Myanmar: Sustainable Finance Manager

Position title: Sustainable Finance Manager, WWF Myanmar
Directly reports to: Sustainable Business Programme Manager, WWF Myanmar
Supervises: Project Assistant, WWF Myanmar
Validity: 3 years (with possible extension)
Location: Yangon, Myanmar, with regular national and regional travels

Background

WWF Myanmar was established in 2013 and is working to conserve the country’s biodiversity and build a sustainable future for people and wildlife. The focus is on promoting green economy within national policies, and sustaining and protecting biodiversity and ecological connectivity of the transboundary Dawna Tenasserim Landscape (DTL) through an integrated landscape approach, and the Ayeyarwady river basin through an integrated river basin approach. Find out more at www.panda.org/greatermekong.

WWF has identified the Finance Sector as key to deliver on our long-term conservation mission. We work with key finance sector players (banks, investors, regulators, stock exchanges) to drive business change, advocate for policy shifts towards sustainability, develop best practices and standards, and support innovative financial frameworks and mechanisms that enable on the ground conservation outcomes.

As Myanmar’s financial sector goes through rapid transformation, it is important to ensure it develops in harmony it with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WWF’s conservation targets. This will include embedding environmental risk management in the financial system and working together with public and private partners to develop innovative solutions (such as landscape financing) at scale to incentivise conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.

Major Function

The Project Manager will lead the overall implementation of the Sustainable Finance project that aims to integrate environmental risk management in the financial system and develop an innovative financing solution for landscape financing.

The Project Manager will also play a key role in developing and implementing WWF Myanmar’s overall sustainable finance strategy to ensure that the financial flows are sustainable and harmonize with WWF Myanmar’s conservation targets.

Major Responsibilities

• Develop solid relations and partnerships with the relevant finance sector players
• Develop concrete value propositions, and appropriate reports, guidelines, and tools for financial institutions and regulators to first understand and commit to green finance in Myanmar
• Work with relevant stakeholders to develop a road map for green finance. Based on the road map, develop yearly work plan to implement the project
• Provide capacity building targeted at financial institutions and regulators
• Assess and benchmark local financial institutions’ extent of ESG integration and regulatory standards
• Work with banks and investors to develop responsible lending policies, ESG risk appraisal tools and appropriate monitoring and reporting frameworks
• Manage research on ESG issues and sustainability disclosure and performance by companies
• Work with WWF Myanmar’s teams to support the development of innovative financial solutions such as Landscape Financing
• Monitoring, evaluating, budgeting and reporting of project performance against planned objectives and deliverable and milestones

Contribution to WWF Conservation Targets: Work closely with the Sustainable Business Programme Manager and Green Economy Programme Manager to ensure contribution to WWF goals on finance, forests, energy and water.

Partnerships, networks, communications and advocacy:

• Develop partnerships and establish a network with key stakeholders including relevant ministries, financial institutions and banking associations
• Ensure relations and frequent communication with WWF network offices
• Develop and implement a strategic and operational plan to achieve the objective of the project and to have a communication and visibility strategy in place

Thought Leadership:

• Contribute to WWF global work on finance by providing case studies, sharing theory of change and key successes
• Represent WWF’s Sustainable Finance project in external and internal events, workshops and conferences

Working Relationships

• Internal: Interact on a regular basis with a) Sustainable Business Programme Manager, Green Economy Programme Manager, Conservation Director, Communication Director, Landscape Manager, Sustainable Production Project Manager b) WWF network offices for technical support and harmonization of WWF work c) WWF donor office to report on the progress of the project and on monitoring & evaluation and change request
• External: Interact with relevant ministries, financial institutions, financial regulators, banking association, development banks, international organization and NGOs.

Requirements

• Bachelor and/or Master degree in business, economics or finance or related field
• Minimum 5 years of working experience in finance or green finance
• A good understanding of how environmental concerns relate to business risks and opportunities and what tools and levers could be used at private and public sector level to catalyse green finance
• Ability to analyse ESG issues and level of integration and communicate to financial institution partners
• Ability to provide training on ESG integration to mid level management
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills. Knowledge of Myanmar language will be a distinct advantage
• Prior knowledge of the banking sector in Asia is desirable

General Skill

• People management, coaching and capacity building/development
• Presentation and communications
• Planning and organisation
• Proficiency in MS Office
• Financial management
• Strategic thinking, decision making, report writing
• Problem solving and management of conflict, risk, and crisis
• Monitoring and evaluation

WWF's Mission and Values
It is part of every staff member's terms of reference to contribute to WWF's mission:
WWF’s Mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

• conserving the world's biological diversity
• ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
• reducing pollution and wasteful consumption. It is also part of every staff member's terms of reference to embody WWF's values, which are Engaging, Optimistic, Determined and Knowledgeable.

Interested candidates should email vacancy.mm@wwfgreatermekong.org or send a hard copy cover letter and curriculum vitae in English to 15C, Than Taman Street, Dagon Township Yangon, stating the applied position title. Email application documents should be addressed as Document_Yourfullname.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.