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Principal Product Development Manager

EBRD - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - 03 July 2009

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Job Description

Reference Number
60011507

Country
United Kingdom

City
London

Department
Banking

Team
Energy Efficiency and Climate Change

Closing Date
18 July 2009

Principal Product Development Manager with EECC team, based London

Background

The Bank’s strategy in the energy efficiency and climate change sector is to further mainstream energy efficiency and climate change-related activities into the Bank’s operations. The objective is to build on the activities already implemented to increase the Bank’s impact (in terms of volume of financing, number of operations, coverage of sectors, energy savings and emissions reductions, innovative financing instruments) and assist the region in improving its energy efficiency performance.
The Bank will in particular scale up its energy efficiency programme (supported with the application of energy audits), roll out dedicated credit lines through banks, develop new products addressing energy efficiency in the built environment and design other innovative financing mechanisms to meet the Bank’s sustainable energy objectives.
 
The Bank has launched the second phase of its Sustainable Energy Initiative (“SEI”) after a very successful first phase. With the increasing global focus on climate change and energy security, the range of activities of the Energy Efficiency and Climate Change (“E2C2”) Team is increasing. The Team is now seeking an additional professional to support the development of new instruments for financing energy efficiency; ranging from i) the execution of studies, ii) development of structures (including execution of specialised technical assistance projects); such structures would include specialised programmes for energy efficiency in buildings based on model contracts and programmatic approaches for targeting small to mid-sized renewables and energy efficiency in industry, and iii) supporting bankers in their client relationship management and obtaining necessary investment approvals.
 
The Principal Manager will also work on marketing and development of SEI projects under existing instruments. The Principal Manager will play a significant role in supporting the implementation of the Bank’s SEI strategy, covering activities across the EBRD countries of operation and will be based in London. He/She will be part of the E2C2 Team, which comprises 20 professionals with backgrounds in banking, finance, carbon markets, energy policy and engineering. He/She will report to the Senior Banker responsible for developing new products but will also have project responsibilities across the range of sectors in which the Bank operates.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

Development of new Financing Instruments
 

• Evaluation of the potential for financing sustainable energy in new markets and sectors and development of appropriate financing instruments for EBRD lending or investment. Such instruments may combine commercial funding with grant funded activities for capacity building and, in some cases, investment components.
• Support the structuring of these instruments, including any investigation/due diligence required for their effective implementation (e.g. regulatory and legal arrangements or technical support) – which may involve development and mobilisation of consultancy assignments to undertake specific tasks – for example to implement Energy Performance Contracts in the public sector which may require legal and regulatory due diligence as well as technical analysis and capacity building support to involved local authorities.
• Support to relationship bankers in presenting and marketing sustainable energy financing instruments to clients (execution of EBRD funding arrangements will be lead by bankers from the relevant teams in the Bank with the Principal Manager as a team member responsible for the energy efficiency supporting arrangements).
• Support to relationship bankers in obtaining approvals for investments based on such financing instruments, including description of investment projects, analysis of impact and an assessment of risks related to implementation.
• Working with the Bank’s Official Co-Financing Unit (which manages relations with donors and the funds they provide to support Bank activities) establish dialogue with donors in order to present proposals and access the grant funds required to allow implementation of sustainable energy investments and their replication in the Bank’s Countries of Operation.

Execution and Relationship Management under existing Financing Instruments

• Work with bankers across sectors (e.g. general industry, natural resources, power, agribusiness, municipal infrastructure, transport) and other staff (including the Bank’s technical experts) to collect further information from clients in order to assess energy use within their operations, appraise planned energy efficiency investments which are under consideration for EBRD’s financing and investigate the scope for additional sustainable energy investments. Provide description of such projects – including scope, capital investment needs and identification of energy/carbon emission savings to support the investment approval process
• Working with the E2C2’s engineering specialists discuss the projects with both bankers and clients, in particular to i) ensure that bankers understand the client’s perspectives and strategy or policies with regard to energy efficiency and how this is reflected in its investment plans and ii) that the client is appraised of all potential sustainable energy investments and their underlying benefits

Essential Skills, Experience and Qualifications

• University degree in business, commerce, marketing or environment/energy resource management or other related fields, preferably at postgraduate level
• Five to seven year’s experience in relationship management and/or project/product development and/or commerce within energy efficiency or business services context
• Experience in working with industry and/or the public sector would be an advantage
• Strong interest in the environmental and energy sector and public policy issues associated with the countries of central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, in particular issues surrounding the Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Russian language skills are not a pre-requisite but would be an advantage
• Very good written and verbal communication skills in English
• Computer literate, in particular with use of Excel

Competencies and Personal Attributes

• Excellent team player with good interpersonal skills, willingness to travel and ability to work independently
• Ability to operate sensitively in multicultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues
• Good relationship management and influencing skills
• Creativity and robustness in pursuit of complex objectives
• Result-oriented, self-motivated, with tenacity to reach goals despite obstacles, enthusiastic attitude and ability for sustained high work level
• An aptitude for combining the ability to manage business relationships and sound commercial judgement with some technical appreciation/acumen.
• An awareness of the climate change agenda and a clear willingness/ability to pursue operations that can be implemented and are mitigating to climate change
• Willingness to travel

This job description is not limited to the responsibilities listed and the incumbent may be requested to perform other relevant duties as required by business needs.

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