Summary
Date Posted: Friday, October 07, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Head of Sustainability

Job Summary
To provide managerial support in the development and implementation of business enablement planning, service delivery processes, methods and techniques; enabling the provision of well-researched information to inform organisational decision making.

Job Purpose
• Develop a corporate sustainability and citizenship strategy
• Manage and oversee execution of strategies that support sustainability and citizenship agenda
• Communicate and coordinate with management, shareholders, customers, and employees to address sustainability and social impact issues.
• Support establishment and implementation of the Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework across the bank.
• To manage and coordinate the in-country citizenship and community investment programmes, working closely with the AGL teams to ensure alignment to the RI’s strategy.

Key Accountabilities
Strategy Formulation & Implementation
• Develop the Sustainability and Citizenship strategy for the company aligned to the frameworks and policies we have signed up to and to the AGL Role in Society (RiS) strategy
• Ensure implementation of appropriate Group Sustainability Framework policies throughout various business units and continuous refinement
• Lead the strategic sustainability and citizenship mapping process for departments and functions
• Research on new sustainability thinking to match to the business needs and ensure that Absa stays ahead of the curve
• Collaborate with functional representatives and sustainability champions to manage citizenship and sustainability plans and strategies, execution timelines and deliverables
• Ensure quarterly reporting on progress of implementation of agreed sustainability and citizenship action plans.
• Enhancing the Banks environmental and social credentials and representing the approach and strategy to both internal and external audiences
• Identify and manage actual or potential reputational risks.
• Communicate the business value of sustainability citizenship activity, creating awareness regarding its importance and impact.
• Implement the community investment strategies and sustainability, aligned with the AGL brand, governance and reporting frameworks, driving market differentiation for the business.
• Design and oversee the implementation of employee engagement programs, for example fundraising and employee volunteering programs.
• Prepare and deliver reports on the performance of citizenship investment activity results across the business.

Partnerships and Stakeholder Management
• Build trusted and value adding partnerships, in a proactive and commercially astute manner to enhance our agenda locally, regionally, and even globally.
• Maintain relationships with the business community, government, regulators, and other key stakeholders
• Appraise and create meaningful and sustainable relationships with suppliers and related structures through meetings, stakeholder networking events and programme partnerships
• Manage and ensure that the reputation and image of Absa is protected at all time
• Development the partnership engagement framework for the team
• Lead the strategic partnership mapping process for the team to ensure mutuality
• Collaborate with the partners to ensure that the purpose agenda stays top of mind

Governance, Reporting and Strategic Programs
• Develop and constantly evaluate progress and status of implementation of formulated projects and programmes evaluating the return on investment
• Oversee the formulation, implementation and review of Absa’s sustainability and citizenship programme and projects aligned to RiS, SDGs, PRBs, UNGC among others
• Continuous engagement with the internal stakeholders to keep them abreast of Sustainability issues
• On behalf of Absa management oversee the development of the sustainable business report / sustainability report
• Manage and address all in-country and regional compliance requirements.
• Manage the embedding of all Head Office and regional governance policies and procedures for the function in the region including the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy requirements as well as the risk and controls for the directly held investment budget and employee programmes budget supported by AGL Citizenship
• Work closely with Finance and Reporting/Analyst to deliver regular governance reports for Leadership
• Embed and implement the monitoring and evaluation framework to understand and capture the social and business impact of both the sustainability and citizenship programmes

Thought Leadership and People Management
• Consistently monitor next frontier sustainability thinking, environment management and environment regulations of strategic interest and provide input on changes taking place in the industry
• Research on new areas that Absa can gain strategic advantage over its competitors
• Positioning of Absa’s sustainability portfolio locally and globally through contribution and participation fora to shape thought leadership in both sustainability and social impact
• Ensure that the team is exposed to trainings in the relevant skill area to enable them to discharge their duties adequately.
• Ensure that the team works in harmony to deliver the key objectives
• Undertake all talent management activities and routines that ensure a team that is continuously engaged, rewarded and developed
• Monitor the performance of all team members and support department head in providing on-going feedback

Role/ Person Specification
Education and experience required
• Business related Degree in Sustainability / Commerce and/International Relations or Environmental and Social Management, or equivalent NQF level 6 qualification or Higher.
• Experience in Sustainability (Environmental Risk and Social discipline, preferably in financial sector.
• Experience in a Citizenship or Community Investment role
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)

Knowledge and skills: (Maximum of 6)
• Ability to recognize and address overall Sustainability (environmental and social risks, implications and impacts:
• Thorough understanding and practical experience of Sustainability management and financial products.
• Extensive understanding of the environmental arena, including legislative (both existing and emergent), social and market developments, regarding environmental
• issues, technical issues, industry issues and the implications of all these
• developments for the bank’s customers, employees, stakeholders and shareholders.
• Membership and active participation in appropriate industry associations and bodies

Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)
• Deciding and initiating action
• Learning and researching
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Relating and networking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Persuading and influencing
• Creating and innovating


Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

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