Established in 2019, CS India is one of the country’s fastest growing Non-Bank Financial Company (NBFC) lenders, with verticals in wholesale, direct lending and tech-enabled partnerships with Non-Bank Financial Companies (NBFCs) and fintech's. Its tech enabled model coupled with underwriting capability facilitates lending at scale, meeting India’s huge gap for credit, especially with underserved and under penetrated segments of the population. Credit Saison India is committed to growing as a lender and evolving its offerings in India for the long-term for MSMEs, households, individuals and more.
CS India is registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and has an AAA rating from CRISIL (a subsidiary of S&P Global) and CARE Ratings. Currently, CS India has a branch network of 45 physical offices, 1.2 million active loans, an AUM of over US$1.5B and an employee base of about 1,000 people. Credit Saison India (CS India) is part of Saison International, a global financial company with a mission to bring people, partners and technology together, creating resilient and innovative financial solutions for positive impact.
Across its business arms of lending and corporate venture capital, Saison International is committed to being a transformative partner in creating opportunities and enabling the dreams of people. Based in Singapore, over 1,000 employees work across Saison’s global operations spanning Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil.
Saison International is the international headquarters (IHQ) of Credit Saison Company Limited, founded in 1951 and one of Japan’s largest lending conglomerates with over 70 years of history and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Company has evolved from a credit-card issuer to a diversified financial services provider across payments, leasing, finance, real estate and entertainment.
About the Role
The candidate will be responsible for further building and integrating Credit Saison India’s ESG & impact management framework in line with the company’s lending strategy as well as rapidly evolving regulations and sector standards. The candidate will play a key role by working with various teams at Credit Saison India to ensure the continuous development and implementation of the ESG & Impact framework, processes, policies and tools through the company’s lending operations, assess the eligibility of prospects, identify ESG risks and mitigation measures.
As a member of the Impact & ESG team, the candidate will report to VP of Impact and support the group’s commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of its business operations, across its various subsidiaries. The position is based in Bangalore, India.
What You Will Do (Key Responsibility Areas (KRAs))
• Contribute towards the development and implementation of Credit Saison India’s Impact & ESG management framework, processes, policies and tools, in close coordination with the Head of Impact and Credit Saison India’s management team, while ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory frameworks and sector standards.
• Participate in the assessment of ESG risks within the portfolio, contributing to the collection and analysis of relevant data.
• Ensure accurate and thorough Impact and ESG risks assessment of Credit Saison India’s portfolio and help facilitate the integration of Impact & ESG processes and tools across business teams, providing support during training sessions.
• Manage and track Credit Saison India’s Impact and ESG performance of portfolio across verticals, by sourcing data from investees, addressing underperforming companies and report accordingly
• Assist in keeping all internally developed Impact and ESG methodologies up to date and relevant, ensuring alignment with international/sector standards and relevant regulations.
• Contribute to the development of reporting/communication framework and materials on portfolio impact, ESG risk/performance, and case studies for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the deployment of impact-related initiatives and projects, in collaboration with SI’ and Credit Saison’s relevant teams.
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.
What You Will Bring (Skills & Qualifications)
• A degree in finance, sustainability, environmental science, or a related field is preferred.
• 7 years of relevant professional experience in the lending/financial services sector, including fintech, responsible/impact finance, microfinance, SME finance, of which a minimum of 4-5 years in ESG risks/impact management, preferably in private debt.
• Prior experience in building and implementing environmental and social management systems, developing tools, reporting frameworks and supporting implementation for financial institutions is a must.
• Demonstrated experience in performing ESG due diligences/risk assessments for financial institutions, including in high environmental and social risks industries.
• Knowledge of, and experience with the IFC Performance Standards, the Operating Principles for Impact Management, and the GIIN IRIS+ metrics is a must.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Desire to build Impact and ESG frameworks within a dynamic, fast-paced environment, with the ability to independently manage and prioritize various deliverables for diverse internal and external stakeholders within a high-performing team.
• Desire to work within a multicultural environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills
Our ideal candidate is an experienced Impact & ESG professional and an excellent communicator. S/he has an entrepreneurial mindset and a high degree of professional accountability. S/he has excellent work ethic, positive energy, with a demonstrated commitment to contributing to positive impact, as well as to be part of an inclusive and diverse team. S/he is excited to re-imagine the impact and financial inclusion space, specifically by building solutions that will contribute to creating a positive impact on low-income/underserved populations. S/He has a strong interest in topics including financial inclusion, fintech, climate change, poverty reduction. S/he has good interpersonal skills, is a team player with a track record of having worked in multi-cultural environments. S/he is keen on mentoring and growing junior team members.