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About the job
South Pole is a global climate solutions company on a mission to accelerate the transition to a climate-smart society. Since 2006, we've turned climate action into real-world impact — developing and financing emission-reduction projects, advising organizations on their path to net zero, and building one of the world's largest portfolios of carbon and renewable energy projects.
From our roots as an ETH Zurich spin-off to teams across the globe, we work with Fortune 500 companies, governments, foundations and NGOs to tackle the climate challenge from every angle: carbon finance, renewable energy, sustainable land use, climate strategy and beyond.
Join us and help build a more sustainable future — one project, one partnership, one climate solution at a time.
The role
The Lead, KYC, Risk Governance and ERM owns three interlocking pillars of South Pole's second-line risk function: KYC/AML/ABC review and remediation, Risk Governance (committee reporting, policy and framework ownership), and Enterprise Risk Management (risk identification, assessment and escalation across the group). The role requires a strong generalist grounded in regulated-financial-institution KYC/AML/ABC practice, capable of independently owning committee-facing deliverables and holding their own in Board and executive risk forums. The role reports to the Chief Risk Officer.
What you'll do
KYC / AML / ABC
Lead KYC reviews on South Pole partners and other third parties, ensuring compliance with internal policy and applicable regulatory standards.
Own the design, execution and close-out of KYC remediation plans, including tracking against deadlines and escalating at-risk items to the CRO and relevant committees.
Maintain accurate, audit-ready records of KYC reviews and outcomes; ensure timely reporting to stakeholders and the client vetting/decision-making process.
Work with Finance and Compliance to develop and operate South Pole's transaction monitoring framework for detecting and preventing financial crime risk.
Lead or co-lead training on KYC, financial crime risk (AML/ABC) and risk management requirements for South Pole staff.
Risk Governance
Own governance documentation for the Risk function, including committee Terms of Reference, policies and control frameworks, keeping them current and fit for audit scrutiny.
Prepare and present papers, dashboards and updates to risk committees (e.g. Corporate Risk Committee, Audit & Risk Committee), representing the Risk function's positions directly to senior stakeholders.
Navigate committee dynamics effectively — anticipating challenge, managing competing stakeholder views, and building consensus on risk decisions and mitigation plans.
Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
Support the assessment and analysis of risks, issues and events across the group, and help business owners develop risk-related action plans.
Support the design, documentation and testing of risk controls, including tracking control effectiveness over time.
Undertake horizon scanning on emerging risks linked to South Pole's strategic objectives and carbon market developments, feeding findings into risk registers and committee reporting.
Support ad-hoc risk projects and work closely with internal stakeholders (Legal, Finance, Compliance, Commercial) on cross-functional risk topics.
What we're looking for
Strong, demonstrable track record in KYC/AML/ABC (anti-bribery and corruption) within a regulated financial institution, including hands-on ownership of reviews, remediation and regulatory reporting.
Experience navigating internal risk committee dynamics — preparing papers for and presenting to committees such as Board-level Risk/Audit committees, managing challenge from senior stakeholders, and driving decisions to closure.
Solid generalist risk management background, ideally spanning governance, ERM and financial crime risk rather than a single specialism.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise materials for senior and Board-level audiences.
Comfortable operating independently in a fast-moving organisation, with sound judgement on when and how to escalate.
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.
