Research Associate (Custom Research)

Let’s be #BrilliantTogether

ISS STOXX'S Customized Research Services works with institutional investors to help them fully optimize their corporate governance program through the provision of governance expertise, advice, and other customized deliverables. The team draws on a deep understanding of global corporate governance and best practices – gathered through fundamental research and partnerships with institutional investors and other stakeholder engagements – to help institutional investors better understand the corporate governance landscape, ESG concerns, and other proxy voting issues.

Senior Institutional Advisors, working as members of global regional teams, help clients develop and/or implement customized guidelines that reflect each client’s unique corporate governance philosophy. The teams leverage a proprietary software, in conjunction with analysts’ global corporate governance expertise, to provide clients with customized proxy vote recommendations and rationales, based on their respective proxy voting guidelines. We also keep clients apprised of new trends and emerging issues that have garnered increased interest in the investment community. Additionally, we partner with clients to fully optimize their corporate governance programs through customized peer comparison reports and other analytics, and perform research on emerging corporate governance topics, statistical and trend analyses, and various projects as requested by clients.

Responsibilities

• Fostering enduring relationships with clients to understand their needs, and provide them with advisory services and expertise on global corporate governance trends, policies, guidelines and best practices.
• Lead a team of regional Institutional Advisors to maintain Customized Research’s standard operating procedures and actively monitor compliance.
• Foster regional team’s governance expertise and professional development.
• Contribute to, and lead, department-wide projects.
• Provide insightful, grounding, well-reasoned proxy voting recommendations and rationale based on client-specific proxy voting guidelines
• Perform research on a variety of proposals to be voted on at annual shareholder meetings of publicly traded companies from a client-specific perspective
• Apply an understanding of shareholder/corporate governance issues gathered through fundamental research and contact with institutional investors and/or company executives
• Actively work with clients to help them to update, develop or formulate their proxy voting guidelines
• Complete client-specific projects on various corporate governance trends, topics, and data
• Research policy-related issues, and support teammates in their completion of client projects as needed
• Contribute to seasonal reviews, client calls, and client-focused research reports.
• Lead or participate in engagement with institutional investors, corporate executives or directors and other market players.
• Answer internal and external queries on research analyses, and discuss policies and vote recommendations as appropriate
• Conduct peer review, and contribute to the development of other research analysts.
• Participate in and actively contribute to ISS policy formulation and update efforts
• Identify opportunities to enhance the department's service offering, including various process improvement initiatives
• Work with Corporate Technology to develop, enhance and test current and new applications that will benefit our clients, the department and the company as a whole

Qualifications

Analytic

• Strong analytical abilities and comfort with ambiguity
• Superior problem-solving skills
• Intellectual curiosity and dedication to mastering complex concepts
• Superior judgment
• Good understanding of business technology, and experience working with technology in an operational context
• Strong computer literacy with previous experience and excellent knowledge of MS Office

Advisory Service

• Strong client service ethic
• Exceptional relationship-building skills
• Exhibits confidence and consistency under pressure

Communication and Presentation

• Excellent writing and oral communication skills, and the ability to formulate and support a position on an issue
• Ability to work within a team-oriented environment and communicate with various internal and external parties

Management

• Organizational skills, attention to detail, a self-driven work ethic, and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment
• Effective time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to foster team’s professional growth
• Willingness to work long hours and weekends primarily during peak weeks (March, April, May, June), but on an as-needed basis throughout the year as well

Additional Qualifications