Senior Research Officer

Company Description
We are an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.
Position
What you’ll do
(key responsibilities)
The Banking Standards team works with banks, investors, NGOs, and other stakeholders to ensure that the banking sector takes responsibility for its 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–and we are gradually expanding our campaigning, research, and engagement work to other sustainability themes and banking regulation.
You will be joining us at an exciting time when there is rising interest in how banks are addressing climate change and fostering the transition to a fairer, cleaner, and safer world. We have achieved significant wins lately, such as contributing to HSBC becoming the world’s largest bank to cease financing for new oil and gas fields, Barclays to dramatically cut its oil sands financing, and mobilising investors to call on Societe Generale to set a renewable energy target.
We are a fast-paced team and are looking for someone with excellent organisational, research and interpersonal skills, who is proactive and has a genuine passion for making a difference.
As a Senior Research Officer, you will analyse banks’ positions on climate change among other themes such as biodiversity. You will also conduct research on related industry standards and market developments. Together with a Senior Research Manager and Research Manager, you will translate these insights into actionable recommendations for banks and investors engaging with banks. Your research will also contribute to shaping climate and sustainability standards for the banking sector.
Specifically, you will support the following areas of work:
Assessing banks’ climate commitments and conducting ad-hoc research on bank’s climate performance to generate insights that support campaigning needs and ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders;
Maintaining an internal database tracking banks’ sector policies and climate targets, enabling accurate and efficient use across various research and campaigning activities;
Drafting investor briefings and similar research materials in close collaboration with campaigners to support engagement with focus banks, members of our investor coalitions, journalists, and others;
Once comfortable in the role, presenting research to banks and providing technical expertise during calls with banks, investors, and other key stakeholders with support from others in the team;
Conducting thematic research to inform our position and recommendations on climate change and other sustainability themes;
Contributing to the development of a survey methodology, collecting data, and analysing feedback to produce our banking benchmark
Working closely with our communications team to coordinate press and social media around publications, and providing ad-hoc research support to the media team;
Assisting in the submissions of responses to external consultations and taking ownership of consultations in specific areas of expertise;
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, 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
Requirements
What you’ll bring to the team
Knowledge of climate change issues and/or the banking sector;
Passion to hold banks accountable for their impact on people and planet, and averting the worst consequences of the climate crisis.
Excellent analytical skills – ability to quickly get to grips with new and complex subject areas, assimilate information, and pull out the relevant points;
Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy;
Comfortable doing quantitative and qualitative research;
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;
Excellent organisational and time management skills - ability to work under pressure, plan, and prioritise work effectively and meet deadlines;
Comfortable planning or leading sub-areas of research where agreed with oversight from the Senior Research Manager;
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);
It would also be great – but not essential - if you have:
Experience using financial databases such as Eikon and Bloomberg, or picking up new types of technologies or software quickly.
Experience developing and/or managing a database using Excel or other applications;
Knowledge and interest in biodiversity and the financial sector;
Experience working with CRM systems, ideally Salesforce;
Basic knowledge of data protection regulations / GDPR.
While we hope we’ll find someone with the majority of these skills and experience, we’re keen to hear from you, even if you don’t have them all. We appreciate lots of skills are transferable and we welcome opportunities to explore different ways of achieving our goals.