting. Finally, they develop and organise training and awareness raising events, being a part of ECSO’s Knowledge Sharing Programme.
Building on solid technical expertise in the field of climate change adaptation, the post involves policy and procedures drafting, knowledge management, development of technical tools to support the assessment of physical climate risks, adaptation activities and indicators throughout the EIB project cycle, and other operational tasks. It requires the ability and willingness to travel occasionally.
Accountabilities
- Provide specialist advice on physical climate risk management and climate risk and vulnerability assessments pertaining to individual projects or programmes throughout the project cycle;
- Support the effective implementation of the EIB Climate Risk Assessment System and delivery of day-to-day assistance through the EIB climate risk assessment helpdesk;
- Support the ongoing enhancements of tools required for assessing physical climate risk and adaptation activities in the EIB project cycle, in line with the EU taxonomy on sustainable finance and the Paris alignment framework of the multilateral development banks;
- Ensure effective tracking and accurate reporting of the EIB’s climate adaptation finance;
- Assist in the preparation, design, submission and approval of funding requests for financing from internal and external climate adaptation funds;
- More broadly, contribute to the implementation of the EIB Climate Bank Roadmap, the EIB Adaptation Plan, and the Bank’s commitment for aligning operations with the climate change adaptation goal of the Paris Agreement and the adaptation objective of the EU Taxonomy;
- Provide recommendations on and develop internal procedures and guidance on climate change adaptation for EIB operations;
- Keep abreast of the latest scientific information and conduct research on the impacts of climate change in and outside the EU, associated losses and adaptation solutions in the EIB’s sectors of operations;
- Conduct research on international and industry standards in climate-resilient development in close cooperation with other EIB services, as appropriate;
- Provide input to briefings for Bank’s management on the EIB approach to climate adaptation and resilience;
- Develop training modules and actively participate as trainer in ECSO’s capacity building and awareness raising programmes.
Qualifications
- University degree in a relevant domain, e.g. engineering, economics, environmental or climate science.
- At least 3 years of recent relevant professional experience on climate change adaptation in sectors such as agriculture, water supply, transport, energy and urban development in regions of EIB operations.
- Experience of international practice on climate change adaptation and disaster risk management, including climate risk vulnerability assessment, sourcing of climate data and using climate service tools, dealing with uncertainty and climate risk management in investment decisions.
- Knowledge of international standards for green investment, international climate change policy among multilateral development banks and the UN organisations would be an advantage.
- Knowledge of physical climate risk management and disclosure practice among banks, financial institutions or corporates (for example TCFD disclosure reports) would be an advantage.
- Excellent MS Excel skills and ability to use other standard computer tools.
- Excellent knowledge of English and good command of French (*), including very strong writing skills. Knowledge of other EU languages would be an advantage.
Competencies
Find out more about EIB core competencies here
(*) Unless stated explicitly as a required qualification, a good command of French is not a pre-requisite for hire. As both English and French are however official working languages of the EIB, proficiency in both languages is a pre-requisite for your future career development. Any language clause in your contract must be fulfilled in order for you to be eligible for a promotion (either via the annual appraisal cycle or via an internal selection process). Proficiency is understood to mean the attainment of level 5 of the Inter Institutional language courses, corresponding to B1.2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). The Bank offers appropriate training support.
We are an equal opportunities employer, who believes that diversity is good for our people and our business. We encourage all suitably qualified and eligible candidates to apply regardless of their gender identity/expression, age, racial, ethnic and cultural background, religion and beliefs, sexual orientation/identity, disability or neurodiversity.
Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact the EIB Recruitment team Jobs@eib.org who will ensure that your request is handled.”
By applying for this position, you acknowledge the importance of maintaining the security and integrity of the Information of the EIB Group. In case of selection for the position you agree to comply with all measures (policies, controls, document classification and management) implemented by the EIB Group to prevent unauthorised disclosure of any information or any damage to the EIB Group reputation.
Deadline for applications: 2nd February 2023
