ESG Director

Are you an experienced Climate Change and Sustainability specialist looking to join an ambitious and purpose-driven firm? This is a newly created and unique opportunity to contribute to the development of the responsible investment approach and net-zero commitments of one of the fastest-growing infrastructure fund managers with €9 billion in assets under management globally.

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DIF Capital Partners (DIF) is looking to hire an experienced ESG/Climate Change professional to support the fast growth of their ESG activities and to lead the climate change-related efforts within their diversified portfolio. Since its inception in 2005, DIF has invested in over 200 infrastructure investments in PPP (Public-Private Partnership), renewable energy, telecoms, energy, transportation and other infrastructure sectors in Europe, North America, Australasia, and South America.

The firm manages two infrastructure equity fund strategies as well as a private debt strategy. Each of the infrastructure equity fund strategies follows a well-defined and clearly differentiated investment mandate. From an investment strategy point of view, DIF's investments exhibit one or more of the following criteria: (i) an essential service to society, (ii) robust and defensive business profile and high barriers to market and, (iii) revenue streams which are partly or fully secured by contracts.

DIF is committed to the goal of Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. As a result, ESG forms a fundamental part of DIF's culture and investment approach. In 2020, DIF achieved an A+ / A+ UNPRI (United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment) score for strategy, governance, and infrastructure modules. All the team is trained on ESG topics, and over 87% of investments have specific resources in place to manage ESG factors.

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DIF platform provides global reach combined with a local presence with 175 professionals operating from 10 offices across 4 continents.

About the role:

As ESG Director, you will have relevant experience in the areas of:

• ESG strategy development and implementation within private equity/infrastructure

• Climate change strategies including GHG measurement of assets/companies and practical reduction target setting using science-based methods

• ESG reporting, and development of measurement frameworks.

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You will join the DIF ESG team in Schiphol and work with other colleagues on a global basis.

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Your responsibilities:

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• Net Zero: work with the organisation to develop the net-zero commitments at both as a fund manager and with the ca. 120 investee companies. These activities include driving GHG measurement, development of net-zero business plans, and driving interim and final net-zero targets

• Fundraising: Work with the IRBD team in relation to ESG items in the fundraising (and reporting) process, including Q&As and preparing materials for due diligence meetings while supporting external communication to investors and stakeholders on material developments in the fund's ESG performance and credentials.

• Origination: coordinate ESG screening of new leads with the origination team. You will assist the team in determining ESG due diligence requirements and ensure findings are reported to the Investment Committee

• Asset management: run the ESG Path with the investee companies, engaging with them to measure and improve ESG performance over time

• ESG Reporting: you will be involved in preparing the annual ESG Report, covering the activities DIF has undertaken in the year. ESG KPI development and monitoring

• ESG Compliance: monitor compliance of DIF owned entities for ESG related requirements such as energy audits, modern slavery statements, among others

• ESG Committee: prepare materials for the quarterly ESG Committee meeting

• Training & Events: run and manage internal and external training events, and where necessary speak on behalf of DIF at events

• Knowledge management: advocate on the topic of ESG while identifying best practices and keeping abreast of current events (macro and industry) to constantly improve ESG approach and quality of materials to translate them into actionable improvements in the fund and portfolio companies

• Charitable activities: Support DIF to develop, manage, and monitor their charitable activities as a fund manager

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You will work closely with colleagues to facilitate improved understanding and integration of material ESG factors into their investment decisions throughout the investment lifecycle, covering both risks and opportunities.

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Moreover, you will provide technical ESG assistance and support to portfolio companies, including coaching and best practice sharing.

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Your experience and competencies:

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• Bachelor's or master's degree in either finance, economics, environmental management, or sustainability

• 8-10 years of demonstrable experience in climate change/sustainability gained either in consulting or in an in-house position, within a private market's investor, large corporate, or investment bank

• Ability to influence and catalyse change to improve ESG performance of companies through the application of exceptional interpersonal, relationship building and collaboration skills

• Commercial, creative, and pragmatic thinking about improving ESG practices

• Strong knowledge of computer software applications (MSWord, Excel, PowerPoint)

• A self-starter with a high energy level and a sense of urgency to meet deadlines within an entrepreneurial, and meritocratic business

• Outstanding communication & presentation skills with the ability to build strong relationships internally and externally

• A team player, able to work with professionals from different disciplines and cultural backgrounds, while being capable to operate independently

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This is a fantastic opportunity to join a thriving and collaborative team with a progressive sustainable investing agenda and enjoy a role with a wide remit and tremendous potential for creating impact. Please apply with your CV or reach out to dulce.flores@acre.com for more information.