Location: London

Basis: Full-time

Level: Specialist

Salary: £38,000-£45,000 p.a.

About the PRI

The PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions. The PRI acts in the long-term interests of its signatories, of the financial markets and economies in which they operate and ultimately of the environment and society as a whole. The PRI is truly independent. It encourages investors to use responsible investment to enhance returns and better manage risks but does not operate for its own profit; it engages with global policymakers but is not associated with any government; it is supported by, but not part of, the United Nations.

Working at the PRI provides an opportunity to engage with highly motivated, culturally diverse professionals on a wide range of cutting edge issues, such as income inequality through the lens of sustainable finance. The PRI provides scope for development at all levels with opportunities for project leadership and management working alongside some of the most influential signatories and leaders across financial markets and economies.  In combination with a supportive culture that encourages continuous learning and flexible working policies, PRI is a highly engaging place to work on truly transformative issues.

Job description

This opportunity is within the PRI’s ESG and SDGs team (of 12 staff) and reports to the Head of Environmental Issues.

The successful candidate will be responsible to support the delivery of services and outputs for signatories including  roundtables, webinars, podcasts, briefings, public policy consultations and publications, and support to collaborative engagements, across a range of environmental issues, with a focus on the circular economy.

This is a unique opportunity at the intersection of responsible investment and corporate sustainability and will provide the successful candidate with a range of knowledge and experience in this fast-moving area.

Core Responsibilities:

■       Project management of strategies and activities across a range of environmental issues with a focus on circular economy, ensuring quality control, milestones and timelines are met, and signatory satisfaction.

■       Coordinate and facilitate the activities of investor working groups. This will include facilitation of regular signatory meetings and conference calls.

■       Conduct literature reviews and research on environmental issues of interest for the PRI including company practices.

■       Propose and develop resources such as guides, case studies, workshops, podcasts, webinars and thought leadership briefs on relevant and emerging issues that relate to the circular economy.

■       Build relationships with signatories to maintain and expand expertise of signatory knowledge of environmental issues, practices and requirements.

■       Coordinate with and collaborate on environmental issues with PRI’s Active Ownership, Policy and Research, Investment Practices, Climate Change and SDGs teams.

■       Build relationships with external stakeholders, liaising and promoting synergies with other investor networks and initiatives and partner organisations.

■       Participate and speak at external events and conferences

■       Provide regular reporting to the Director of ESG and SDGs as required

Core Competencies:

PRI expects roles at a ‘Specialist level’ within the organisation to demonstrate skills across the following core competencies:

Analytical

•Proactively offers impartial specialist knowledge, insights or input

•Uses business/ specialist knowledge and analysis to identify issues, applying fact-based insight to develop and evaluate solutions or solve issues

•Maintains a professional and impartial stance in assessing all information which feeds into decision making

•Balances rigour with pragmatism in conducting analyses that are fit for purpose

•Effectively reviews and quality-checks all analyses

Business Awareness

•Focuses on maximising Signatory or operational value and driving PRI outcomes

•Actively keeps up-to-date with developments both within the organisation and within area of specialism

•Balances the internal needs of the PRI and that of Signatory Organisations to deliver outputs

•Understands how own area of specialism drives value to the PRI and meets its mission

Collaborative

•Builds consensus and trust with all that engage with

•Is responsive to feedback proactively following up to ensure any issues are resolved

•Where requested, engages with colleagues to gain a broader understanding of issues and seeks to respond to or resolve them

•Provides specialist knowledge and insights to colleagues where requested

Communicative

•Translates specialist information or provides technical expertise in a clear and understandable format

•Clarifies matters by absorbing and understanding relevant information and feeding them back in concise terms

•Uses effective listening and questioning to enhance understanding of complex issues

•Engages the recipient using their language, tailoring communication style for the audience

Developmental

•Actively seeks opportunities to enhance specialist knowledge/ experience

•Constantly reviews own work with the aim of improving outputs

•Applies knowledge or experience to question practices and suggest alternatives

•Actively seeks and shares feedback wherever possible, as a means of improvement

•Uses best practice identified through external networks or evolutions in the field of specialism

Structured

•Has a strong sense of execution and delivery, working to agreed deadlines, involving relevant colleagues and allowing enough time for review and quality assurance

•Regularly monitors and reports on progress of work, providing regular updates as appropriate

•Takes a methodical approach to how specialist or technical knowledge is acquired and, distributed (where necessary)

•Captures knowledge at the end of each project/ process/activity, to use and share

Technical Competencies & Experience:

■       Relevant work experience in investment and/or corporate sustainability, with a focus on environmental issues.

■       Knowledge and understanding of the circular economy, responsible investment and understanding of asset owner and investment manager perspectives.

■       Degree in a field related to finance and/or sustainability.

■       Excellent project management skills with strong attention to detail and with experience in delivering successfully

■       Strong facilitation skills. Diplomacy, tact, and ability to build consensus.

■       Confidence to relate to and interact with a wide range of investment professionals from different regions.

■       Ability to network and build relationships.

■       Excellent written communication and verbal presentation skills

■       A collaborative and consultative approach to working with others

■       Self-starter and willing to work independently as well as in a team

■       Excellent networking, relationship management and interpersonal skills

■       IT/system skills (Microsoft Office, CRM etc.)

■       Very good programme management skills, with proven experience in delivering successfully

■       As this is a global role, international travel may be required.

■       Language skills, other than English, are desirable

■       Willing to occasionally conduct conference calls in different time zones outside normal working hours.