Senior Policy Advisor - Climate Change

About UK Infrastructure Bank

We are the new, government-owned policy bank - launched in June 2021 - providing £22bn of infrastructure finance and partnering with the private sector and local government to finance a green industrial revolution and drive growth across the United Kingdom.

We are looking for skilled and results oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the UKIB into an industry-leading institution. 
 

Job Purpose

This is an outstanding opportunity for an ambitious individual to help shape the direction for the UK Infrastructure Bank, a policy bank set up in 2021 responsible for increasing infrastructure investment on two of the country’s biggest priorities: Climate Change; and regional and local economic growth. The Senior Policy Advisor (Climate Change) will work with Government and our UKIB Banking team to identify and solve problems to enable financing to flow into critically important infrastructure for the net zero transition.
You will manage a portfolio of work on discrete Climate Change policy issues, such as investing in retrofit, heat networks or clean energy, ensuring the Bank’s transactions deliver on our strategic objectives. As part of this you will own relationships with policy leads within Government (especially in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the devolved administrations) to support both policy development and a pipeline of infrastructure deals.
You will work in the Bank’s Policy and Strategy team. It is a friendly, supportive and high performing team made up of a mix of permanent and government secondees, responsible for ensuring the Bank’s multi-billion-pound investments deliver on our strategic objectives. We sit at the heart of the Bank and work with teams across it (including Impact, Banking, Risk), as well as engaging extensively with stakeholders in Whitehall, the financial sector and the net zero and regional growth policy eco-systems.
This role is an opportunity to get stuck into turning policy theory into project pipeline reality, and develop commercial and finance skills which are highly valued in the civil service.

Core Role Responsibilities

• Providing thought leadership on the bank’s approach to developing a pipeline of infrastructure transactions in nascent sectors such as heating, retrofit and circular economy in support of the Bank’s strategic objectives, both independently and through working closely with banking and impact colleagues, drawing on own expert knowledge, evidence and networks.  
• Leading on discrete cross-cutting policy issues as required, producing briefing papers to support decision-making by the Bank’s Executive Committee and Board, and assist in external engagements. This includes spotting key issues, risks and opportunities, then working with other functions across the Bank to identify and recommend ways forward.  
• Lead on developing and coordinating strategic relationships with key public sector stakeholders (including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, other government departments and devolved administrations) to support opportunities where policy levers can align with the bank’s financial products. 
• Leading on the appraisal of individual investment proposals against the Bank’s strategic objectives and supporting due diligence processes on transactions. Includes working closely with banking, local authority, impact, comms and risk functions, and leading the drafting of the policy section of investment committee papers. 
• Supporting wider work to establish an effective policy function which is well integrated and influential across the Bank. Being flexible and agile to evolving team needs; and, supporting other colleagues in the team where needed.
• The role reports to the Head of Climate Change, and given the breadth of the Climate Change agenda the team work flexibly to ensure the Bank can deliver on our strategic objectives, and will also take account of the interests and expertise of the successful candidate.  

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience of Climate Change and Net Zero policy issues (ideally through working in a government department or the wider public sector)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience of digesting, analysis and communicating complex information succinctly and persuasively (for example: briefings and presentations). 
• Experience of strategic coordination remits, well organised, motivated and able to work flexibly and at pace, while prioritising across multiple responsibilities to produce high quality outcomes.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external colleagues (in particular government departments), influencing effectively.
• Many of the sectors the bank supports are nascent investment sectors and we are aware that for this reason no one will have all the expertise of a ‘perfect candidate’ – what is needed is to demonstrate how you’d put your skills, experience and passion for Climate Change and net zero into practice.

A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do. 

We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience.