Sustainability & Reputational Risk Manager - Climate and Thematic (12 month FTC)

This high-impact role is at the heart of M&G’s evolving sustainability risk agenda. Covering climate, nature and wider thematic risks, it offers the chance to engage with senior stakeholders and influence the direction of risk management across the breadth of M&G, staying close to the latest developments in sustainability, regulation and market practice. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys complex, varied and fast-moving subject matter and who can turn technical insight into clear, practical and influential second line challenge. 

Job Description 

This role sits within the Sustainability and Reputational Risk team,  providing SME second line oversight, advice and challenge on climate, nature and other thematic sustainability risks across M&G. It supports effective risk management through clear judgement, strong stakeholder engagement and high-quality written outputs. 

The role helps link climate and nature risk outcomes to business strategy, business planning, risk appetite and key Group priorities. It also supports external reporting, regulatory engagement, climate scenario analysis, emissions targets, nature strategy and independent assurance activity. 

Main Responsibilities 

• Provide SME second line oversight, advice and challenge across the risk management lifecycle, including risk identification, assessment, monitoring, management and reporting, and its integration into relevant business and investment processes. 

• Provide second line oversight, advice and challenge over the Group’s delivery of SS5/25, including implementation, governance and reporting. 

• Support UK SRS materiality assessment from a second line perspective, with a focus on climate and nature risks, impacts and dependencies. 

• Review and challenge climate scenario analysis, including methodology, assumptions, data quality, data coverage, model limitations, second-order impacts, outputs and use in decision-making. 

• Provide second line review and challenge over external climate and sustainability reporting, ensuring content is evidence-based, appropriately verified, aligned to reporting frameworks and best practice, and supports effective management of greenwashing risk. 

• Support oversight of emissions targets, climate commitments and related reporting, including alignment with the M&G Climate Transition Plan. 

• Provide advice and oversight of the development of M&G’s nature strategy, including staying current on nature-related data, frameworks, reporting standards and emerging best practice. 

• Maintain awareness of external climate and nature developments, including regulatory expectations, reporting standards, academic research, industry guidance, data providers and market practice. 

• Contribute to key working groups on climate scenarios, climate transition, nature and regulatory reporting. 

• Write clear risk opinions, assurance outputs and challenge papers for senior stakeholders and governance forums. 

• Support strong controls and processes, recognising their importance in effective risk management, reliable reporting and clear accountability. 

Key Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Strong understanding of climate and nature risk in financial services - Essential 

• Experience and understanding of climate risk management frameworks and processes, including how climate risks are identified, assessed, monitored, managed and reported  Essential 

• Strong understanding of climate scenario analysis, including NGFS scenarios, vendor models, transition risk, physical risk, second-order impacts, model uncertainty, data gaps and data quality challenges - Essential 

• Knowledge of sustainability reporting frameworks, including UK SRS and TCFD and broader climate and nature-related reporting developments - Essential 

• Strong understanding of risk frameworks, controls, governance and assurance - Essential 

• Ability to assess complex climate and nature risk outputs and provide clear, practical second line challenge - Essential 

• Ability to translate technical climate and nature risk issues into clear recommendations, risk opinions and senior-level messaging - Essential 

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence while maintaining an independent second line view - Essential 

• Excellent written communication, including concise risk opinions, committee papers and assurance outputs - Essential 

• Strong analytical judgement, attention to detail and ability to work across multiple priorities - Essential 

• Curiosity and commitment to staying up to date on climate science, nature risk, regulation, data, frameworks and market practice - Essential 

• Relevant sustainability, ESG, risk, investment, actuarial or finance qualification desirable, such as CFA, actuarial qualification, CFA ESG Certificate or equivalent - Desirable 

• Highly self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to work independently, exercise sound judgement, and deliver results with minimal supervision or direction - Desirable