Head of Corporate Sustainability (m|w|d) London | Edinburgh

At abrdn, our purpose is to enable our clients to be better investors. 
Clients worldwide trust us to find future-fit investment opportunities to deliver the outcomes they want. Our technology and insight help empower them to make better decisions, while the powerful partnerships we build help to enhance the expertise that we offer. And by enabling clients to invest responsibly, it helps us to build a better world.

We have an excellent opportunity for the Head of Corporate Sustainability to join our team. This is a permanent role and can be based on London or Edinburgh.

Tasks

About the role

This role will design and deliver our corporate sustainability strategy, working closely with key senior stakeholders across our business vectors and functions. This role will be responsible for leading the environmental and social policy, reporting and governance aspects of our sustainability strategy and for ensuring that our Executive team and Board are informed and supported with the right information to fulfil their responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Shaping corporate sustainability strategy and programmes in collaboration with business partners – including our operational Net Zero goals and social priorities.
• Delivering key non-financial corporate reporting in line with best practice and regulatory requirements including Sustainability and TCFD reporting.
• Establishing targets, driving action and measuring progress.
• Leading the education of the business on sustainability trends, tools and techniques.
• Leading our charitable giving strategy and processes, engaging our internal and external stakeholders and ensuring a positive impact on our communities.
• Enhancing abrdn’s reputation through engaging with external stakeholders including clients, shareholders, and suppliers and sharing abrdn’s sustainability priorities.
• Working with colleagues in the communications and brand teams to enable delivery of communication plans to support effective delivery of our sustainability strategy as required (for example PR, events, and internal communications).
• Understanding the bigger picture, and driving necessary action.
• Continually seeking creative and effective ways to deliver sustainability activity.
• Influencing internal stakeholders and suppliers.
• Leading the required resources to enable successful delivery of large scale business change.
• Ensuring that all regulatory, risk, brand and control requirements are met.
• Ensuring that internal resource is fully utilised before external companies are engaged.
• Working closely with colleagues to ensure continuous improvement of activity.
• Working effectively with external partners where appropriate, to ensure delivery to quality, time and budget.

Profile / Your qualification / Your personality

Skills and Experience

• A proven track record of delivering sustainability business practices in a corporate environment, preferably within Financial Services.
• Able to demonstrate your expertise and understanding of global sustainability trends, best practice and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
• Experience developing and implementing sustainability plans for an organisation working with cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrate strong contacts and being well networked within sustainability and environmental circles.
• Support our business in meeting compliance and regulatory requirements in a timely and efficient manner.
• Excellent presentation, organisational and project management skills.
• Experience working in a global matrix environment and driving a culture of agility and innovation.

We are a proud Disability Confident Committed – Level One employer. If you have a disability and would like to submit your application under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire and one of the team will reach out to support you through the application process.

That awaits you

Our Benefits

There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.

When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around, including 40 days annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary, performance based bonus, private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount site amongst many others. You can read more about our benefits here.

Application

We are looking forward to a future with you.

An inclusive way of working
Whatever way you like to work, if you have the talent and commitment to join our team, we’d like to hear from you. 

At abrdn we’ve adopted a ‘blended working’ approach. This approach combines the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, coaching and connecting in our offices with the flexibility of working from home. It enables colleagues to find a balance that works for their roles, their teams, our clients and our business.

An inclusive culture, where diverse perspectives drive our actions, is at the core of who we are and what we do. If you need assistance with your application, or a reasonable adjustment to your interview arrangements – for example, because you are neurodivergent, or have a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental, visible or invisible disability – please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment.  We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance.  We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.

If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.

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Location

18 Bishops Square, GB-E1 6EG, London