ESG Associate – European Real Estate Debt

Barings; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A major investment firm is seeking an ESG Associate for the Real Estate Debt team based in London. The successful candidate will aid in the evolution of its ESG strategy while engaging with internal and external stakeholders. Key responsibilities include supporting ESG inquiries, data collection, and ensuring alignment with regulatory standards. Applicants should possess graduate qualifications with a solid background in both Real Estate Debt and ESG practices, ideally across APAC geographies.

Qualifications

• At least two years' experience in Real Estate Debt support.
• 12 months of ESG engagement experience.
• Experience working across cultures and geographies.

Responsibilities

• Support and implement the ESG strategy for real estate debt.
• Respond to ESG inquiries and provide feedback to investors.
• Lead engagement on ESG data collection.

Skills

Relationship management

Sustainability understanding

Communication skills

Research and problem-solving

Cross-cultural engagement

Education

Graduate degree

Job description

At Barings, we are as invested in our associates as we are in our clients. We recognize those who work diligently for us and reward them for personal and professional integrity, communication skills, distinct competencies and expertise in specific strategies, ability to collaborate as a team member and true dedication to the interests of our clients.

We thank you for your interest in joining the Barings team, and invite you to explore our current employment opportunities.

Position Title: ESG Associate – European Real Estate Debt

Business Title: Associate

Department: Real Estate Debt

ESG at Barings

Barings has a well-developed, firm level ESG strategy (both corporate and investment) with a full-time team of eight based in Charlotte. The real estate ESG team is continuing to expand to support increasing level of regulatory requirements and client demand, with a particular focus on the debt portfolio. Barings Real Estate is in the process of carbon neutral strategies, climate change analysis and borrower engagement programme to enhance ESG integration and inform portfolio construction.

Barings is seeking to hire a full time real estate ESG Associate based in London to lead and improve the programme in the real estate debt portfolio across all European geographies.

Real Estate Debt ESG Associate role profile

• Support Barings Real Estate’s ESG strategy evolution and implementation for real estate debt, ensuring alignment with the firm level ESG policy and coordination with APAC and US real estate;

• Maintaining policies, procedures and best practice as regulation and legislation evolves;

• Support RFP and CPM teams with providing timely feedback to investors, including:

• Respond to ESG sections of RFPs and any ad hoc client queries on the topic;

• Provide time sensitive support with investor material (reports and presentations);

• Support quarterly investor sessions for Barings flagship debt fund in Europe to update investors on ESG integration progress;

• Support due diligence reviews with prospective investors, articulating corporate, investment and real estate level ESG credentials and responding to queries.

• Support internal engagement at all levels, acting as an ambassador and champion for ESG:

• Work with Barings PR / marketing teams to raise Barings’ profile in this field;

• Overseeing any reporting activities at the fund level and assisting the firm level ESG team with input to other reporting such as UNPRI, SFDR, TCFD;

• Supporting loan and fund level data collection informing internal and external reporting;

• Offer insight into loan and asset level ESG integration measures and highlight staff needs for guidance;

• Lead ‘ESG in portfolio construction’ project for the Debt team:

• Establish tools that enable the debt team to interpret how new deals affect ESG profile of existing portfolio based off the borrower questionnaire;

• Analysing potential ESG positives/negatives at the pipeline stage, preparing ESG feedback on deals for IPS and IC papers and creating ESG risk ratings for new deals;

• Provide training to the debt team on how this affects our portfolio including impact on GHG emission reduction targets;

• Enhancing fund level ESG data collection to inform investor reporting and quarterly calls.

• Leading implementation of ESG engagement tracking and investor reporting:

• Lead engagement on ESG data collection, advising ESG follow up points, gathering the data to apply to risk rating and portfolio construction process;

• Setting up follow up chats with the borrowers and incorporating annual sign off process and informing client reporting;

• Informing the team on relevant ESG engagement and target outcomes for each loan.

Qualifications and Experience

Barings is looking for a graduate with at least two years’ experience of Real Estate Debt support and at least 12 months experience of ESG engagement & integration practices for real estate debt. APAC background is preferable as the role will involve engagement with internal and external stakeholders in the region.

• Experience and understanding of sustainability risks and opportunities for the real estate debt;

• Strong relationship management skills at all levels of the organisation, and externally;

• Good working knowledge of real estate debt investment practices;

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills – essential in communicating with integrity on a range of ESG topics with stakeholders, investors and external partners;

• A resourceful nature, with skills and ability to research and develop good practice and solutions to meet challenges in ESG management and monitoring across the portfolio and asset types.

• Confidence to develop relationships, deliver projects within the portfolio, to gather data successfully and to support stakeholders with implementing recommendations for environmental and other ESG management initiatives;

• Desire to learn and broaden knowledge and understanding;

• Proactive, organised and pragmatic approach to setting and managing work programme;

• Experience working across cultures and geographies, with a particular focus on APAC.

Requisite Skills

Real Estate

Additional Skills

Barings is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer; Minority/Female/Age/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Individual with Disability/Protected Veteran. We welcome all persons to apply.