Senior ESG Manager

Africa50 is a pan-African infrastructure investor and asset manager that contributes to Africa's growth by developing and investing in bankable projects, catalysing public sector capital, and mobilizing private sector funding.

Africa50 has raised over US$1 billion so far from 33 African countries, the African Development Bank, two African Central Banks and Africa’s largest pension fund. Africa50 has an independent investment process and seeks to generate commercial risk adjusted returns for its investments across key infrastructure sectors: Energy (including power generation and related parts of the value chain), Midstream gas, Transportation, ICT, Health infrastructure, Education and Fintech.

Purpose of the Role

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Senior ESG Manager to lead the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Climate and Sustainability principles into Africa50’s investment activities. The role ensures responsible investment practices aligned with international standards, regional development goals, and long-term value creation for shareholders.

Reporting to the Director of ESG, Climate and Sustainability, this key position serves as a central point of contact for ESG and impact matters across the investment and project development lifecycle—working closely with deal teams, technical experts, and portfolio managers to embed ESG and impact considerations from due diligence through to project execution and monitoring. The Senior ESG Manager will also engage with a diverse range of internal stakeholders and external partners, including foundations, philanthropies, impact investors, and grant providers.

Principal Responsibilities

Supporting Management and Investment teams, the Senior ESG Officer will have the following responsibilities:

• Overseeing ESG Management System implementation and that the ESG Manual and Policy.
• Overall monitoring and coordination of Africa50’s Corporate Social Responsibility program.
• Execution of Africa50’s internal climate impact monitoring and measurement per the Climate Guiding Principles.
• Ensuring implementation and on-going monitoring and measurement of ESG, Climate and Sustainability metrics to ensure relevant reporting and support to investment teams in their ESG, Climate and Sustainability duties
• Ensuring that staff receive an adequate level of training relating to the Africa50 ESG management system and its implementation (as applicable to their involvement in such activities).
• Overseeing and supporting site visits to portfolio companies including on-site audits, monitoring and evaluation activities, provision of support and training, assessing progress and providing support on implementation of prescribed corrective actions, and reviewing post site-visit reports.
• Responding to significant ESG incidents arising in portfolio companies and ensuring that Africa50 Executive Management and relevant investors are informed of such significant incidents, as appropriate and in a timely manner.
• Undertaking assessments of project lead sponsors’ ESG capability (where the lead sponsor is not Africa50) and advising the Africa50 investment teams as appropriate on areas of sponsor improvement and corrective actions in order to ensure alignment with the ESG Management System.
• Supporting the Africa50 investment teams in their engagement with sponsors, portfolio companies, and other relevant project stakeholders, to encourage and guide all relevant project stakeholders towards achievement of ESG standards that align with Africa50’s ESG, Climate and Sustainability standards.
• Overseeing the appointment and management of third-party consultants for complex ESG due diligence and / or monitoring.
• Assisting, reviewing and signing off with the scoping and execution of complex ESG due diligence and/or monitoring exercises for high and medium risk projects and investment opportunities.
• Contributing to the evaluation of investment proposals, including via investment committee papers and meetings.
• Supporting in negotiations with underlying investments to ensure that ESG rights are embedded in legal agreements, including ESG action plans (where appropriate).
• Overseeing disclosure of key ESG information to relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinating the Board and its sub committees including the preparation of an annual calendar, meeting minutes, meeting packs, and information sharing.
• Supporting in preparing external stakeholders engagement plans, press releases and information packs. Attending when requested speaking engagements, and developing relationships with investors, NGO and civil society organizations, development finance institutions, and industry bodies.
• Collation and compilation of Sustainability report and various stakeholders’ reports

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