Lead Corporate Governance Analyst

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Lead Corporate Governance Analyst is a member of the Corporate Governance group within the Equity division. The Lead CG Analyst works closely with the heads of corporate governance and the Responsible Investment (RI) team. The primary responsibilities of this position include serving as a governance and engagement specialist for companies and markets in their coverage; developing recommendations for Portfolio Managers on proxy-voting decisions; representing the firm on ESG topics at the industry level; contributing to our external ESG communication initiatives; providing data and written content for our annual Global Stewardship Report; serving as a point of contact for RFP requests; and assisting with other related projects as needed.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibilities of the position would be:

• Serve as a corporate governance specialist for their assigned coverage. Develop specialized expertise for the purpose of assisting analysts and portfolio managers with governance-related research. Take the lead on proxy voting matters and routine engagement with issuers
• In partnership with heads of corporate governance, review upcoming proxy votes and company situations on an ongoing basis and identify those needing recommendations or further analysis.
• Identify and maintain records on “significant” votes
• Analyze data on voting patterns, governance and compensation data for purposes of gaining insight, generating ideas for topical reports, answering client questions, and evaluating the effects of changes to our voting policies.
• Cultivate relationships with investment teams. Offer proactive assistance in providing governance research for new initiations, IPOs, portfolio analysis and engagements.
• Participate in engagement meetings with companies. Communicate and coordinate with RI analysts to ensure consistent messaging on sustainability and governance topics.
• Assist with governance-related projects such as identifying new vendors or engaging with vendors to improve services.
• Maintain records and publish notes promptly from these meetings into RMS platform.
• Build relationships with Legal & Compliance and develop expertise of relevant subject areas such as shareholder activism and regulation.
• Selectively participate in thought-leadership initiatives such as industry panels, white papers, and academic conferences.
• Contribute to external reporting projects: RFPs, PRI Assessment, stewardship code statements, TRP board reports and the like.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years experience in governance, voting, investments or equivalent fields.
• Effective communication skills, especially written.
• Up-to-date knowledge of significant corporate governance issues and regulations.
• Able to travel as needed for the role.
• Responsive to the needs of our global research team, responding to requests within a reasonable time frame.
• College degree or equivalent professional experience required. Advanced degree and/or MBA or CFA designation desired.
• Working knowledge of the investment industry.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to interact effectively with analysts and portfolio managers.
• Ability to work on multiple projects at once while adhering to process and deadlines.
• Well organized. Strong attention to detail.

Work Flexibility

This position is eligible to work from home one day per week.