Product Development Manager, Moscow recruitment
Role Overview
The Bank's strategy in the energy efficiency and climate change sector is to further mainstream energy efficiency and climate change-related activities into the Bank's operations. The objective is to build on the activities already implemented to increase the Bank's impact (in terms of volume of financing, number of operations, coverage of sectors, energy savings and emissions reductions, innovative financing instruments) and assist the region in improving its energy efficiency performance.
The Bank will in particular scale up its energy efficiency programme (supported with the application of energy audits), roll out dedicated credit lines through banks, develop new products addressing energy efficiency in the built environment and design other innovative financing mechanisms to meet the Bank's sustainable energy objectives.
The Bank will soon launch the third phase of its Sustainable Energy Initiative ("SEI"). With the increasing global focus on climate change and energy security, the range of activities of the Energy Efficiency and Climate Change ("E2C2") Team is increasing. The Team is now seeking an additional professional in its London headquarters to support the development of new instruments for financing energy efficiency in the built environment, in particular financing energy efficiency improvements through energy performance contracting. This work will involve development and implementation of instruments to finance energy performance contracts as well as preparing and managing supporting studies and dialogue with stakeholders in government, cities, banks and the commercial sector. The Manager will join E2C2's existing Moscow team of two professionals reporting to the Senior Banker for product development in E2C2 based in London. The E2C2 team consists of 30 professionals in total, with other team members based in London, Kyiv, Istanbul and Almaty. The Manager will play a significant role in supporting the implementation of the Bank's SEI strategy in Russia working closely with other EBRD colleagues in Moscow as well as E2C2 team members in the Bank.
Key Responsibilities and Deliverables
Development of new Financing Instruments
· Identify models that can accommodate energy performance contracting (EnPC) in the business of energy efficiency renovations of public buildings (including street-lighting) under the existing Russian regulatory framework.
· Provide analysis of existing legal, institutional and commercial obstacles to EnPC business development and ways to overcome them (by means of adoption of new by-laws and/or amending existing federal or secondary legislation or identifying the scope for enabling regulations at the level of subjects of the Federation or municipalities); and best international EnPC practices and regulations
· Work with technical specialists in EBRD and consultants to help identify which technical solutions used internationally can be implemented in Russia under the existing legal framework governing terms of public contracts given the cost and payback periods of those technical solutions under existing market conditions.
· Engage with technical experts/consultants in outreach to local and international providers of energy efficient technologies as regards presentation of the EnPC business case in Russia.
· Highlight issues or inconsistencies of financing, technical and other terms and conditions of equipment supply contracts of international providers of energy efficient technologies as well as to other kinds of their contracts in respect of their applicability in the Russian commercial and regulatory framework.
· Establish criteria for projects to be implemented as part of the EBRD's technical assistance programme. These criteria could address areas such as, but not limited to, type of energy efficiency measures, extent of energy savings, extent of risk transfer to the private sector, investment requirement, regional location, stage of implementation etc. Develop strategy for identification and engagement of new projects (e.g. through municipalities or through service providers). Initiate engagement with stakeholders where necessary.
· Outline principal terms and conditions of possible energy performance contracts for EnPC business models accommodating best international practices (including those of measurement and verification) as the national legal framework governing EnPC permits and incorporating feedback of stakeholders.
· Support the design, preparation and implementation of financing instruments to enable the EBRD to support and finance EnPC activity in Russia.
· Support the Bank's work on policy dialogue with relevant ministries and other stakeholders in order to support required regulatory reforms to enable EnPC activities to develop in Russia.
Essential Skills, Experience and Qualifications
- University degree in business, commerce, marketing or environment/energy resource management or other related fields, preferably at postgraduate level
- Five to seven year's experience in relationship management and/or project/product development and/or commerce within energy efficiency or business services context
- Experience in working with the municipal and regulatory sectors and/or engineering and construction industry would be an advantage
- Strong interest in the environmental and energy sector and public policy issues associated with the countries of central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, in particular issues surrounding energy efficiency and climate change
- Excellent written and verbal Russian and English communications skills are required.
- Computer literate, in particular with use of Excel
Competencies and Personal Attributes
- Excellent team player with good interpersonal skills, willingness to travel and ability to work independently
- Ability to operate sensitively in multicultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues
- Good relationship management and influencing skills
- Creativity and robustness in pursuit of complex objectives
- Result-oriented, self-motivated, with tenacity to reach goals despite obstacles, enthusiastic attitude and ability for sustained high work level
- An aptitude for combining the ability to manage business relationships and sound commercial judgement with some technical appreciation/acumen.
- An awareness of the climate change agenda and a clear willingness/ability to pursue operations that can be implemented and are mitigating to climate change
- Willingness to travel
This job description is not limited to the responsibilities listed and the incumbent may be requested to perform other relevant duties as required by business needs.