Associate, Sustainable Investment

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

KiwiSaver contributions matched up to

Five weeks’ annual leave

Hybrid working

Auckland CBD office

Job summary

The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation seeks a focused Sustainable Investment professional to help integrate sustainability across investment activities and asset classes.

Reporting to the Director, Sustainable Investment, you will collaborate across teams, translate strategic priorities into practical actions, and contribute to climate, stewardship and research initiatives while learning from a high-calibre team.

Qualifications

• Interest in sustainable investment and long-term outcomes.
• Experience in environmental, social, investment, finance, data or sustainability.
• Strong data and analytical capability with clear communication.

Responsibilities

• Undertake sustainable investment research and analysis across ESG themes.
• Support due diligence and analysis of investment opportunities with an investment lens.
• Analyse portfolio and sustainability data to support decision-making and monitoring.
• Contribute to stewardship activities, including company monitoring and engagement.
• Support delivery of Sustainable Investment initiatives across research, data and implementation.
• Contribute to development of Sustainable Investment frameworks and tools.

Job description

Competitive salary + five weeks' annual leave

About the Company

The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation manage the New Zealand Super Fund, a global investment fund that invests government contributions to help meet the future cost of universal superannuation. The Guardians also oversee the Elevate Fund, backing small, fast-growing New Zealand companies. This is complex, innovative and intellectually stimulating work, carried out by a team with a deep sense of purpose: sustainable investment delivering strong returns for all New Zealanders. The New Zealand Super Fund has been named the world’s best-performing sovereign wealth fund over the past 20 years by Global SWF, a reflection of the calibre of its people and its long-term performance.

The Role

Reporting to the Director, Sustainable Investment, you will play a role in integrating sustainable investment considerations across the Fund’s investment activities and asset classes. This is a highly collaborative role, working across the wider investment function to build strong relationships, connect SI expertise with investment decision-making, and contribute to translating strategic priorities into practical implementation. You will also help drive several of the team’s key strategic initiatives, bringing together investment perspectives, sustainability expertise, data analysis, communication and implementation. You will also have the opportunity to learn from high-calibre investment and sustainable investment professionals, while bringing your own expertise and perspective to complex and rewarding work.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake sustainable investment research and analysis across environmental, social and governance themes, helping material risks into investment-relevant insights
• Support due diligence and analysis of investment opportunities across asset classes, including assessing sustainability risks, opportunities and considerations with an investment lens
• Analyse portfolio and sustainability data to support investment decision-making, monitoring and strategic initiatives
• Contribute to the team’s stewardship activities, including company monitoring, engagement, voting and exclusions
• Support delivery of the team’s strategic Sustainable Investment initiatives, working across research, analysis, data and implementation
• Contribute to the development and application of Sustainable Investment frameworks, tools and approaches across the Fund
• Support the team’s core Sustainable Investment programme, including climate, reporting, portfolio monitoring and other BAU activities
• Work collaboratively with investment colleagues, contributing analysis and communicating findings clearly to a range of audiences
• Build knowledge of global and emerging sustainable investment research and practice, bringing relevant ideas and developments into the team

Desirable Skills & Experience

• A genuine interest in sustainable investment and the role sustainability considerations can play in long-term investment outcomes
• Experience or demonstrated expertise in a relevant environmental, social, investment, finance, economics, data or sustainability discipline
• Strong research and analytical capability, with intellectual curiosity and an ability to get quickly across complex and unfamiliar topics
• Strong data skills, with the ability to analyse information, identify insights and communicate what matters
• Sound commercial judgement and an interest in developing a deeper understanding of institutional investment and different asset classes
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to turn analysis into clear, concise and useful insights
• Comfortable working across a varied portfolio of work, managing competing priorities and contributing both independently and collaboratively
• A constructive, collegial approach and the confidence to build relationships across different teams and disciplines
• Knowledge of Te Ao Māori and Te Reo Māori would be beneficial

What's in it for you

This is a rare chance to apply your sustainability expertise within a global investment mandate, at the most recognised fund in the country. You will learn from the leading and most established sustainable investment team in the market, with strong internal learning resources to build your investment knowledge quickly. Working across a varied mandate, you will gain broad exposure alongside an internationally acclaimed team.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• KiwiSaver contributions matched up to 8%
• Five weeks’ annual leave
• Hybrid working, three days in the office and up to two from home
• Auckland CBD office