Human Rights Engagement Manager, Stewardship

About Morningstar

It started with an idea—one great idea from a 27-year-old stock analyst. Our founder, Joe Mansueto, recognized inequity in the availability and distribution of financial information. He set out to change these practices, democratizing and demystifying investing and giving more people access to the tools, products, and information they needed to achieve their financial goals. This simple, revolutionary idea became the foundation of our company and the core of our mission: empowering investor success.

About This Role

This is an exciting position for anyone wishing to contribute to positive change within the area of business & human rights. This position would suit a human rights professional with broad expertise spanning various human rights and labour rights matters, preferably with a comprehensive understanding of the practical application of international norms such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Our approach is to build resilience in companies, reducing their risks from a changing societal landscape creating long term value. As such, this role will work alongside our investor clients to engage with publicly traded companies  to bring about beneficial change in the company’s ESG performance in the area of human and labour rights. The role blends research and analysis, with company, client, and other stakeholder engagement, whilst providing written updates on progress to clients.

Morningstar Sustainalytics’ Stewardship team consists of around 40 individuals across various ESG disciplines who support investor clients in meeting their responsible investment objectives and facilitate active ownership strategies through engagement dialogue, proxy voting advisory and investor communications. Our services are delivered through a number of engagement programs covering material ESG risks, sustainability themes and global standards/norms.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be a polished communicator with knowledge and understanding of the wide variety of trends influencing corporate human rights accountability. You should have an understanding of relevant international norms, standards and investor initiatives and be knowledgeable about the challenges companies face in aligning with evolving investor expectations. Familiarity with material ESG issues and best practices in effective corporate governance within the context of human rights is also essential.

What You'll Do

On behalf of our institutional investor clients, conduct engagement dialogue with selected publicly traded companies, through email and conference calls (and potentially in-person meetings) to support their alignment with leading corporate human rights practices. 

• Support the delivery of qualitative and quantitative content for our investor clients. 
• Track and understand regulatory developments, as well as industry and investor initiatives that shape corporate human rights action and accountability across markets. 
• Research alignment with international conventions/standards along with ESG management gaps and opportunities in publicly traded companies across several sectors. 
• Collaborate on programme development, establish and execute our Theory of Change to engage with company representatives, investor clients and other stakeholders to drive impact, promote best practices and meet investor expectations. 
• Contribute to thought leadership, for example by writing articles or speaking at events. 
• Work closely with colleagues to answer client enquiries and ensure a high degree of client satisfaction. 

Who You Are

• Highly professional interpersonal skills including an adaptive communication style adjusted based on the context of each engagement 
• A generous team spirit and collaborative nature
• Professional listening, speaking and writing skills,  in English, additional languages are an asset 
• Cross-cultural communication skills and supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion 
• Service-minded and able to serve as a trusted advisor to clients 
• Self-motivated and results driven 
• Able to handle a variety of responsibilities and deliver efficiently by prioritizing tasks 
• Relevant degree and excellent research and analytical skills 
• Ten years’ experience with enabling corporate human rights due diligence and accountability in a field such as responsible investment, investor relations, regulatory oversight, consulting, corporate sustainability or academia
• Familiarity with relevant international norms, standards and initiatives (such as UDHR, UN Global Compact, UNGPs, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises , PRI Advance, etc)
• Awareness of the broader corporate sustainability or responsible investing field, also comprising regulation such as various national Modern Slavery Acts, CSRD and SFDR 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Morningstar:

Change happens when we challenge the status quo; dare to ask the difficult questions; explore beyond our own experiences; and refuse to accept inequity as inalterable. We recognize diversity, equity, and inclusion as integral to our mission and inextricable from our actions. From examining our internal policies and practices to hiring and advancing a more diverse cohort of colleagues, mobilizing our research capabilities to deepening our education and understanding, we’re committed to leveraging our partnerships, platforms, and position to redefine outcomes, advance positive change, and lead by example.

Our Values

Champion the Investor: We prioritize the needs and interests of investors in everything we do, aiming to empower them whether they engage with us directly or indirectly.

Dream Big, Drive Change: We embrace bold visions and actively pursue innovations that improve our services, benefit the communities we operate in, and make a positive impact on the wider world.

Execution is Everything: Our strength lies in our ability to transform ideas into tangible outcomes, demonstrating our commitment through the quality of our results.

Growth Mindset: We encourage continuous personal and professional development, knowing that our collective growth drives the company’s success.

One Team: We operate as a cohesive unit, embracing diversity and collaboration, which fuels our shared commitment to achieving our mission and upholding our values.

Ready to Shape the Future?

At Morningstar, every hire we make strengthens our mission to empower investor success.  Apply now and help shape the future of investing with us. 

Morningstar’s hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to work remotely and collaborate in-person each week. We’ve found that we’re at our best when we’re purposely together on a regular basis, at least three days each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you’ll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.