Social Risk Expert
South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.
Risk is a newly created function, which plays a central role in our organisation. The team oversees all risk aspects of the company: carbon projects, financial, people, governance, reputation, data, IT security and many others. The mandate of the team is to identify, assess, manage, mitigate, monitor and anticipate risks South Pole is or could be facing. It also defines boundaries within which South Pole teams can operate by providing guidance and recommendations and escalation procedures.
Job summary:
The Carbon Projects Social Expert role will work within the Carbon Projects Risk team to support the risk analysis of Carbon projects. The successful candidate will be responsible for assessing and managing social risks associated with carbon projects, ensuring that our initiatives not only reduce carbon emissions but also contribute positively to the well-being of local communities.
With this role you will have the opportunity to shape our carbon offset portfolios to the highest quality and assess projects that deliver real emissions reductions and powerful impacts on communities and biodiversity. You will have opportunities to work alongside a passionate group of people looking to upgrade South Pole’s Carbon Project quality standards to the next level.
The role will work closely alongside other teams within the company like the Certificates business line, Carbon Portfolio Management (CPM), Legal, Compliance or Communications
Main tasks & responsibilities:
Conduct social risk assessments for carbon offset projects, identifying potential social impacts and risks related to local communities, indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders
Review due diligence reports and project design documents (PDDs) for selected projects, including proposed mitigation action plans. In specific cases, conduct field due diligence with project managers
Develop strategies and mitigation measures to address identified social risks and ensure alignment with international standards and best practices, including but not limited to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Work closely with project teams, stakeholders, and partner organisations to integrate social risk considerations into project design, implementation, and monitoring processes.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of social risk management measures throughout the project lifecycle, and recommend adjustments as necessary
Develop social related procedures and guidelines for different technologies, including but not limited to land tenure guidelines, FPIC process, stakeholder mapping and engagement, benefit sharing mechanism, etc.
Develop social risk training programmes and train carbon project managers in social risk assessment
Participate in client calls, to present our social risk assessment framework
Stay abreast of emerging social issues, trends and regulations relevant to carbon offset projects and contribute to the continuous improvement of social risk management practices within the organisation..
Requirements:
Essential -
At least 7 years of experience working on social issues, including stakeholder mapping, stakeholder consultation, free prior and informed consent, land tenure, with field experience in sustainability related projects.
Master's degree or higher in social sciences, environmental management, international development, or a related field.
Proven experience of working with communities and relevant stakeholders
Strong understanding of social impact assessment methodologies, stakeholder engagement processes, and international standards such as the Equator Principles and IFC Performance Standards
Methodical approach to work, attention to details, drive for continuous improvement
Proven ability to work across multiple teams and on multi-disciplinary projects
Entrepreneurial, flexible and proactive mindset, willingness to take initiative
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Fluent in English; other languages (e.g. French, Spanish) an advantage
Desirable -
Worked in the global south with sustainability projects.
Worked in a fast-paced company.
What we offer:
At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation.
We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make and South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.
- Department
- Corporate Services
- Locations
- Multiple locations
- Remote status
- Hybrid Remote
-
Work-life balance
From flexible working hours to flexible workplace (home office), with above-average vacation allowances, we strive to make the work and family life puzzle an easy one for our employees.
-
Flexible Vacation Benefits
Options to buy up to 5 extra days of time off.
-
Life Insurance
Available to all employees across the world.
-
Care for your Wellbeing
Access to mental, physical and financial wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Program (TELUS Health).
-
Parental leave
Should any of our employees need to take time off the Iceberg as a result of a new addition to their household, we are happy to be able to offer competitive Paid Parental leave to support them during this time.
-
Compassionate Leave
Sometimes life is unpredictable, and when unfortunate events occur, we want to give you peace of mind so you feel fully supported during this time.
What makes us unique
At South Pole, we are first and foremost a purpose-driven Company. People join us because they believe in our mission and want to be part of a community that fights together for our shared values and beliefs. But that is not the only reason why working at South Pole is such a rewarding experience.
- We know that our vision to help create a greener world is both bold and challenging. To achieve it, we settle for nothing less than the absolute best. We form a Community that is stronger than the sum of its parts.
- Entrepreneurial at heart. It’s not just our founders who are entrepreneurs. We actively promote an innovative mindset at all levels of the organisation, where each and every employee is encouraged to challenge the status quo and empowered to make decisions.
- Growing employees in a growing company. With a team of smart, passionate and engaged colleagues, as well as increasing demand from our clients, opportunities to learn, develop our skills and grow our careers are endless.
- All for one, and one for all! Above all other things, what truly drives our dedication and commitment to our purpose is our colleagues. We learn from each other and grow together. Because that is who Penguins are.
About South Pole
Our story began in Zurich, with 5 friends* in 2002. They had a belief and a vision to shape and change the future of the world through climate empowerment, education and projects with their non-profit organisation; MyClimate. These ‘social entrepreneurs’ went on to pioneer climate change with the introduction of South Pole in 2006*. More than 20 years on, with the support of some of the most passionate and talented entrepreneurs around them, who are empowered to all play their part and with their founding belief in aligning purpose with passion, people and profit, they have created South Pole, an organisation that has gone onto positively impact the lives of over 20 million people across the world through its projects, saving over 20,000 km2 of forests from deforestation.
*Patrick Bürgi, Thomas Camerata, Renat Heuberger, Ingo Puhl, and Christoph Sutter
*2006 Joined by Marco Hirsbrunner and Christoph Grobel
Social Risk Expert
Loading application form
Already working at South Pole?
Let’s recruit together and find your next colleague.