Senior Associate - ESG

Who are we?

KPMG in Bahrain employs over 350 professionals and partners. We provide our clients with a suite of locally supported Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. We recruit the best and brightest from around the world, and currently have a workforce that represents over 20 countries working across our teams. We also pride ourselves on our capabilities to attract, nurture, and empower talent from our communities locally.

The Senior Associate supports the successful delivery of ESG and sustainability advisory engagements. This includes executing key advisory tasks, supervising team members, ensuring adherence to relevant standards, and contributing to client satisfaction and technical excellence.

• Execute assigned areas of ESG and sustainability advisory engagements, ensuring quality, timeliness, and compliance with professional standards and methodologies.
• Support the development of ESG and sustainability strategies, roadmaps, governance frameworks, and performance measurement systems for a diverse portfolio of clients.
• Conduct ESG assessments, benchmarking, materiality reviews, and gap analyses to inform strategic decision-making.
• Support client workshops, materiality assessments, stakeholder engagement sessions, and data collection programs.
• Support the preparation of sustainability reports aligned with leading frameworks, including GRI, IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB), SASB, and other applicable regional disclosure requirements.
• Support clients in establishing ESG data management, validation, and reporting processes to enable accurate and auditable disclosures.
• Contribute to business development efforts, including identifying new client opportunities, supporting proposal development, nurturing existing client relationships, addressing client queries promptly, and escalating matters where necessary.
• Supervise and review the work of Associates/ Analysts, offering timely feedback, and mentorship to support their technical development.
• Prepare accurate and timely engagement documentation and deliverables in line with the firm's methodology, regulatory standards, and client expectations.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous professional development, actively participating in relevant training and active participation in firm initiatives.
• Ensure full adherence to the firm’s policies, professional guidelines, and regulatory requirements.

• A bachelor’s degree in environmental science or engineering, sustainability, economics, public policy, finance, business administration or a related field. A master’s degree will be an added advantage.
• Certification in at least one sustainability reporting standard.
• At least 3-5 years’ experience in ESG and sustainability assurance or related roles in a professional services firm.
• Proven experience managing end-to-end sustainability reporting engagements, from materiality assessment through to publication.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint, with the ability to manage large datasets and develop tools. Skills in data analytics and visualization are a plus.
• Familiarity with ESG and sustainability reporting frameworks and standards, including IFRS S1 and S2, GRI, Integrated Reporting Framework, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or UN Sustainable Development Goals, with the ability to apply these during fieldwork.
• Familiarity with one or more of the following areas: GHG accounting (including Scope 3 emissions evaluations and training), financed emissions, decarbonization strategies, SBTi methodologies, climate risk assessment and scenario analysis.

• Good understanding of ESG and sustainability emerging issues and developments relevant to the GCC region.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written), particularly ability to articulate concepts and recommendations in written form - reports, analytical analysis etc.
• Resilience and tenacity:
  Must be able to sustain motivation and commitment to goals and manage stress effectively.
• Team player:
  Has good people management skills, work organization and coordination skills, can also coach/ mentor junior team members.
• Problem solving skills:
  Can handle and resolve unstructured problems, flex and adapt in new environments to create order and stability and provide effective solutions.
• Personal and professional ethics:
  Must operate and practice within the professional code of conduct, be honest, with self and colleagues.
• Multicultural skills:
  Must be able to operate and interact in a multicultural environment and work well in culturally diverse teams.
• Willingness to travel within the GCC where the project dictates.

At KPMG, you will be part of a global network driving trust, resilience, and innovation.