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First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) logo

VP, ESG Nature Risk

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) • United Arab Emirates • Added on Oct 12, 2026
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This senior leadership position spearheads the architecture and execution of the bank’s climate and nature risk management framework across all lending portfolios and corporate operations. You will oversee the design of stress testing models, risk appetite metrics, and credit integration methodologies, steering how physical, transition, and ecological dependencies translate into financial balance-sheet impact.

As the financial sector pivots beyond carbon, this role establishes forward-looking risk practices around biodiversity loss, deforestation, and water security in line with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Driving this agenda inside the UAE’s largest bank directly influences regional capital allocation toward sustainable development and safeguards systemic market resilience.

This suits someone who possesses substantial financial risk modeling experience, thrives navigating global sustainability frameworks like TNFD and NGFS, and excels at guiding executive committees through complex systemic environmental data.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The core mission involves leading the development, governance, and operational rollout of climate and nature risk management frameworks across the group's global footprint. This includes establishing analytical models, stress testing routines, and risk scoring mechanisms that factor physical and transition vulnerabilities into credit decision-making, ICAAP, and capital calculation. You will also own the incorporation of emerging nature-related considerations using the TNFD LEAP approach, biodiversity metrics, and sector heatmaps. This entails evaluating ecological dependencies, setting forward-looking nature targets aligned with UNEP FI Principles for Responsible Banking, and drafting comprehensive enterprise disclosures for regulators and international reporting bodies.

Key learning opportunities for this job

This position offers a premier vantage point at the forefront of financial risk innovation, specifically in turning nascent nature metrics into quantified banking metrics. You will gain deep technical mastery over advanced climate scenario analysis, NGFS modeling, and advanced nature tooling like ENCORE, IBAT, and WWF Risk Filters. Furthermore, the role sharpens your strategic leadership across complex regulatory ecosystems, navigating Central Bank of the UAE mandates alongside international disclosure standards such as ISSB (IFRS S2) and TNFD, positioning you as an authority on Middle Eastern sustainable finance.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal candidate brings at least ten years of financial services or risk consulting experience, with over five years focused specifically on climate, nature, or ESG risk integration. Demonstrable hands-on capability with risk modeling, quantitative programming (Python, R, or SQL), and stress testing frameworks is critical. From a credentials perspective, professional qualifications like the GARP SCR, FRM, or CFA combined with deep familiarity with TNFD and NGFS architectures will stand out. Superior executive presence and communication skills are essential to distill complex scenario outputs into strategic insights for committee heads.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

Center your application on tangible examples of how you have integrated environmental risk factors into traditional banking instruments, such as probability of default (PD) or loss given default (LGD). Clearly detail your practical familiarity with TNFD LEAP methodologies and nature-related datasets rather than speaking only about high-level ESG themes. Demonstrate your grasp of both regional dynamics in the Middle East and international regulatory trends. Emphasize instances where you managed model governance approvals or engaged directly with financial regulators to highlight your credibility in a high-governance institutional environment.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The position concentrates intensely on the intersection of planetary boundaries and financial balance sheets, particularly biodiversity loss, land-use change, and water stress across diverse corporate sectors. It addresses how natural asset degradation impacts creditworthiness and sovereign stability. In addition, the work supports broader decarbonization objectives by tracking financed emissions metrics (PCAF) and formulating nature-positive operational targets, directly ensuring the bank adheres to its international sustainability commitments under UNEP FI and IFRS standards.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

A primary challenge will be navigating unstandardized nature and biodiversity data, requiring innovative proxies and vendor evaluations to bridge significant corporate information gaps. Establishing quantitative rigor on unpriced externalities requires continuous methodology refinement. Another significant obstacle lies in driving internal cultural change, translating complex ecological scenarios into clear business imperatives for commercial relationship managers and traditional credit underwriters across varied regional jurisdictions.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A regular day could start with reviewing quantitative stress test outputs from the analytics team, followed by working on credit risk heatmap revisions for agriculture or heavy industry portfolios. You might then lead a vendor assessment call evaluating specialized geospatial nature data providers. In the afternoon, your agenda might shift to a steering committee presentation on CBUAE regulatory alignment, followed by cross-functional working sessions with Group ESG to refine disclosure drafts under the TNFD framework and coach internal risk colleagues on new underwriting tools.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

Given the rapid institutional prioritization of nature-related financial risks, this role offers exceptional visibility with executive leadership and the Board Risk Committee. Outstanding execution can lead to wider leadership roles within Group Enterprise Risk Management or Chief Sustainability Officer pathways. It also establishes you as a recognized voice across global industry consortia and regulatory taskforces, building high market credibility within the expanding international arena of climate and biodiversity risk architecture.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

Internally, you will partner daily with Credit Risk, Model Risk Management, Enterprise Risk Management, and Group ESG, while regularly briefing executive risk committees and senior business line heads across corporate and investment banking. Externally, key engagements involve financial supervisory authorities such as the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), international ratings agencies, external audit bodies, environmental data vendors, and sustainable banking coalitions like UNEP FI.

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