Senior Thematic Research- Climate

At M&G our purpose is to help people manage and grow their savings and investments, responsibly. As a business, we are continuing to take steps towards a sustainable future, delivering better long-term solutions for our customers and clients and identifying new opportunities to make a positive impact for our environment and communities . To help us achieve our vision we're looking for exceptional people who live our values of care and integrity and who can inspire others; embrace change; deliver results and keep it simple.
We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and also offer work place accommodations to ensure you have what you need to effectively deliver in your role.
The role:
The Climate thematic lead is a new role created within the Central Sustainability Office to ensure the effective development, implementation and management of a group climate strategy . This role will support the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) in performance of their responsibilities with regard to climate and will work collaboratively across functions and geographies and will be engaging stakeholders at all levels, championing actions against climate change. They will provide value through applying technical and commercial expertise, supporting delivery of successful outcomes, and challenging where appropriate.
Responsibilities:
The responsibilities of the Climate thematic lead will be to perform key activities:

• Develop and manage the group climate strategy in accordance with best practice , assessing progress continually and providing updates to the team and wider business on the group's climate performance.
• Partner with business unit teams to build robust and coherent climate execution plans, with subsequent performance management
• Lead on the group Climate Transition Plan report for external publication.
• Assessing operations, providing technical expertise, and creating solutions where needed. You will build knowledge and capacity internally and externally with key stakeholders.
• Representing the business' net-zero agenda, and working across business units, being the 'go-to' person for this area of the strategy. Key teams that you will engage with internally include asset management climate, product and research teams, asset owner ESG team, group risk, reporting and finance.
• Ensuring that any environmental reporting requirements are met and that the insight from this reporting is delivered to various stakeholders in a compelling and meaningful way, where data drives positive change.
• Ensuring climate modelling and scenario analysis is factored into decision making and is meeting industry best practice
• Help shape the broader Climate/ Net Zero narrative through a group strategy lens, both for internal audiences, and external audiences in collaboration with the Investor Relations team
• Build relationships to help drive projects and initiatives across the group

Board/Regulatory activity

• Support preparation for internal Board meetings and committees
• Support preparation for meetings with regulators (e.g. PRA, FCA)
• Assist the CSO in ensuring that a robust risk and control environment is maintained in respect of climate, both within the team, and with links to teams external to but on whom reliance is placed (e.g. Sustainability Reporting, Risk, Communications etc.)

You will have:

• Significant experience of Climate strategy development and execution within financial institutions
• Strong net-zero, environmental sustainability, and engagement experience. You will already know how to deliver reporting protocols, training, GHG protocol, net-zero frameworks, and carbon and GHG reduction roadmaps.
• Robust understanding of reporting frameworks such as TCFD, CSRD, SECR.
• Significant experience of influencing outcomes and managing complex relationships at senior level
• Robust understanding of climate modelling and scenario analysis tools
• Passion to influence a large-scale transformation at group level
• The ability to recognise commercial or financial risks, as well as communicate the commercial benefits of the Net-Zero programme
• Excellent communication, presentation, and organizational skills
• Significant experience of providing support to complex, diverse, ambiguous projects
• Significant experience of climate analytical techniques, datasets and methodologies
• Understanding of International Financial Services sustainable regulatory and legislative frameworks
• Understanding of customer, business and markets in terms of sustainability

Role Level: Manager / Expert
Close Date 3rd June 2024
We have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture at M&G plc, underpinned by our policies and our employee-led networks who provide networking opportunities, advice and support for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. Regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, nationality or disability we are looking to attract, promote and retain exceptional people. We also welcome those who take part in military service and those returning from career breaks.