ShareAction

We are at a pivotal moment: the climate and biodiversity crises are deepening, and inequalities are even more marked in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global investment system has an oversized impact on many of these global challenges We want to make sure that impact is positive. At ShareAction we work with investors, policymakers and individuals to unleash the positive potential of the investment system. We aim to build a world where our financial system serves our planet and its people.

The Team

ShareAction’s Banking Standards team seeks to work with stakeholders such as banks, investors, and NGOs to make sure the banking industry take responsibility for their impact on people and planet. We have a history of campaigning on key aspects of banks’ climate strategies – such as their emission reduction targets or their fossil fuel policies – but are also slowly integrating biodiversity into our campaigning, research, and engagement work.

As a Senior Research Officer, you will be responsible for conducting research and analysing banks’ position on climate change alongside other sustainability issues such as biodiversity. Together with the Senior Research Manager, you will contribute to the development of standards against which the banking industry will be assessed going forward. If you would like to get a feel of the research that we do, have a look at our assessment framework of bank’s climate plans, our banking survey, and our oil and gas expansion report. It might be that you have not conducted this kind of analysis before. That is alright with us, as long as you have the skills and passion that we are looking for.

You will be joining us at an exciting time, when there is rising interest in how banks are addressing climate change risks and fostering the transition to a fairer, cleaner, and safer world. We have achieved important wins lately, such as contributing to HSBC becoming the world’s largest bank to cease financing for new oil and gas fields and Barclays to dramatically cut its oil sands financing. We are a fast-paced team and are looking for someone with excellent organisational, research, and interpersonal skills, who is pro-active, and has a real passion to make a difference.

What you’ll do (key responsibilities)

• You will be drafting reports and briefings for a range of audiences including banks, investors, and industry bodies;
• You will be conducting research on new areas of work and contributing to the development of standards for the banking industry;
• You will be supporting engagement with banks by conducting ad-hoc research and feeding into briefing notes and presentation materials. Once comfortable in the role, presenting research to banks with support from others in the team, and providing technical expertise during calls with banks, investors, and other key stakeholders;
• You will be maintaining an internal database tracking relevant commitments of banks in scope of ShareAction’s banking campaign;
• You will be contributing to the development of a survey methodology, collecting data, and analysing survey responses for ShareAction’s biennial banking benchmark (see for example the 2022 In Debt to the Planet report);
• You will be working closely with our communications team to coordinate press and social media around publications, and providing ad-hoc research support to the media team;
• You will be assisting in the submissions of responses to external consultations and taking ownership of consultations in specific areas of expertise;
• You will be supporting our engagement workstream by helping organise webinars, sending research reports to banks, and helping colleagues answer banks and investors’ technical research questions;
• On an ad-hoc basis, you will support other areas of work in the banking team such as filing shareholder resolutions, drafting investor letters and AGM questions, and other operational needs.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and the role might change slightly from time to time

What you’ll bring to the team

• You will need excellent analytical skills – ability to quickly get to grips with new and complex subject areas, assimilate information, and pull out the relevant points;
• You will have excellent attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy;
• You will be comfortable doing quantitative and qualitative research;
• You will need excellent written and oral communication skills – ability to adapt writing style for a range of different audiences, and to present ideas and concepts effectively and persuasively;
• You will have excellent organisational and time management skills – ability to work under pressure, plan, and prioritise work effectively and meet deadlines;
• You’ll be comfortable planning or leading sub-areas of research where agreed with oversight from the Senior Research Manager;
• You are a great team player, willing to help support projects for the banking campaign on an ad-hoc basis, such as the filing of resolutions, and drafting of AGM questions (if needed);
• You will have knowledge or strong interest in climate change and/or financial institutions’ role in averting the worst consequences of the climate crisis;
• You will have proficiency with common computer software including Microsoft Office and Outlook

It would also be great – but not essential - if you have:

• Any experience using financial databases such as Eikon and Bloomberg, or picking up new types of technologies or software quickly.
• Any experience developing and/or managing a database using Microsoft Applications such as Excel;
• A knowledge and interest in biodiversity and the financial sector;
• Some experience working with CRM systems, ideally Salesforce;
• Basic knowledge of data protection regulations / GDPR.

What we will do for you

Working with ShareAction will offer you the opportunity to achieve significant personal impact in one of the most respected and exciting organisations in the responsible investment space.

ShareAction seeks to offer all its employees an exceptional working experience with opportunities to develop existing and new skills, applying them in ways that help change the world for the better. You will be challenged but also supported very actively to succeed within a friendly, high performing and highly motivated team.

• You will be part of a team that has had demonstrable impact on the climate strategies of large fossil fuel financiers.
• You will benefit from a highly supportive work environment, with a focus on equality, employee wellbeing and mental health
• You will have access to a flexible office space in central London and regular social events with colleagues. As a team, we generally meet in the office every Tuesday. We would be keen for the successful applicant to join us at least twice a month if they are based outside of London.
• You will have access to internal and external training opportunities, from formal training courses to informal ‘lunch & learn’ sessions with visiting speakers. We will also provide you with any training you may need to use our systems.
• We have yearly objective setting to ensure that you are receiving the support you require
• All our roles are subject to a settling in period which will give you very supportive start to your journey with us.

Contract type: Permanent, full time

Who it reports to: Senior Research Manager – Banking Standards

Salary: £33,000 – 37,500 + 8% pension contribution

Deadline for applications: 28 September 2023 at 9am London time

Interview dates: 2 rounds of interviews expected between 9 October to 26 October

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcome 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 per cent 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 also 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.

Please note that as part of the induction process, you will be expected to attend the London office in person during your first week in post, to cover items including Health & Safety, IT set-up, Office Orientation and Team member introductions.

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.

Please refrain from using any AI tools to write your answers, as this will result in immediate disqualification for the role.