Impact & ESG Officer

ImpactAlpha; Den Haag; Hybrid; EUR 61,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public transport card (1st class)

Laptop and phone provided

Hybrid working (60% office / 40% home)

Pension plan

Gym access

Home office stipend

Global exposure

Job summary

Invest International seeks an Impact & ESG Officer to join the Government & Country Solutions unit. You will bring ESG expertise into opportunity development, due diligence, execution and monitoring, ensuring compliance with IESG standards across the project lifecycle.

You will work with cross-disciplinary teams, advise on impact ambitions, ESG risks, and portfolio reporting, while supporting learning agendas and policy development within the IESG framework.

Qualifications

• Five+ years applying international ESG guidelines and standards such as IFC Performance Standards.
• Experience with ESG management tools including ESIA/ESMP/RAP.
• Experience with impact measurement, evaluation frameworks, and portfolio reporting (JIM/PCAF/GHG Protocol).
• Experience engaging with communities, NGOs, host governments and private sector in developing countries.
• Ability to communicate complex ESG topics to diverse audiences.
• Willingness to travel to developing countries within the portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Apply ESG materiality risk concepts for five key sectors (Agrifood, Water/Infrastructure, Health, Energy, Manufacturing).
• Contribute to sector strategies ensuring early ESG considerations.
• Conduct ESG and Impact due diligence and monitoring for infrastructure projects.
• Support development of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments and related plans.
• Align project impacts with SDGs and frameworks like IRIS+, JIM, OECD-DAC, SBTi, GHG Protocol.
• Coordinate with governments, companies, communities and internal stakeholders to improve design.
• Advise investment teams on KPI design, baseline setting and M&E plans.
• Support portfolio reporting, integrated reporting and learning agendas.
• Contribute to IESG policy development and Center of Excellence outputs.

Skills

English

French

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

University degree in a relevant field

Tools

ESIA

ESMP

RAP

JIM

PCAF

GHG Protocol

IFC Performance Standards

SBTi

Job description

About Invest International

Invest International is a state-owned enterprise established in October 2021 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. Created by the Dutch government as a privately-operated company funded with public capital, the organization operates with the dual mandate of supporting Dutch companies engaged in foreign activities and international projects that strengthen the Dutch economy’s competitiveness and earning capacity, while simultaneously supporting initiatives that address global challenges. The organization’s core mission centers on connecting Dutch solutions to global challenges, with a strategic focus on strengthening worldwide resilience and safeguarding Dutch earning capacity. Invest International operates through multiple business units that work collaboratively to maximize impact across its stakeholder ecosystem, combining expertise in infrastructure development, sustainable business practices, and international cooperation. The Government & Country Solutions business unit, under which this position operates, is responsible for developing, coordinating, financing, and overseeing the implementation of large-scale infrastructural public projects in developing countries. This unit maintains a strong collaborative partnership with the private infrastructure sector and maintains a concentrated focus on climate resilience, water infrastructure, sustainable manufacturing, healthcare, and agri-food sectors. The current portfolio encompasses approximately 100 projects with a combined committed value of around 870 million euros in grants and subsidies, with annual infrastructure program budgets for new projects targeted to grow to approximately 200 million euros per year.

About this Role

Invest International seeks an Impact & ESG Officer to join its Government & Country Solutions business unit. This position plays a critical role in supporting the organization in achieving its business and impact ambitions by bringing specialized Impact and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) expertise directly into opportunity development and execution processes. The Impact & ESG Officer will work collaboratively alongside colleagues across diverse sectors, solutions, and countries, contributing expertise from the early stages of opportunity identification through due diligence, execution, and ongoing monitoring phases. Operating as part of multidisciplinary teams, the successful candidate will provide strategic advice on impact ambitions and ESG risks, ensuring that all projects are developed and implemented in strict accordance with Invest International’s IESG standards and international best practices. Impact and ESG risk management are embedded throughout the organization’s operations, with the IESG function providing specialist expertise, constructive challenge, and strategic guidance at every stage of the project lifecycle. The IESG Officer will be integrated into Invest International’s broader IESG community, working in close coordination with the IESG Center of Excellence within Business Enablement to ensure consistent methodology, standards, and quality assurance across the entire organization.

Responsibilities

• Apply knowledge of ESG materiality risk for Invest International’s five sectors (Agrifood, Water/Infrastructure, Health, Energy, and Sustainable Manufacturing)
• Contribute to sector strategies and plans to ensure early-stage inclusion of IESG considerations
• Conduct ESG and Impact due diligence and monitoring of public infrastructure projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in line with Invest International IESG policies
• Support the development of impactful projects by procuring, managing and assessing feasibility studies, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Resettlement Action and Livelihood Restoration Plans, and impact evaluations
• Contribute to enhancing project impacts aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and internationally recognized frameworks such as IRIS+, Joint Impact Model (JIM), OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and GHG Protocol
• Coordinate and interface with recipient governments, companies (consultants and contractors), communities, and internal stakeholders to improve project design and implementation
• Advise investment teams on impact measurement, Theory of Change, baseline design, project KPI selection, and monitoring/evaluation plans in line with Invest International Strategy and reporting requirements
• Support portfolio reporting, dashboards, integrated reporting, and internal learning agendas
• Contribute to IESG policy development, position statements, tools, and guidance for the GCS unit
• Support the efforts of the IESG Center of Excellence

Requirements

• University degree in a relevant field such as environmental and social management, development studies, economics, sustainability, or a related discipline
• At least 5 years of work experience in applying international ESG guidelines and standards such as IFC Performance Standards or equivalent
• Experience with ESG management tools, including ESIA, ESMP, and RAP
• Experience with impact measurement, evaluation frameworks, and portfolio-level reporting, including tools and standards such as JIM, PCAF, and the GHG Protocol
• Experience with science-based target setting, including SBTi (advantageous)
• Experience working with different stakeholders including communities and NGOs, host governments, and the private sector in developing countries
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex ESG and impact topics to diverse audiences and bridge perspectives between investment professionals, clients, and public-sector stakeholders
• Demonstrated understanding of systems change and transformation approaches, including theory of change and innovation/prototyping methodologies, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and strategic complexity
• Good command of English and French language (both verbally and written)
• Command of Portuguese (advantageous)
• Experience supporting place-based transitions such as greening of infrastructure and building with nature within one of the organization’s priority sectors (advantageous)
• Willing and able to travel to developing countries within the wide geographical portfolio coverage of Invest International
• Strong analytical and project management skills
• Team player with an open mindset to new opportunities
• Currently residing in The Netherlands with necessary documentation (passport, residence permit, and work permit where applicable) to live and work in the Netherlands

Benefits

• Gross monthly salary ranging from €5,443 to €6,463 (Level 16 salary scale) excluding holiday allowance and 13th-month payment, based on a 40-hour workweek
• 12-month contract with the possibility of extension
• Contribution-free pension plan
• Public transport business card (1st class)
• Laptop and phone provision
• Contribution towards home office setup
• Hybrid working arrangement (60% office / 40% home)
• In-house gym access at a reduced contribution
• Innovative and dynamic working environment