Goldman Sachs Alternatives - Private Credit Global Head of ESG - Executive Director - London

The Alternatives Private Credit platform invests globally and across the capital structure, seeking to identify attractive risk-adjusted return opportunities across the credit spectrum. The group manages more than $130 billion across all aspects of Private Credit, including investment grade, senior, mezzanine, and hybrid capital, climate transition, and asset backed finance solutions.

This role will support the Alternatives Private Credit’s ESG efforts and serve as a liaison between the Asset Management Private Sustainability & Impact team and the Credit business. This individual will work closely with Credit deal teams to implement the sustainability strategy for Asset Management’s Private’s Credit business, evaluate potential investments from an ESG perspective, ensure that the Credit business is kept up-to-date on ESG regulations that impact the business, and help with data collection efforts and ESG reporting to investors and regulators. The role will collaborate closely with the Credit deal teams, Sustainability & Impact (S&I) team, Fund & Information Management, Fund Managers, Legal, and Compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Lead global strategy, product development, and ESG integration efforts

• Own the development and execution of ESG strategy, processes, and governance across the $130B Private Credit global platform including investment grade, senior, mezzanine, hybrid capital, climate transition, and asset backed finance solutions
• Manage sustainability components of product development from SFDR design and investor diligence to structuring, side letter negotiation, launch, and ongoing oversight in close partnership with the S&I team to ensure consistency across the platform and with firm clients
• Oversee the ESG Integration across the entire Credit investment lifecycle, coordinating with sponsors, deal teams, clients, and internal teams to ensure best practices, commitments, regulations and overall expectations are met and delivered upon consistently, including full completion of IC Memos
• Work with deal teams to conduct asset-level ESG diligence in line with the platform and individual fund commitments; serve as final sign off for transactions allocating to SFDR Article 8 Funds
• Develop and manage the ESG governance efforts for the funds to ensure integration of best practices, proper protocols are developed and followed, and efforts are evidenced and tracked appropriately to ensure AM Private’s Credit funds deliver on their ESG client and regulatory commitments such as SFDR and TCFD
• Support the consistency of ESG integration, goals, and target setting across the alternatives business and the Firm by coordinating with the S&I team, other ESG Business Leads in various investment strategies, Executive Office, and other GS teams

Value creation, regulatory reporting, training and client engagement efforts

• Partner with portfolio companies within appropriate business units on setting and achieving ESG goals, sustainability linked loan KPIs, and progress targets
• Manage annual deal team training, including regular maintenance of materials
• Manage platform-wide process rollout including ESG data collection via a third-party data platform, physical and transition climate risk assessments, SFDR Article 8 methodologies, ESG KPI benchmarking and more
• Oversee client and regulatory reporting/requirements across SFDR, TCFD, UK Stewardship Code, UNPRI, etc.
• Represent the global credit ESG practice to clients and on product roadshows in close partnership with ACF and the S&I team
• Participate in industry initiatives and thought leadership to further ESG in the private markets and credit business (e.g., conferences)
• Work with the AM Private Sustainability & Impact team and Sustainable Finance Group to identify and track investments that are in scope for the firm’s $750bn target for sustainable investing, advising, and financing activity
• Ensure the Credit business aligns with the division’s Paris Alignment with Net Zero efforts and if appropriate, develops the roadmap required to track, integrate and report for investments

Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
• 8+ years of professional experience in the finance sector, preferably in a credit-oriented business
• Demonstrated ability to build and integrate ESG tools and frameworks into the investing process with proven results
• Strong communication skills and professional presence to engage with senior leaders and interface with clients
• Deep understanding of sustainability approaches, frameworks, and reporting
• Experience with key ESG standards including GRI, TCFD, UNPRI, SFDR, SASB, etc., preferred. Familiarity with carbon accounting and climate risk assessments a bonus
• Detail-oriented and thorough
• Ability to work with, and manage, various stakeholders
• Excellent presentation skills and proven ability to connect with different internal teams and be a team player in a fast-paced environment. A commitment to excellence, integrity and collaboration is a must
• Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Environmental Science, Engineering, Sustainability, or related field; Master’s degree in related field preferred
• Strong experience with Microsoft Excel, as well as with business intelligence software and software tools generally is a bonus
  

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