Sustainability Head

Job Purpose: To provide enterprise-wide leadership for Zanaco’s sustainability agenda by developing, coordinating and driving the Bank’s Sustainability Strategy and ensuring that environmental, social, governance and climate considerations are embedded into the Bank’s strategy, products, financing activities, operations and stakeholder engagements.

The Sustainability Head will position sustainability as both a strategic business opportunity and a long-term value and resilience agenda, supporting the Bank to leverage on sustainability, develop sustainable finance solutions, strengthen climate resilience, deliver measurable social and environmental impact, and meet evolving regulatory and disclosure requirements.

The role will serve as the Bank’s central sustainability coordination point and technical centre of excellence, working across Business, Risk, Finance, Strategy, Treasury, Credit, Operations, Human Capital, Procurement, Client Solutions and other functions.

Job Responsibilities:

Sustainability Strategy & Governance

• Lead the development, implementation and periodic review of Zanaco’s enterprise-wide Sustainability Strategy, Framework and implementation roadmap.
• Translate the Bank’s sustainability ambitions into clear priorities, targets, KPIs, programmes and accountabilities across the organisation.
• Serve as Secretariat to the Management Sustainability Committee, coordinating agendas, papers, decisions, action tracking and sustainability performance reporting.
• Support Executive Management and relevant Board Committees with appropriate sustainability insights, recommendations and reporting.
• Establish appropriate governance frameworks to embed sustainability responsibilities across business and support functions.
• Develop and coordinate a network of Sustainability Champions across the Bank to support implementation and ownership within individual functions.
• Monitor emerging sustainability trends, regulatory developments and international best-practice and advise Management on their implications for Zanaco.

Sustainable Business Development

· Support the development and implementation of the Bank’s Sustainable Finance Strategy in collaboration with Business, Treasury, Credit, Risk and Product teams.

· Support business units in developing sustainable and transition finance products and client value propositions.

· Support client engagement on transition, decarbonisation, climate resilience and sustainable business models.

Sustainable Capital Markets

• Support the Bank’s Sustainable Capital Markets agenda.
• Coordinate the development, maintenance and implementation of the Bank’s Sustainable Finance/Bond Framework.
• Support Treasury and other relevant functions in the structuring and issuance of:

· Green bonds;

· Social bonds;

· Sustainability bonds;

· Sustainability-linked instruments; and

· Other sustainable funding instruments.

· Coordinate use-of-proceeds governance, allocation tracking, impact reporting and external verification requirements for sustainable capital instruments.

· Support with relationships with external reviewers, verification providers, exchanges, arrangers and other stakeholders supporting sustainable capital market transactions.

Climate Transition & Net-Zero Agenda

• Coordinate development and implementation of Zanaco’s Climate Transition Plan.
• Develop appropriate climate-related targets, pathways and performance indicators.
• Coordinate the measurement and management of the Bank’s operational and financed emissions in collaboration with Risk, Finance, Operations and relevant business units.
• Coordinate implementation of appropriate methodologies, including PCAF or other recognised standards, for financed emissions measurement.
• Work with Business and Risk functions to identify sectors and portfolios requiring transition strategies.
• Support development of sector-level transition pathways and client engagement approaches.
• Coordinate the Bank’s climate adaptation and resilience agenda, including consideration of Zambia’s energy, agriculture, water and broader economic resilience priorities.

ESG & Environmental and Social Risk Coordination

The Sustainability Head will act as the enterprise sustainability subject-matter expert and partner to the Risk function.

Responsibilities will include:

• Support the development and continuous enhancement of the Bank’s ESG and Environmental & Social frameworks.
• Provide technical sustainability expertise to Business, Credit and Risk teams.
• Support integration of ESG and climate considerations into product development, sector strategies, portfolio management and strategic decision-making.
• Monitor emerging ESG risks and opportunities affecting the Bank and its customers.
• Support capacity building across the first line on environmental, social and climate considerations.

For avoidance of doubt: independent second-line E&S/ESG risk oversight, risk appetite, challenge and assurance will remain within the appropriate Risk function. The Head of Sustainability will coordinate the broader enterprise sustainability agenda and work collaboratively with Risk rather than replace its independent risk oversight responsibilities.

Sustainability Reporting, Data & Disclosure

• Lead preparation of Zanaco’s annual Sustainability Report and sustainability sections of the Integrated/Annual Report.
• Establish a Bank-wide sustainability data architecture and reporting framework.
• Coordinate collection, validation and analysis of ESG and sustainability data across the Bank.
• Develop sustainability dashboards for Executive Management and Board reporting.
• Coordinate the Bank’s progressive alignment with applicable and relevant standards and frameworks, including:

· IFRS S1 and IFRS S2;

· GRI;

· ISSB;

· TCFD/TNFD principles, where relevant;

· PCAF;

· UN Sustainable Development Goals;

· UN Global Compact principles; and

· Applicable Bank of Zambia and other regulatory requirements.

• Establish mechanisms for measuring and reporting environmental and social outcomes attributable to the Bank’s financing and programmes.
• Ensure that sustainability disclosures are evidence-based, consistent and subject to appropriate internal governance and assurance.

DFI, Investor & Strategic Partnerships

• Serve as a central coordination point for sustainability-related engagement with Development Finance Institutions and strategic partners.
• Work with Treasury, Business and other relevant functions to identify and mobilise:

· Concessional and blended finance;

· Green and climate finance;

· Sustainability-linked funding;

· Technical assistance;

· Guarantees and risk-sharing facilities; and

· Grant-funded sustainability programmes.

• Coordinate sustainability engagements with DFIs, multilateral institutions, investors, regulators and development partners.
• Ensure effective delivery of sustainability-related commitments attached to DFI facilities and partnerships.
• Identify opportunities to leverage external technical assistance to strengthen Zanaco’s internal sustainability capability.

Social Impact & Zanaco Foundation Alignment

• Work closely with the Zanaco Foundation to ensure alignment between the Bank’s sustainability strategy and its social-impact agenda.
• Develop frameworks for measuring the social and economic impact of the Bank and Foundation’s interventions.
• Ensure clear distinction while maintaining strategic alignment between:

1. Commercial sustainability – sustainable finance and client solutions;

2. Corporate sustainability – how Zanaco operates responsibly; and

3. Social impact/community investment – interventions delivered through the Foundation and partnerships.

• Support the development of strategic programmes in education, health, community development, sustainability and other approved Foundation focus areas.

Operational Sustainability

Working with Operations, Supply Chain, Facilities, IT and other relevant functions:

• Establish targets for reducing Zanaco’s operational environmental footprint.
• Coordinate initiatives covering:

· Energy consumption;

· Renewable energy;

· Carbon emissions;

· Water;

· Waste;

· Paper consumption;

· Sustainable procurement;

· Green buildings and branches; and

· Sustainable technology and infrastructure.

• Develop mechanisms for measuring and reporting progress against operational sustainability targets.

Sustainability Culture & Capability

• Develop a Bank-wide sustainability capacity-building programme.
• Ensure employees understand how sustainability relates to their respective roles.
• Build specialised sustainability capability in priority functions including Business, Credit, Risk, Treasury, Finance, Procurement and Operations.
• Coordinate sustainability awareness and engagement programmes.
• Develop toolkits, guidance notes and practical resources to embed sustainability into day-to-day decision-making.
• Promote a culture where sustainability is understood as part of how Zanaco does business, rather than a standalone CSR programme.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance will be assessed against a balanced Sustainability Scorecard, including:

Strategic

• Delivery against Sustainability Strategy milestones.
• Percentage achievement of annual sustainability targets.
• Implementation of Climate Transition Plan.
• Sustainability governance maturity.

Funding & Partnerships

• DFI/sustainable funding mobilised.
• Technical assistance/grant funding secured.
• Number and value of strategic sustainability partnerships.

Climate & Environment

• Progress against operational emissions targets.
• Financed emissions coverage.
• Renewable energy/energy efficiency performance.
• Climate-transition milestones.

Social & Impact

• Financial inclusion outcomes.
• Women/youth/SME financing outcomes.
• Beneficiaries reached.
• Impact measurement against agreed targets.

Reporting & Governance

• Timeliness and quality of sustainability reporting.
• Compliance with applicable disclosure requirements.
• Quality and completeness of sustainability data.
• Closure of Sustainability Committee actions.
• Sustainability training and capability coverage.

Key Stakeholders

Internal

• Board and relevant Board Committees
• Chief Executive Officer
• Executive Committee
• Client Solutions
• Commercial and Retail Banking
• Treasury
• Finance
• Risk
• Credit
• Strategy
• Operations
• Procurement
• Human Capital
• Legal and Compliance
• Corporate Communications and Marketing
• Technology
• Internal Audit
• Zanaco Foundation

External

• Bank of Zambia
• Securities and Exchange Commission
• Lusaka Securities Exchange
• Development Finance Institutions
• Multilateral development banks
• Investors and institutional funders
• Government Ministries and Agencies
• Sustainability consultants and technical partners
• External reviewers and assurance providers
• Rating agencies
• Customers
• NGOs and civil-society organisations
• Industry associations
  • Academic and research institutions