Responsible Investment Stewardship Analyst

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Job description

Job Description

At Columbia Threadneedle Investments, we are stewards of our client's capital and active ownership is an integral part of our approach. We are looking to add a research analyst to our Responsible Investment (RI) team focused on stewardship research, engagement, and proxy voting to help drive this approach. The successful candidate will work closely with RI team colleagues, analysts and portfolio managers around the globe, researching and engaging portfolio companies and contributing to the effective use of client voting rights.

The focus of this role spans all areas of stewardship, primarily:
Focus on financially material environmental, social and governance risk factors, operational excellence, managerial incentives
Consultative, research-driven approach with management teams that contributes to investment insights
Exercise the use of proxy voting rights

If you are not located close to a physical office, remote work is considered for qualified candidates.

Responsibilities

• Research, coordination and conduct of prioritized RI engagement meetings with portfolio companies.

Produce actionable issuer research to identify and analyze trends, risks and drivers of change, growth opportunities, quality of standards of operating practice and the competitive landscape for and of businesses, with a particular focus on corporate governance and compensation.

Liaise and collaborate with equity and credit analysts around the world to identify and analyze investment opportunities and risks, integrating stewardship and responsible investment insights.

Work with and support the Head of Stewardship in the formulation, development and delivery of the global stewardship strategy and approach.

• Collaborate with and help educate analysts and portfolio managers to maximize the effectiveness of the firm's investment research and stewardship priorities.
• Collaborate with the proxy voting team, provide research and voting recommendations, review and conduct voting controls, produce and deliver presentations to internal clients including the mutual funds boards, and support the Proxy Voting Sub-Committee of the Investment Oversight Committee.

Coordinate and maintain the firm's proxy principles and voting policy.

Work with colleagues to educate and prioritize implementation of the effective use of voting rights exercised by the firm.

• Contribute to the firm's thought leadership, client engagement and engagement in industry forums and related initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Must possess a high degree of intellectual curiosity
• Experience engaging with corporate leaders on controversial issues
• The successful candidate should have research, analytical and problem-solving capability relevant to investment analysis
• 3+ years prior experience in the securities industry; ideally investment experience as a research analyst or in an analyst support role
• Familiarity with RI concepts from the investor perspective
• Experience communicating ideas clearly
• A focus on output and goal attainment
• Experience working with Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Able to work in a multi-disciplinary, global environment
• Able to commit to Columbia Threadneedle's corporate value

Preferred Qualifications

• CFA, Accounting, or legal qualification or equivalent fundamental investment experience
• ESG-related credentials from SASB, PRI or CFA Institute
• Experience engaging with boards of directors
• Proxy voting experience; interpreting and applying proxy policy
• Experience working with ISS Proxy Exchange, Bloomberg, and Aladdin
• Familiarity and experience with R / Python
• The role may involve occasional global travel

About Our Company

Millions of people around the world rely on Columbia Threadneedle Investments to manage their money. We're intentionally built to help our clients succeed, backed by a global team of 2,000 people including more than 450 investment professionals sharing global perspectives across all major asset classes and markets. At Columbia Threadneedle, you'll find the promise we make to our clients is the same one we make to our employees: Your success is our priority. In addition to our competitive total rewards package, employees stay with us because of our culture and commitment to their development. And, backed by the strength of our parent company, Ameriprise Financial, we are committed to providing you with the tools, resources, recognition and rewards to help you shape the career you want.

Ameriprise Financial is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, gender identity, disability, veteran status, marital status, family status or any other basis prohibited by law.