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Location: Frankfurt, Germany or Montreal, Canada
Duration: Permanent
Salary: Competitive, plus benefits
Hours: 35 hours per week

About the role

Job purpose: To support the work of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to develop—in the public interest—IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards that will result in a high-quality, comprehensive global baseline of sustainability disclosures focused on the needs of investors and the financial markets.

The ISSB is seeking technical staff members who possess industry-specific expertise that can help inform its industry-based research and standard-setting, including enhancements to the SASB Standards.

Principal responsibilities

Evidence-based research

Undertake research on business risks and opportunities associated with sustainability issues (such as climate; nature and biodiversity; human capital and human rights) with a focus on a specific sector or industry (such as food and beverage; biotechnology and pharmaceuticals; and transportation).

Stakeholder consultation

Act as a credible and authoritative representative of the ISSB by engaging with a wide range of external stakeholders from industry and the investment, regulatory and standard-setting communities, to ascertain their views and to share information.

Staff analysis and recommendations

Conduct analysis and develop technical proposals for consideration by the ISSB and its advisory committees and facilitate their decision-making.

Technical papers

  • Draft due process documents (research papers; discussion papers; requests for information; exposure drafts; ballot drafts and standards).
  • Initiate and lead discussions with ISSB members, advisory committees and working groups.
  • Work with IASB Technical Staff, when relevant, to ensure connectivity and compatibility between the work of the IASB and the ISSB in developing IFRS Accounting Standards and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.
  • Project management, including coordination of a range of activities to support the delivery of technical projects and coordination across other project work plans.
  • Contribute to the development of other staff.

Skills, attributes and experience required

Technical knowledge and thinking abilities

  • Extensive knowledge of the sustainability and financial reporting landscape, including relevant standards, frameworks and regulations.
  • Extensive and practical knowledge of capital markets and the links between sustainability-related risks, opportunities and value creation.
  • Excellent knowledge of how sustainability-related risks and opportunities manifest in specific industries and how companies in those industries manage those risks and opportunities.
  • Rigour, consistency and attention to detail in work.
  • Identifies, understands and analyses issues.
  • Synthesises information and proposes well-reasoned recommendations, and draws out implications, including cost-benefit analysis.
  • Displays impartiality, balance and openness in developing, defending and accepting alternative views.
  • Develops feasible solutions.
  • Understand the standard-setting process, including the roles of various parties.

Managing self and relationships

  • Is enthusiastic, proactive, and motivated, working effectively under pressure and remains positive even when faced with challenges.
  • Self-aware. Seeks and learns from feedback. Seeks to grow and continuously improve.
  • Demonstrates professionalism and respect for others.
  • Capable of working in a multi-location organisation, demonstrates awareness of cultural and behavioural differences across geographies.
  • Encourages and supports colleagues in a collaborative team environment.
  • Focused on team contributions over individual contributions.
  • Understands the roles and limitations of collective group responsibility.
  • Constructively addresses disagreements and conflicts in a timely manner.
  • Shares knowledge and information.
  • Flexible and open to change.

Planning and delivering work

  • Delegates work effectively and appropriately.
  • Organises and manages own time and work across competing priorities.
  • Respects others' time:
    • provides adequate time for review;
    • follows correct escalation practices; and
    • acts with awareness of time zones.
  • Thinks ahead to identify what is needed to progress the work.
  • Sets and adheres to realistic timelines within the span of control.
  • Takes ownership and responsibility for the quality of the work output, regularly communicating progress and escalating issues appropriately.
  • Promptly communicates reasons for changes to plans, as necessary.
  • Strives for continuous improvement, within resources, priorities and deadlines.

Effective communications

  • Communicates in a concise, clear and well-structured way, appropriately tailored to the audience.
  • Presents issues, evidence, analysis and recommendations in a neutral manner. Persuades based on evidence and balanced analysis.
  • Drafts and reviews ISSB papers and due process documents with robust analyses of alternative views, defensible support of recommendation and clear, simple, logical and consistent articulation.
  • Uses innovative design to enhance clarity and visual appeal to best convey the big picture.
  • Presents effectively to internal and external audiences and competently manages questions and comments.
  • Listens actively; understands and respects others' viewpoints; synthesises and summarises feedback accurately and completely.
  • Advanced proficiency in both written and spoken English is required.

To apply

Please send a detailed CV/résumé to recruitment@ifrs.org. Please include the following information or your application may not be considered:

  • the job title/position you are interested in (in the subject line of your email); and 
  • covering email/letter detailing how you meet the specified role requirements and your salary expectations.

Closing date: Ongoing

Interviews are held via video conference as part of our standard international recruitment process.

Due to the number of responses, we receive, we are unable to respond individually to each application. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date you may assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

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