Research Analyst - ESG (Temporary)

Institutional Shareholder Services - Rockville, MD

Full-time - Entry Level

Hybrid - Rockville, MD

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About the position

The Research Analyst - ESG position at ISS involves conducting research on environmental and social shareholder proposals for annual shareholder meetings. The role is temporary, spanning from January 2025 to May/June 2025, and requires strong analytical skills to draft reports and provide proxy vote recommendations based on ISS policy guidelines. The analyst will engage with various stakeholders and contribute to understanding corporate governance and sustainability issues.

Responsibilities

• Perform research on environmental and social issue shareholder proposals to be voted on at annual shareholder meetings of publicly traded companies.
• Analyze information to draft reports and issue proxy vote recommendations based on ISS' policy guidelines.
• Develop an understanding of corporate environmental and social sustainability issues, including human rights, animal welfare, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, corporate political contributions and lobbying, and sustainability reporting.
• Develop an understanding of governance issues, including board of directors, shareholder rights, audit issues, compensation, and mergers/acquisitions.
• Engage as needed with representatives from corporations, institutional investors, and other market players.
• Answer internal and external queries on research analyses, and discuss policies and vote recommendations as appropriate.
• Perform other research-related work and duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Strong analytical abilities
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills
• Organizational skills, attention to detail, a self-driven work ethic, and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment
• Ability to work within a team-oriented environment and communicate with various internal parties
• Willingness to work long hours and weekends during peak weeks (approx. March through June)
• Bachelor's degree or higher, plus relevant work experience preferred in business, corporate social and environmental issues, or other corporate fields.

Benefits

• This position does not offer ISS benefits, but benefits may be provided by a third-party provider after an eligibility period.