Associate - Green Home Finance

Please note this is an initial 12 month fixed-term contract with potential for extension.

About the Green Finance Institute (GFI): Established in 2019, the Green Finance Institute (GFI) is an independent advisor to governments and investors. It is at the forefront of shaping how finance can be used to facilitate a real economy transition, by designing, testing, and scaling financial solutions that enable capital to flow where it can deliver the greatest impact in the real economy. Bridging the gap between committed capital and impactful solutions, the GFI delivers positive outcomes for climate and nature by aligning policy, development capital, and pipeline development. As a commercially focused philanthropically funded organisation working with governments and partnering with financial institutions, corporates, NGOs, policymakers, academics and civil society experts, the GFI has mobilised £77bn in committed capital over six years. The GFI is headquartered in London and has a presence in eight countries including Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Indonesia, the Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, and Spain, and its missions work in built environment, CDR, energy, transportation and nature.

What’s the role? The UK’s 29 million homes represent the leakiest housing stock in Europe and 20% of UK emissions. The UK Committee on Climate Change has estimated that £373 billion needs to be invested in UK building upgrades by 2050, offering a significant investment opportunity. The Green Finance Institute’s Built Environment Programme (BEP) is developing and delivering the financial products needed to decarbonise homes and green the UK’s housing stock. The Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings (CEEB) was the GFI’s flagship sectoral coalition, and set out the barriers to investment in the UK market. The BEP team has built on this work to collaborate with industry, financial services, academia, civil society and government to continue to scale the market for finance to support mass retrofit and heat decarbonisation, and to address these wider barriers. The forthcoming Warm Homes Plan is a central pillar of the Government’s mission to improve the energy efficiency of UK homes, cut household energy bills, and accelerate the transition to net zero. The availability of finance is expected to be a key enabler to deliver the Plan's ambitions. The government is collaborating with the financial sector on the potential for new finance solutions, including low-interest loans, that can unlock private capital and enable households to invest in home energy improvements. The GFI is working closely with government to support the expansion and availability of finance aligned with the Warm Homes Plan. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute directly to, and help shape, the development of innovative financial solutions that break down barriers to household investment in home decarbonisation.

We are seeking a highly motivated individual with a strong financial background to support GFI’s work with government in delivering these ambitions. The role sits in a fast-paced environment, requires effective stakeholder management across the public and private sectors, and offers an exciting opportunity to work closely with the BEP Programme Director, Consumer Finance Lead, GFI Chief Executive, and senior government officials project team. This role would suit a passionate self-starter who is focused on delivery, with support from the team. You are not expected to have prior experience within built environment or sustainable finance and will be supported in upskilling and building your knowledge in this sector. You will have the opportunity to expand the breadth and depth of your responsibilities over time, supported by an annual review process. However, a passion for sustainability is crucial.

Responsibilities:

• Support the BEP Programme Director and Consumer Finance Lead to drive the development and delivery of impactful financial solutions that improve household access to finance for energy efficiency, aligned with the anticipated green finance aspects of the forthcoming Warm Homes Plan. This includes leveraging best practice from across GFI’s programme portfolio, identifying high-impact opportunities, and supporting effective execution.
• Prepare high-quality briefings, analysis, and materials for senior stakeholders, ensuring complex financial and policy issues are communicated clearly and effectively.
• Work closely with the project team to convene and coordinate engagement with industry stakeholders, including public-sector bodies and private-sector finance decision-makers.
• Plan and facilitate workshops, roundtables, and stakeholder meetings to support evidence-gathering, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing.
• Represent the GFI at relevant industry and policy events and contribute to high-quality written outputs in collaboration with the Communications team, as required.
• Provide regular progress updates to the project team, clearly articulating challenges, dependencies, and proposed solutions to keep delivery on track.
• Identify risks and issues that could affect delivery and proactively support the development of mitigation strategies.

You need to have:

• A keen interest in green/innovative finance to catalyse place-based climate action and a dedication to making a tangible positive impact.
• Prior experience working in or closely with the finance sector, with an understanding of how financial products, institutions, and markets operate.
• Strong political awareness, with the ability to operate effectively in a policy-informed environment.
• Significant prior experience of contributing to, or leading multi-stakeholder programmes or campaigns, working collaboratively with cross-sector partners.
• Exceptional influencing, communication, and interpersonal skills with an ability to build trusted relationships and anticipate the needs and perspectives of a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills - capable of handling multiple workstreams, meet deadlines, logically tackle problems, and set priorities.
• Sound judgement and professionalism, with the ability to handle complex, sensitive, or ambiguous issues with discretion and confidence.
• A self-motivated approach, bringing energy, positivity, and initiative to the team.
• Adaptable, must be comfortable working in a small team and part of a fast-paced, agile environment.
• An understanding of UK policy-making processes and delivery landscape, particularly in relation to housing, energy, or environmental policy, and an understanding of how government priorities, processes and sensitivities shape delivery.
• Exposure to mortgage markets or household lending, including familiarity with retail finance, consumer credit, or secured lending products.