Sustainable & Responsible Investment (SRI) Analyst recruitment

Role Context

Standard Life Investments is a premier asset manager with an expanding global reach. Our wide range of investment solutions is backed by our distinctive investment philosophy, disciplined risk management and shared commitment to a culture of investment excellence.

As active managers, we place significant emphasis on rigorous research and a strong collaborative ethos. We constantly think ahead and strive to anticipate change before it happens, ensuring that our clients can look to the future with confidence.

Standard Life Investments manages close to £150.0 billion on behalf of clients worldwide. Our investment capabilities span equities, bonds, real estate, private equity, multi-asset solutions, fund-of-funds and absolute return strategies.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Standard Life Investments employs more than 850 talented professionals. We maintain a presence in a number of locations around the world including Boston, Hong Kong, Paris, London, Beijing, Montreal, Sydney, Dublin and Seoul.

Our investors rank among some of the world’s most sophisticated and high-profile institutions. They include corporate pension plans, banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, fund-of-fund managers, endowments, foundations, charities, official institutions, sovereign wealth funds and government authorities.

Sustainable and responsible investment, or SRI, has grown in importance over the last few years, as more investors become aware of the importance of the environmental and social impacts of corporate conduct.

We believe that companies concerned about the long-term interests of their shareholders should manage relationships with employees, suppliers and customers, and consider the long-term impact of their actions on the environment and society as a whole.

This position is within the Investment Governance team and reports to the Head of SRI.  The SRI Team is responsible for implementing our SRI Guidelines as well as screening and other supporting work for the Standard Life ethical funds.

 Role Purpose

The purpose of the role is to contribute to the development and enhancement of our SRI function through:

providing research analysis and monitoring of SRI issues at companies in assigned sectors

producing sector studies and topic papers on assigned sectors and related SRI issues

to support engagement with companies

to support the identification and analysis of public policy issues relating to SRI

to assist as required in marketing of SRI and client presentations.

 Key Outcomes

• Contributing to developing and enhancing our SRI strategy

• The timely completion of high quality sector studies and topic papers;

• Contributing to analysis of public policy issues that impact on SRI

• Engagement with companies on SRI issues;

• Contributing to the marketing of SRI solutions for clients

• Contributing to client servicing

 Key Knowledge/Experience/Qualifications

Essential:

• Around 1-2 years experience in SRI or a closely related field (in industry or academia)

• Understanding of financial markets and a business environment

• Excellent research and written communication skills

• Ability to contribute ideas to the direction of the SRI function

• Ability to work within a complex environment and gain the support and confidence of a wide variety of people

• Ability to work as part of a team

 Skills

• Excellent written communication skills

• Ability to manage multiple assignments at the same time

Talents

• Planning and Organising - Can work on own initiative and can plan and organise workload without supervision from others, using process and systems which are in place to maximise output.

• Relationship Management – the role holder will be expected to have strong interpersonal skills and to build and maintain strong relationships within the team and with groups/individuals across all levels in the organisation.

• Self Motivation – the role holder  should be self confident and thrive in a dynamic ever changing environment, where there are opportunities to seize new opportunities to learn and grow

• Initiative and Decision Making and Judgement – the role holder will be expected to be proactive and to confidently make informed decisions, often independently.  

• Achievement Drive – motivated to get results and is driven to ensure that the expectations of the SRI team are met.

• Accuracy/Attention to detail – is committed to producing accurate work and has a high attention to detail.

• Information Gathering – works hard to draw information from all relevant sources to ensure that correct and up to date facts are established on which to base sound decision.  Identifies a range of relevant sources for obtaining market information and can spot trends and anomalies in data.  Will have an enquiring mind and be able to spot patterns, trends and consequences without prompting from others.     

• Communicating and Influencing – the role holder will have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to explain things clearly, whether verbally or in writing. 

Note:

Please submit a written statement alongside your CV of no more than 500 words detailing, in your own words, what experiences you have had which you feel will bring value to this role.