Raiffeisen Group is seeking a dedicated sustainability advisor to steer its climate and environmental agenda from Zurich Airport. In this role, you will lead the implementation and monitoring of the group-wide transition plan and oversee the end-to-end management of climate data and decarbonization pathways.
Financial institutions play a key role in funding the green transition, and Raiffeisen sits at the heart of Switzerland’s real economy. By defining credible climate transition strategies and managing financed emissions across hundreds of regional cooperative banks, your work directly shapes the sustainable transformation of Swiss retail and commercial lending.
This suits someone who blends deep technical fluency in greenhouse gas accounting with the strategic mindset needed to translate emerging regulatory requirements into actionable banking practice.
Job FAQs
What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?
The primary mission centers on advancing, implementing, and monitoring Raiffeisen Group's climate strategy and transition plan. The role requires establishing strong mechanisms to steer emission reduction pathways across the banking cooperative's operational and financed activities.
Day-to-day duties involve hands-on climate data management, encompassing data collection, rigorous quality assurance, metric analysis, and tracking progress against net-zero commitments. Additionally, you will oversee climate-related reporting and disclosures (such as TCFD or Swiss climate reporting regulations), while continuously monitoring evolving regulatory frameworks to ensure full operational compliance.
Beyond data and reporting, you will serve as a subject-matter expert representing the bank in internal committees and external working groups focused on climate and environmental topics.
Key learning opportunities for this job
Candidates will gain high-level exposure to sustainable finance frameworks within a uniquely structured cooperative banking model. Operating at group level offers deep insight into financed emissions accounting, PCAF methodologies, and transition risk modeling.
You will sharpen your ability to navigate the fast-shifting Swiss and European regulatory environment regarding non-financial disclosure and sustainable banking standards. Working across diverse business lines will also improve your skills in managing decentralized data architectures and driving institutional change.
How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?
The ideal candidate holds an academic degree in environmental sciences, climate economics, natural sciences, or business administration, paired with proven professional experience in climate management or sustainable finance.
Technical proficiency in greenhouse gas accounting, transition pathway development, and regulatory climate standards is essential. Strong quantitative and analytical acumen is required to process complex emissions datasets and communicate insights clearly to non-expert decision-makers.
Fluency in German is practically indispensable given stakeholder interactions across Switzerland, accompanied by strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills.
Advice to stand out and make a successful application
To stand out, highlight concrete experience with financed emissions accounting and formal transition planning rather than general corporate CSR. Discuss specific reporting standards or climate frameworks (such as TCFD, PCAF, or Swiss Climate Scores) you have previously implemented.
Given Raiffeisen's decentralized cooperative structure, emphasize your collaborative style and how you translate complex climate regulations into pragmatic business guidance for diverse banking entities. Tailor your resume to show analytical rigor alongside strategic influence.
What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?
The focus is decisively grounded in climate action and decarbonization. The position sits within the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability unit, serving as an internal center of competence.
Key priorities include managing the group-wide transition plan, developing sectoral reduction pathways, and ensuring transparency in climate disclosures. In addition to operational impacts, attention will naturally center on Scope 3 financed emissions linked to Raiffeisen's extensive retail mortgage and corporate lending portfolios.
What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?
A primary challenge will be handling data availability and data quality, particularly when quantifying Scope 3 financed emissions across hundreds of thousands of mortgage and commercial loan clients.
Another difficulty lies in balancing rigorous environmental governance with the operational autonomy of over 200 legally independent cooperative banks. Ensuring group-wide adherence to transition metrics requires persuasive communication and strong stakeholder alignment rather than purely top-down directives.
How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?
A typical day might start with reviewing emissions data inputs and updating decarbonization pathway models for specific lending portfolios. Mid-morning could involve an alignment meeting with risk management or legal teams to evaluate upcoming Swiss environmental disclosure mandates.
In the afternoon, you might draft sections of the annual climate report, consult with business units on green financing criteria, or participate in an external banking industry working group on climate transition metrics.
What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?
Given the accelerating regulatory and commercial importance of climate strategy in banking, this position provides strong visibility with senior executive bodies across the Raiffeisen network.
Successful execution can open pathways toward senior sustainability leadership roles, specialized sustainable finance advisory, or strategic positions within credit risk management and green product structuring.
The main stakeholders you might be interacting with
You will collaborate closely with the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability team, reporting to the Head of Corporate Responsibility.
Key internal stakeholders include risk management, financial accounting, regulatory compliance, and individual Raiffeisen member banks. Externally, you will interact with Swiss banking associations, climate standard-setting bodies, auditors, and external sustainability working groups.
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