ShareAction and the global system of finance

The global investment system has an oversized impact on many of the existential challenges we face today. Investors, as holders of capital and owners of the companies they invest in, have an influence on corporate practice. They influence which companies find it easier or harder to access finance and can influence the companies they’re invested in. Through their investment decisions and company engagement, investors can support a transition to a more sustainable, healthier way of living - this is known as responsible investment.

ShareAction’s vision is a world where the financial system better serves our planet and its people. Our mission is to define the highest standards of responsible investment and to drive change until these standards are adopted worldwide. We work towards our mission by:

• Building networks and coalitions of allies to drive change from within and outside the financial system
• Advocating for change in the investment industry using our research and rankings
• Campaigning with allies to strengthen investor stewardship and improve corporate practice
• Pushing for public policy reform to transform the financial system

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work in ShareAction’s UK policy team on a brand new workstream to advocate for changes to financial rules and other policies that promote and support better health. We are looking to appoint a Senior Policy Officer who will work across the Policy and Health teams. They will help influence regulation and policy making to drive a more responsible investment sector that genuinely works to improve health outcomes. Covid-19 shone a light on the link between good health and economic prosperity, yet the financial sector still has much work to do to properly embed health in investment decision making. We want to reform the rules of the game to change this.

Working with different teams across ShareAction, you will help to build a campaign to advocate for enhanced corporate and investor disclosures in relation to health. You will lead on taking this campaign to policy makers to advocate for legal and regulatory change that promotes an investment system which understands and prioritises good health. This will include engaging with Parliamentarians, the Government and regulators to educate them on the importance of people’s health and to build a case for policy and regulatory change.

If you are looking for a career in public policy then this role is a fantastic opportunity to hone your advocacy, relationship building and communication skills, and develop your engagement with UK policy making processes, the financial system and social issues. We don’t expect you to have expertise in all of these elements, and will provide on-the-job training and development to support you in this role.

More information about our policy activities is available on our webpage at https://shareaction.org/policy-and-regulation/.

The role will be varied and open to some change in the activities you will undertake, below are the types of activities that you can expect to do. You will:

• Working with the Policy and Health teams, build the case for public policy reform, particularly around corporate and investor health disclosures.
• Work with practitioners and policymakers to build interest in ShareAction’s health programme (LIPH) and identify and respond to key opportunities for influencing policymakers.
• Help to develop and implement a strategy on influencing key policymakers on corporate and investor disclosure reform, identifying opportunities and prioritising policy targets. This may include drafting and disseminating Parliamentary questions, drafting amendments to legislation and using other parliamentary tools, drafting consultation responses and briefings, under guidance from your line manager and others in the team.
• Liaise with the Policy and Health teams to keep colleagues updated on health-policy related developments and the ongoing progress of the health workstream. Helping to organise events aimed at influencing practitioners and policymakers.
• Amplify our health reform message including via briefings, working with investors to add weight to our calls, social media, blogs, articles and other communications.
• Communicate progress of our health policy-focused work to the broader team, external allies and funders.
• Keep up to date on new legislation and relevant developments.
• Attend external events and sharing learnings with the ShareAction team.

Please note that this list isn’t exhaustive and the role might change slightly from time to time

We are looking for a passionate, determined individual, with the following experience and skills:

Essential

• A passion for campaigning and making a difference in the policy space with an ability to evidence previous success.
• An ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide variety of industry and policy stakeholders.
• Understanding of the UK Parliamentary and/or policymaking process;
• An interest in public health and some understanding of the drivers of good health and / or an interest in the financial and investment system and how they can drive change (we will also provide learning and development support in these areas).
• Excellent communication skills, in both written and spoken English, including an ability to communicate complex issues in a clear and accessible way;
• Organised and self-directed on work initiatives with a strong attention to detail;
• Proven capacity to undertake varied tasks simultaneously and to tight deadlines;
• Good interpersonal skills with ability to work as part of a team and to build strong relationships with external stakeholders;
• Willingness to work with politicians from a range of political parties;
• An understanding and interest in ShareAction’s mission and work;
• Strong commitment to collaborative working;
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and PowerPoint.

Desirable

• Any legal background, whether through education/training or work experience;
• Knowledge of financial markets and/or sustainable finance;
• Experience of working or campaigning on responsible/sustainable investment issues, whether in the private sector or in the third sector;
• Familiarity with the policy debates around social issues, health, inequalities and the role of companies in this;;
• Experience of policy-making or law-making gained through work experience;
• Experience of working with Microsoft Office 365, particularly SharePoint;
• Experience of working with CRM systems, ideally Salesforce.

Contract type: Permanent

Who it reports to: Head of UK Policy

Salary: £27,500 – £34,450+ 8% pension contribution

Deadline for applications: 9am on Monday the 30th of January. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis and the vacancy may close earlier than advertised if a suitable candidate is found. Please apply when you can.

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities and so if you are not 100 percent sure that you meet all the requirements but believe you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply and use the application questions to tell us about your experience and what you hope to bring to this role.

We have a London office, and actively encourage staff to work in ways that best suit their needs and our flexible working policy outlines many of the options available - such as part-time and term-time working, job sharing, home working and working compressed hours. Please talk to us at the interview about the flexibility you need. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

ShareAction’s London office is based in vibrant Aldgate and a short walk from Aldgate East underground. Remote working will remain the norm for many ShareAction staff, with office space available as described in London for those who wish to use it.

Please note that to be considered for this post you must be legally eligible to work in the UK. Due to current restrictions we are unable to hire anyone that isn’t already living in the UK. Due to our size we are unable to sponsor visas.