Vacancy
Assistant Specialist — Climate and ESG
Reports to
Chief Underwriting Officer
Department
Underwriting and Portfolio
Type
Full time
Location
London
Overseas travel
Occasional
Closing date
Role description
As part of the Underwriting and Portfolio Team at DGG, you will play a central role supporting the delivery of climate and ESG assessments across DGG's guarantee portfolio, including both the Green Guarantee Company (GGC), focused on mobilising private climate finance into emerging markets, and SAFE, focused on financial inclusion and MSME lending, when this guarantor is launched later this year.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with 4–6 years of demonstrated track record and genuine grounding in climate science, climate finance or sustainable investment – and the intellectual curiosity to apply that in a credit and guarantee context. The successful candidate will develop deep expertise in transaction-level impact and ESG assessment within a pioneering development finance organisation.
Existing familiarity with recognised green taxonomies and certification standards, such as the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) framework, is advantageous. Prior formal ESG due diligence experience (e.g. applying IFC Performance Standards) is not required, but candidates should demonstrate either relevant exposure or a clear and credible commitment to building this capability quickly working alongside DGG’s HSES Specialist.
Responsibilities
Transaction screening and due diligence — 60% of time (estimated)
Own end-to-end technical input into new guarantee transactions, policies, or reviews from a climate and ESG perspective across DGG's portfolio, including GGC climate finance transactions and SAFE microfinance guarantees.
Apply relevant eligibility frameworks to assess transaction suitability, including Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) criteria and GGC mandate requirements for climate transactions, and relevant impact indicators and social finance standards for SAFE and other non-climate transactions.
Support the DGG Climate Specialist and HSES Specialist to undertake due diligence of transactions from the climate and impact perspective, through discussions with clients, requesting and reviewing information, researching, liaising with external consultants, site visits etc. to establish alignment of transactions with the guarantor’s mandate and risk appetite.
Support origination, structuring, and execution functions through effective collaboration and understanding of relevant debt and guarantee documentation. Liaise with transaction teams to collect, review, and analyse climate and ESG-relevant data and documentation required for screening; identify and escalate gaps promptly.
Draft sections of climate impact and ESG assessments for internal transaction memos, drawing clear and well-evidenced conclusions from available data; present confidently to the Impact and Credit Committees.
Present climate and ESG analysis to the Impact Committee, responding clearly to queries and progressing actions from the meeting to achieve approval from the Committee.
Input into transaction documentation, including contributing to climate impact and ESG-relevant sections of term sheets, investment memos, and monitoring frameworks. Coordinate with legal, credit, and operational teams during transaction onboarding to ensure impact and ESG requirements are properly reflected in deal documentation.
Assist in writing up the Terms of Reference for third-party climate and ESG due diligence consultants, selection process and reviewing outputs from the consultants, summarise key findings and recommendations for internal use.
Identify material ESG considerations, supporting the integration of E&S requirements into transaction documentation and monitoring frameworks.
Portfolio monitoring and reporting — 35% of time (estimated)
Own borrower relationships and ongoing monitoring and data collection of relevant climate, impact and ESG performance, escalating issues proactively. Track borrower performance against agreed impact indicators and flag any material changes, underperformance, or data gaps to the wider team.
Support the CBI certification process for GGC's guarantee portfolio, including preparing and organising documentation for submission and engaging directly with third-party verifiers on certification and post-issuance reporting requirements.
Assist in the preparation of impact and ESG reports for internal stakeholders, committees, guarantors, and regulatory or investor reporting purposes.
Coordinate with third-party verification bodies and external consultants to obtain and validate climate impact performance data, maintaining accurate and well-organised records for audit purposes.
Support portfolio reviews by preparing clear data summaries and analysis that translate complex impact metrics into accessible insights for non-specialist audiences.
Contribute to the development of internal impact reporting tools, templates, and guidance as DGG's portfolio and reporting requirements grow.
Support DGG communication with shareholders and accredited entities on portfolio E&S risks and impact performance on a quarterly and annual basis.
Stakeholder engagement — 5% of time (estimated)
Work closely with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate improved understanding and integration of material climate impact considerations into decisions throughout the transaction selection process, covering both risks and opportunities.
Build confidence and expertise to effectively represent DGG and the guarantors at conferences and events. Develop a grounded sense of market best practice on green financings and ESG integration, through own initiative and attendance at relevant events, and share insights internally.
Skills and experience
Background and experience
4–6 years experience in one or more of the following: climate or sustainability consultancy; climate or impact finance; impact measurement; ESG research or reporting in a transaction and investment context; development finance operations; portfolio monitoring within an investment or fund management context; or green/sustainable bond verification and assurance.
Exposure to transaction-level work in finance, consulting, or international development, including supporting due diligence, document review, or reporting processes is desirable.
Some exposure to social impact or financial inclusion topics (microfinance, inclusive finance, development outcomes), or an interest to learn, would be beneficial given the breadth of DGG's portfolio.
Climate knowledge
A genuine interest in climate change and its intersection with finance and development — demonstrated through study, work, or extracurricular engagement. • Experience with GHG accounting principles and methodologies, climate adaptation and resilience impact pathways, and/or project-level climate risk assessment is required.
Familiarity with key climate frameworks including the CBI taxonomy, ICMA Green Bond Principles, Paris Agreement goals, and climate-related financial disclosure standards (e.g. TCFD) is advantageous.
Willingness and ability to develop technical climate expertise, supported by structured mentorship from the DGG Climate Specialist.
Impact and ESG knowledge
Working knowledge of impact measurement frameworks and standards, such as the Impact Management Project (IMP), IRIS+, the Operating Principles for Impact Management, or results-based frameworks used in development finance would be highly beneficial.
Familiarity with and/or commitment to developing working knowledge of E&S risk management approaches relevant to investment or lending contexts, such as the IFC Performance Standards or Equator Principles, would be advantageous or a willingness to learn.
Experience or interest in advancing gender equality through including gender focused elements in transactions and encouraging 2X alignment at clients’ organisations would be beneficial.
Analytical skills
Comfortable working under demanding timelines in a transaction-driven environment, maintaining rigour and accuracy under pressure.
Strong attention to detail and ability to work accurately with data, impact metrics, and structured information across multiple concurrent workstreams.
Comfortable working with spreadsheets and quantitative data, and able to prepare clear, well-structured written summaries, assessments, and reports.
Capacity for independent thinking, able to identify issues, draw conclusions from available evidence, and use judgement about when to escalate.
Communication and interpersonal skills
Able to communicate complex concepts clearly and simply, translating technical information into accessible language for non-specialist audiences, including transaction teams and internal committees.
Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships quickly across a small, dispersed team and with external advisors, consultants, and counterparties.
An active listener who seeks to understand before responding, and who asks the right questions to gather information effectively from colleagues and external stakeholders.
Education
A postgraduate degree in a relevant field is preferred, examples include Environmental Science, Climate Change, Sustainable Finance, International Development, Economics, Geography, or a related discipline.
An undergraduate degree in a relevant field combined with strong professional experience will also be considered.
Relevant professional qualifications or certifications (e.g. CFA ESG Certificate, climate finance qualifications, GHG verification or climate adaptation and resilience credentials, IEMA membership, ESG analyst certifications) are advantageous.
Languages
Excellent written and spoken English is required. Additional languages are advantageous.
Desired behaviours
Independent and able to cope with the unstructured and entrepreneurial nature of a growing organisation, and to find creative solutions where processes are still being established.
Curious and eager to learn, with a genuine interest in climate, impact, and development finance, and the drive to develop deep expertise over time.
Proactive and self-motivated, takes ownership of tasks, follows through without constant direction, and raises questions or flags issues rather than waiting to be prompted.
Humble and open to feedback, willing to develop skills and refine approaches with guidance from more experienced colleagues.
Resilient and adaptable, comfortable operating in a small start-up environment with evolving priorities and ambiguity.
Detail-oriented and rigorous, taking pride in the accuracy and quality of analytical output across both climate and broader impact workstreams.
Comfortable working across multiple concurrent workstreams and deadlines in a transaction-driven environment, maintaining accuracy under pressure.
Inclusive and collaborative, contributing positively to a non-hierarchical, considerate, and empathetic team culture.
Committed to the mission of mobilising climate and development finance for emerging markets and developing economies.
Apply
Please send a CV and covering letter explaining why you are suitable and what attracts you to this role.
MENU