ESG Manager

Acumen is looking for an ESG Manager to support the ESG work of our Legal team based in Lagos, Nigeria.  This is an outstanding opportunity for someone with experience with the policy requirements of ESG investing, data collection, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.

About Acumen

Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, and social innovators working together to build a world based on dignity. We were founded by Jacqueline Novogratz on the radical idea that business, when cultivated with moral imagination, can break the cycle of poverty. We invest in transformational companies, build sustainable markets, and prepare leaders with the tools they need to create a more just and inclusive future. Since 2001, we have scaled companies and shaped markets in some of the hardest-to-reach communities on the planet, impacting over half-a-billion lives. 

About the role:

Acumen has international and institutional funders that provide both grants and equity financing for its funds. Our off-grid energy initiatives require Acumen’s management of their ESG policies, ESG portfolio management, and monitoring. Acumen is seeking a Manager who will support investment teams with ESG due diligence, ESG portfolio management, post-investment support, policy implementation, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and ESG capacity building.

Accountabilities include:

• Managing ESG policies and procedures for off-grid renewable energy initiatives including ESG due diligence, procurement for environmental and social impact assessments, transaction support, Environmental and Social Action Plan development, and environmental and social monitoring and reporting
• Providing climate risk and vulnerability analysis for investments across East, West, and Central African markets
• Supporting ESG monitoring and reporting across various funds, including policy design and implementation
• Support a right-sized approach to ESG activities across Acumen’s West African investments in energy and agriculture
• Co-developing new resources for various funds including trainings and templates
• Reporting on US, UK, and EU ESG and climate regulations and providing recommendations around implementation and disclosure
• Synthesizing ESG data and narrative into clear insights, supported by evidence, with recommendations for action
• Ideating and testing different systems for gathering ESG insights and impact from Acumen’s portfolio

Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in ESG investing, impact investing, or sustainable finance.
• Experience working with renewable energy and off-grid solar companies in Africa
• Bachelor's degree with a focus on social enterprise, sustainable finance, or international development.
• Strong understanding of ESMS and ESG policies, procedures, metrics, standards, and Scope 1, 2, and 3 calculations across sectors
• Strong ability to take initiative with research and analysis and produce valuable results in conditions of uncertainty
• An investigative mind and an ability to synthesize disparate data to draw conclusions and propose recommendations
• A sense of proportionality in determining practical approaches to requirements with a focus on substantive value add and beneficiaries
• Strong project management and stakeholder management skills and experience managing internal teams towards a common objective
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to set up efficient systems for managing data, processes and information 
• Strong writing and presentation skills
• Commitment to and enthusiasm for Acumen's mission, and respect for our core values: generosity, accountability, humility, audacity, listening, leadership, integrity, and respect
• Ability to thrive when there is ambiguity, remain cool-headed when there are unexpected obstacles, and withstand the tests of a rapidly changing environment with resilience and resolve
• Permanently authorized to work in Nigeria

Deadline: Candidates are encouraged to apply early as applications will be reviewed and interviews held on a rolling basis.