Investment Engagement Specialist

Do you want to help companies achieve their ESG commitments? Are you passionate about thematic issues companies face, such as retail and food deserts, gender pay inequality, and climate change? If so, this Investment Engagement Specialist opportunity will be a fantastic next step for your career?

Acre is proud to be working with a long-time leader in responsible investing. Its mission is to deliver superior long-term performance to its clients and to enable them to achieve a positive impact through their investments. We're seeking an experienced individual with a background in business analysis to contribute to the firm's corporate engagement on ESG issues. In this role, you will be catalyzing positive change at companies in order to improve social and environmental outcomes, strengthen governance, and improve investor returns.

The firm has approximately $40 billion of mutual fund and separate account assets under management as of last September. The company itself has a storied history in responsible investing that goes back over four decades. Today, their funds comprise one of the largest and most diversified families of responsibly invested mutual funds, encompassing actively and passively managed the U.S. and international equity, fixed and floating-rate income, and multi-asset strategies.

You will be responsible for:

• Develop issue area expertise in one or more areas of environmental, social and governance policy to provide input to engagements.
• Analyze the financial materiality and potential impact of social, environmental and governance issues to identify emerging themes for engagement.
• Work with data teams to identify research opportunities that will enhance our ability to engage with companies.
• Provide input and analysis to the firm's investment and ESG research teams on the subject companies based on engagements.
• Draft research notes in support of top-down "thematic" engagements.
• Collaborate on the development of metrics in key areas to measure the effectiveness of engagement. Corporate Engagement & Shareholder Activism
• Identify Engagement Targets: Using both a systematic/top-down monitoring approach and a bottom-up research approach, identify publicly traded companies that have the potential for improved long-term financial results through better management execution on material ESG topics. Determine which companies offer the most attractive opportunities for the firm to strengthen its position as an investor and develop a corporate engagement strategy for these companies ("subject companies").
• Conduct dialogues with companies: Engage in dialogue with senior executives and board members of the subject companies. Track progress and report on milestones regularly and frequently to the CEO.
• File Shareholder Proposals: Prepare and file shareowner resolutions when needed to move the engagement strategy forward.
• Collaborate with other investors: Establish and maintain relationships with other active asset owners and managers to build and participate in coalitions of investors to drive positive change. Other
• Take part in internal standing committees or ad hoc working groups serving various project or oversight functions
• Participate in speaker panels, due diligence meetings, and other external presentations in support of business development activities.
• Draft written content for internal and external communications, developing intellectual capital in areas of expertise.
• Work with senior leaders to identify opportunities for process improvements.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Bachelor's degree required; CFA, MBA, or other relevant advanced degree preferred.
• At least 5-10 years of investment research or corporate experience, including roles either involving engagement with corporations or executing corporate ESG strategy.
• Expertise with environmental, social and governance issues relating to investment or corporate management, specific expertise with respect to one or more issue areas helpful.
• Ability to synthesize a wide variety of inputs, both internal and external, to distil key points and develop a compelling case for change.
• Persuasive communication skills.

Apply today to find out more.