Head of Investor Initiatives

The award winning and highly successful Investor Initiatives team at CDP has an exciting opportunity to take the organisation forward in making a significant impact on the investment community in driving sustainable economies and ‘greening’ financial markets.

CDP is an international, not-for-profit organization providing the global system for companies, cities, states and regions to measure, disclose, manage and share vital information on their environmental performance. Voted number one climate research provider by investors, CDP works with 827 institutional investors with assets of US$100 trillion and 89 purchasing organizations with a combined annual spend of over US$2.7 trillion, motivating companies to disclose their impacts on the environment and natural resources an d to take action to reduce them. Since its launch in 2000, CDP has been built on the belief that transparency and accountability drives positive change in the world of business and investment. We have key hubs in London, New York and Berlin.

Reporting to the Director of Programmes andmanaging a global team of 15 individuals across Europe, North America and Asia you will be working with thematic programme heads on climate change, water, forests and cities, states and regions. This role is critical to CDP as the world’s leading environmental disclosure organisation; and as the leader of this team this is a high profile role where you will be professionally representing the mission and culture of the organisation both internally as well as with key external stakeholders,

The key objectives:

1)Informing and educating investors and financial policymakers through our disclosure programme enabling the shift of capital toward sustainable economies

2)Functioning as a public interface between financial and environmental agencies/organisations

3)Revenue generation through fees, memberships, sponsorships, product licenses or co-development of products.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Development of a five-year strategy and commercialisation plan that delivers an increased number of investors to CDP and improved income from its initiatives
  • Management of a global team of 15 individuals and cross departmental working in multiple geographies to achieve goals
  • Outward facing engagement to include:
  • recruitment of target investors
  • education of CDP data uses
  • chairing and hosting of events
  • face to face sessions and collaborative working with investor organisations, providing thought leadership that positions CDP at the centre of discussions on responsible investment
  • Integration of environmental data into mainstream investment decisions and fiduciary duty
  • Engaging with non-disclosure and carbon action investors.
  • Development of research which positions CDP as a thought leader, providing macro-economic insights and disclosure data analysis.

The successful candidate will be a self-starter who thrives under pressure, who has experience in achieving financial targets and who can work collaboratively with colleagues. You will also have excellent management skills with a track record of developing and motivating high performing teams.

Required skills and experience:

  • Strong experience of the financial services industry. The individual must be able to speak credibly in financial terms to investors and individuals and groups involved in financial policy
  • Ability to balance and use quantitative and qualitative information to achieve the organisation’s goals. The ability to provide both the data and analysis that investors currently require to develop ESG tools
  • Experience and understanding of the investor mindset and motivations to ensure the team is aligned correctly to its market audience
  • Strategic planning and management experience, preferably within a global context
  • Knowledge of environmental issues, particularly those relating to disclosure
  • Excellent communicator with a confident presentation and public speaking style
  • Able to work under own initiative to develop concepts, packages and plans
  • Ability to build and deliver commercialisation plans

Desirable skills and experience:

  • Experience as an external advocate in the change focussed environment
  • Minimum 3 years experience of building, developing and maintaining high performing teams
  • Background in disclosure
  • Foreign languages – Specifically German, French, Chinese
  • Non-profit experience
  • Knowledge of the delivery of investor research and communications
  • Experience of matrix working and/or working within virtual global teams

This is a full time role based at CDP’s Central London office including a limited amount of international travel .

Salary and benefits: Competitive NGO salary, annual discretionary bonus, 24 days’ holiday (increasing to 30), generous non-contributory pension provision, life assurance and others.

Interested applicants must be eligible to work legally in the UK.

To apply please email your CV and a short covering letter along with a skills and experience matching table setting out how you meet the required level and key responsibilities, which should be no more than two pages, to with ‘Head of Investor Initiatives’ in the subject. The deadline is 1700 on the 9th January 2017.