Director, Sustainable Finance, Insurance

OVERALL FUNCTION

This role serves on the EDF+Business Sustainable Finance team. EDF+Business is a cross-cutting solutions team that develops and deploys business and investor engagement strategies that accelerate environmental leadership, innovation, and results across industries and supply chains. The Sustainable Finance team, within EDF+Business, leverages and influences the global financial forces that affect a company’s actions to drive positive and equitable climate impact. Those forces can include banks, asset managers, investors, private equity, venture capital, financial policy and regulations, and insurers.

Around the world, insurers are viewed as society’s risk managers, with the role to consider, analyze, manage, and price risk. With climate change as the biggest risk the planet faces, EDF strategically encourages actors in the insurance industry to further integrate economic resiliency and climate action that is simultaneously good for business, people, and the planet.

The insurance sector, particularly the almost $1 trillion property & casualty (P&C) market, is a powerful financial force with a role to play in driving decarbonization, promoting resilience, and accelerating the shift to a cleaner economy. P&C insurers are also under increasing pressure to use their influence to drive change at carbon-intensive companies and align investment portfolios with a more resilient future. Our vision is that by 2030, leading P&C insurers will compete to gain market advantages by addressing climate, reducing emissions from carbon-intensive industries, scaling equitable investment in low carbon solutions, and promoting resilience for people and nature globally.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Sustainable Finance, the Director, Insurance will lead an innovative global strategy aimed at forging partnerships with firms to create and launch new private sector insurance policies, product offerings and bundled services that enhance resilience, and public-private partnerships that benefit people and planet.

The candidate will (1) design, seek approval, and execute strategy that will align insurance business motivations with EDF’s expertise in economics, policy, and science; (2) demonstrate strengths in engaging corporations, understanding the complexities and realities of insurance and pricing; and (3) lead collaborations and manage relationships with insurers, academics, investors, policymakers, community groups, and other NGOs to drive impact. The focus of this role will be U.S., while liaising with other regional teams at EDF to identify global opportunities for collaboration.

The role will work in close partnership with the Sustainable Finance team, the wider EDF+Business team in which Sustainable Finance sits, the EDF Economics team, which leads EDF’s broader insurance policy and innovation work, and other EDF teams as relevant. 

The role will serve on the Leadership Team for Sustainable Finance, advancing team engagement and development, as well as contributing to work planning, budgeting, reporting, and fundraising. This role will also more broadly support EDF’s strategy on leveraging insurance as a tool in driving climate action. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As a member of the EDF+Business Sustainable Finance team, the position’s responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development and execution of a robust private sector insurance strategy that results in evolution within the insurance market to help drive emissions reductions from carbon-intensive sectors and companies and increase uptake of clean energy.
• Leading outreach to property & casualty insurers, including building relationships, presenting newly released insights from the Sustainable Finance team, and deepening dialogue around specific sectors of mutual interest where EDF has expertise.
• Leading private sector engagement within EDF's broader insurance work, including with the Economics team, Marketing and Communications team, and +Business team – and others where relevant across EDF.
• Linking the Sustainable Finance team’s US-based insurance work with EDF’s Regional Teams in Europe, China, and India, where relevant.
• Developing relationship management strategies for different types of partners (insurers, policymakers, NGOs), and formalizing partnerships.
• Partnering with members of the EDF Marketing and Communications team to develop and promote high impact thought leadership that compellingly communicates our analysis, insights, and recommendations to the insurance sector.
• Participating in advancing EDF DEI goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

QUALIFICATIONS

We are seeking candidates who have a demonstrated ability to conduct outreach, communications, and relationship management in sustainable finance or a closely related field.

Candidates must have exceptional interpersonal skills, work collaboratively within the EDF team, and be able to build strategically and mutually beneficial relationships with external players and institutions. You should also have:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s-level degree in business, finance, public policy, or a related field.
• At least 8 years of related work experience, or advanced degree with at least 4 years of related work experience in insurance or climate risk.
• Demonstrated ability to build strategies and drive consensus internally and externally.
• Demonstrated interest in leveraging the private sector for climate action.
• Excellent outreach, communications, and relationship management skills in support of highly visible work.
• Willingness to take initiative and collaborate in project management.
• Ability to multi-task under tight deadlines.
• Attention to detail to ensure consistency and quality of outputs.
• Highly proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other office productivity software.
• Expert writing and editing skills targeted at financial sector audiences.
• Excellent verbal communication, public speaking, and presentation skills.
• Ability to support a multi-disciplinary team, using independent judgment required to plan, prioritize, and organize a diversified workload.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency, and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Proficiency in English.

Duration

This is a 2-year fixed-term position with potential to renew contingent on performance and funding.

Location/Schedule

Hybrid schedule (2-3 days a week) out of one of our EDF office locations in New York, NY; Boston, MA; or Washington D.C. Eligibility to work in the U.S. is required for the duration of this role.

Application Instructions

Along with your resume, please submit a cover letter detailing your personal interest in the role and in EDF. Preference will be given to applications with cover letters and will be strongly considered in the candidate evaluation process.