Vice President Investment Stewardship

About the position:


The BAIS Analyst will be responsible for voting and engagement in relation to a universe of companies, in collaboration with active investors. They will provide support on portfolio company analysis, engagement preparation and follow up, and reviewing and assessing corporate governance in advance of voting. The intention is for the person in this role to specialize in a subset of the companies in BAIS' engagement universe, along with various aspects of relevant policy, to support the delivery of our annual and long-term objectives. They will report to the Head of BAIS/Deputy Head of BAIS.

Key responsibilities at the Vice President level include:

• Demonstrating expertise in analysis of company performance, corporate governance and material sustainability-related practices.
• Preparing for, participating in, and documenting engagement meetings with portfolio companies, often alongside active investors.
• Learning and applying BAIS engagement priorities, proxy voting policies, and key industry initiatives that have impact on BAIS policies and practices.
• Supporting data gathering, benchmarking and reporting to support voting decisions and policy positions.
• Assisting in the preparation of position papers to facilitate issue discussion with broader BlackRock audiences.
• Collaborating across the team to identify ways to improve policy and business processes.
• Building strong relationships and collaborating with relevant counterparts within the active investment business and selectively contributing to cross-platform initiatives.

The tasks involved in fulfilling these responsibilities include:

• Preparing for engagement with senior representatives of portfolio companies, including crafting memos in preparation for meetings highlighting key data that will be useful in our engagement and stewardship efforts.
• Coordinating with active investors in fundamental equity and fixed income on engagement meeting agendas, questions and objectives.
• Participating in industry research groups and thematic initiatives with the active investment teams as appropriate.
• Attending, documenting and leading (as needed) engagement efforts, including recording research notes to be stored and shared with select audiences within BlackRock's active investment business.
• Monitoring policy developments to improve the relevance of BAIS' guidelines.
• Participating in peer benchmarking analysis and modeling to contribute to leading engagement and voting practices.
• Monitoring proxy voting workflow to ensure all accounts are voted as intended and are in accordance with the appropriate guidelines.
• Supporting the development of BAIS position papers and reporting.
• Analyzing companies' shareholder meeting agendas and related materials in order to vote in the manner most consistent with BAIS' corporate governance policies and fiduciary responsibilities.
• Collaborating with client-facing and communications colleagues to ensure client reporting and client presentations meet expectations, and that client queries on corporate governance are responded to promptly and to the client's satisfaction.
• Reviewing the BAIS team's output and working practices to ensure risks are minimized and performance optimized.

Desired qualifications include:

• An undergraduate degree in finance, economics, accounting, political science, history, sustainability or other relevant field.
• A minimum of 4-6 years of experience in a financial services focused role, ideally with a demonstrated strong understanding of financial statements and corporate finance.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information and convey it in a clear and concise manner to senior-level audiences.
• A diligent, focused, and persistent work ethic to implement while leading multiple tasks and changing priorities.
• The ability to prioritize, analyze, and resolve complex issues under time pressure while maintaining consistent attention to detail.
• An organized, self-reliant, and self-motivated approach to responsibilities.
• A keen interest in corporate governance and material sustainable business practices.
• Collaborative working style, and strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to build and maintain successful relationships with colleagues across the firm and with external parties.
• Proficiency using Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft products.