ESG Stewardship Specialist
Company Description:
This Investment Management firm works closely with private and public pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as financial advisors. They are committed to building enduring relationships with their clients. As a business they are 100% active-employee-owned with broad-based ownership. Their investment teams are solely focused on active management and employ disciplined, analytical research processes across a wide range of strategies, including U.S. equity, non-U.S. equity, emerging markets debt, and multi-asset.
Job Description:
Role is to support the firm’s active ownership efforts, including proxy voting and ESG-focused company engagement activities. The successful candidate will report to the director of sustainable investing and play an integral role in advancing the firm’s active ownership practices. The individual will have primary responsibility for the firm’s proxy voting activities, collaborating with the ESG and fundamental research analysts on the U.S. and non-U.S. equity teams, and the proxy administration team.
Identify and analyse key proxy proposals and voting guideline recommendations for portfolio holdings
Provide voting guidance to equity analysts and portfolio managers on key proposals
Liaise with the proxy committee and proxy administration team to coordinate vote changes when Firms analysis differs from guideline recommendations
Support ESG and fundamental analysts with company engagements, including those related to corporate governance and proxy voting issues
Document engagement activity to track progress and support reporting efforts
Keep abreast of emerging trends in proxy voting and corporate governance, and communicate insights to colleagues
Recommend and execute enhancements to voting policies, guidelines and procedures
Actively participate on the proxy committee, liaise with the proxy administration team and firms external proxy advisor
Minimum Requirements:
Asset management experience including analyzing proxy proposals and advising investment professionals on corporate governance, executive compensation, environmental and social issues
Experience analyzing proxy advisor voting recommendations and effectively managing the high volume of company meetings and research during proxy season
Experience engaging with company representatives on corporate governance, executive compensation, environmental and social issues
Familiarity with corporate governance standards and practices in the U.S. and internationally including Europe, Japan and emerging markets
Self-motivated individual with the ambition to succeed and work collaboratively in an environment that demands constant multi-tasking
Effective writing and organization skills to support documentation of voting and engagement activity on internal systems, as well as the identification of relevant examples for inclusion in reporting materials
Undergraduate degree and minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience
Completion of ESG-focused credential or certificate program (e.g., CFA ESG Certificate, PRI Academy, IFRS FSA etc.)
