ESG Programme Manager in London

We’re the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value – across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organisation can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we’re proud to support the global economy. We’re unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value – a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We’re always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant. Swift now has a presence in 200+ countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions.

Role purpose

The ESG Programme Manager is accountable for executing Swift’s ESG strategy into effective, organisation‑wide delivery. The role leads the planning, coordination, and execution of ESG programmes—most notably regulatory initiatives such as CSRD—ensuring that ESG commitments are embedded into Swift’s governance, risk management, and operations, and that progress is transparently reported to senior management/executives.

Key responsibilities

• ESG programme delivery and coordination
  • Lead the delivery of Swift’s ESG programme in line with agreed objectives, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
  • Translate ESG strategy and priorities into tangible roadmaps, initiatives, and deliverables.
  • Coordinate interdependencies across ESG, Finance, Risk, Legal, HR, Communications, and other functions to ensure coherent execution.
• Regulatory readiness (including CSRD)
  • Manage the end‑to‑end delivery of ESG‑related regulatory programmes, with a primary focus on CSRD.
  • Own programme planning, milestone tracking, issue management, and escalation.
  • Oversee and coordinate external delivery partners and advisors.
  • Support governance forums (SteerCo, ExCo) with accurate and timely status reporting.
• Governance, controls, and risk integration
  • Support the establishment and maintenance of appropriate ESG governance, controls, and oversight mechanisms.
  • Partner with Risk to integrate ESG risks into Swift’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and maintain ESG risk logs.
  • Ensure ESG considerations are embedded into relevant frameworks, including Vendor Risk Management (VRM).
• Board and senior stakeholder engagement
  • Prepare Board, Supervisory Board, and Executive Committee materials relating to ESG strategy, risks, regulatory readiness, and performance.
  • Support Board onboarding and continuing education on ESG topics.
  • Act as a trusted ESG programme point of contact for senior stakeholders.
• Operational and ecosystem integration
  • Support the embedding of ESG requirements into operational processes, supplier due diligence, and supplier engagement initiatives.
  • Coordinate ESG data collection and validation across internal and external stakeholders.
  • Enable consistent ESG implementation across the organisation rather than standalone or policy‑only approaches.
• Communication and capability building
  • Partner with Internal Communications and HR to drive ESG awareness and understanding across Swift.
  • Support ESG training, education, and engagement initiatives for employees and leadership.
  • Contribute to building a strong ESG culture across the organisation.

Skills and experience

• Strong program management experience, ideally in regulatory or sustainability contexts.
• Proven ability to operate across complex, cross‑functional stakeholder environments.
• Ability to support team development and capability across geographically dispersed ESG functions.
• Experience supporting senior governance forums (ExCo / Board).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing executive‑level materials.
• Understanding of ESG regulation and governance frameworks (e.g. CSRD, ERM, VRM).

What we offer

We give you the freedom to be yourself. We are creating an environment of unique individuals – like you – with different perspectives on the financial industry and the world. A diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone’s voice counts and where you can reach your full potential. We are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation related to accessibility during your application or interview, please contact accessibility-Sysgroup@swift.com or indicate this in your application.

Please note that this mailbox is not monitored for general recruitment enquiries and should only be used for accessibility or accommodation-related requests (for example related to vision, hearing or neurodiversity). All requests are confidential and will not affect your candidacy.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Swift, we are dedicated to building a workplace where people can bring their full selves and ideas to the team, so if you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single qualification.