Associate, Sustainable Business and Infrastructure

The Associate, Sustainable Business and Infrastructure will independently deliver defined technical and analytical workstreams supporting the development and implementation of EBRD investments, advisory activities and policy engagements under the GET 2030 agenda. Working primarily across the urban, including water, and transport systems, the Associate will assess and help strengthen the technical, climate and sustainability aspects of infrastructure projects and programmes, including their alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The role will apply systems thinking to connect individual investments with wider infrastructure networks, institutions, markets and transition pathways, and will contribute to the development of methodologies, technical assistance, policy dialogue and knowledge products that support systemic green transition.

The Associate will work within the Sustainable Infrastructure team, supporting infrastructure investments and related policy and advisory activities across EBRD countries of operations. The role will have a primary focus on the urban system, including water supply, wastewater, resource efficiency, waste, urban resilience and integrated urban development. The Associate will work across the interdependencies between these systems and other areas relevant to GET 2030, including energy, buildings, industry, transport, agribusiness, finance, climate adaptation, nature and digitalisation.

The precise balance of work will evolve according to operational priorities and the Associate’s technical expertise. The Associate will report to an Associate Director in Sustainable Business and Infrastructure (SBI) and will work closely with Banking teams, other CSD functions, ESD, Climate Risk, Impact and relevant policy and specialist teams. The role will support a substantial and diverse portfolio of infrastructure transactions and will independently manage defined analytical and technical workstreams across multiple projects at different stages of the project cycle.

Accountabilities include:

• Urban or infrastructure planning; environmental economics is desirable; or another closely related technical discipline.
• Relevant professional experience in the preparation, appraisal, design, implementation or operation of infrastructure investments, preferably in emerging markets or developing-country contexts.
• Demonstrable technical expertise in at least one relevant sustainable infrastructure area, preferably urban infrastructure, water and wastewater, urban mobility or transport.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure systems, including the interaction between physical assets, service delivery, institutions, regulation, finance, users and environmental and climate constraints.
• Experience undertaking or reviewing technical due diligence, feasibility studies, options analysis, cost-benefit analysis, climate or environmental assessment, infrastructure planning or related analytical work.
• Strong quantitative and analytical capability, including the ability to interrogate assumptions, work with technical and financial data, assess costs and benefits and translate analysis into clear recommendations.
• Understanding of climate mitigation, climate adaptation and resilience, resource efficiency and environmental sustainability as they apply to infrastructure investments and systems.
• Familiarity with green finance frameworks and approaches, including climate-finance attribution, Paris Agreement alignment and the use of transition plans, pathways and action plans to support investment and policy decisions.
• Ability to apply systems thinking, identify cross-sector dependencies and trade-offs, synthesise complex information and exercise sound judgement where information is incomplete or uncertain.
• Working knowledge of infrastructure policy, regulation, market structures and institutional arrangements, and of how policy dialogue and technical assistance can enable investment and improve sector performance.
• Strong digital and data literacy, including effective use of analytical, visualisation and emerging digital tools.
• Ability to manage defined workstreams and consultant assignments, maintain quality and process discipline, and deliver multiple assignments within agreed deadlines.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including the ability to explain technical issues clearly to non-technical audiences and prepare concise material for decision-makers.
• Strong collaboration, stakeholder-management and relationship-building skills, including the ability to work effectively with Banking teams, technical specialists, clients, public authorities, consultants and development partners.
• Ability to work independently while recognising when issues, risks or uncertainties require escalation, and a proactive approach to learning, problem-solving and taking ownership of delivery.

The EBRD environment provides you with varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in; a working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity; and an environment that places sustainability, equality and digital transformation at the heart of what we do.