Company Description:

As a leading global investment management firm, AB fosters diverse perspectives and embraces innovation to help our clients navigate the uncertainty of capital markets. Through high-quality research and diversified investment services, we serve institutions, individuals, and private wealth clients in major markets worldwide. Our ambition is simple: to be our clients’ most valued asset-management partner.

Group Description:

At AB, we view responsibility as an active pursuit that unites all parts of our firm – from the way we work and act, to the investment solutions we deliver to our clients. The Responsibility Strategic Business Unit coordinates AB’s internal approach to environmental stewardship and climate change, social responsibility, and corporate governance. We also coordinate our Responsible Investment strategy, partnering with teams in equities, fixed income, multi-asset and hedge funds to integrate ESG criteria in our investments. Our activities include strategy development; ESG research, engagement and investment integration; ESG reporting and thought leadership; development of proprietary ESG tools and platforms; and supporting the development of ESG-integrated, sustainability-focused and impact-aligned investment products.

The Environmental Research Associate is a member of the Responsible Investment Team, reporting to the Director of Environmental Research & Engagement. The candidate will play an integral role in climate change initiatives related to research, engagement, data, analysis and reporting. The Environmental Research Associate will support the Responsible Investing and Investment teams in developing and recording climate-related research insights from qualitative and quantitative analysis, prepare for and record climate-related engagements with companies, support the integration of such efforts into investment decision-making and create presentation materials to internal and external stakeholders.

Specific Responsibilities:

Quantitative Data & Analysis

Develop a strong working knowledge of climate data and research providers such as CDP, MSCI, the Transition Pathways Initiative (TPI) and Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) with a view towards delivering meaningful insights in portfolio- and issuer-level performance on material climate issues
Leverage and enhance existing proprietary climate tools, data and platforms to complete climate assessments and identify key issues for research and engagement
Liaise with climate data and research providers to resolve/understand discrepancies, to meet client and investor needs for reporting and analysis and to inform metrics, targets and benchmarks at the firm, portfolio and issuer level
Conduct analysis of quantitative data and research in order to complete climate assessments and identify key climate issues for research and engagement
Maintain, tag, update and upload supporting materials, documents and research for issuers and thematic subjects within shared drives and platforms

Qualitative Research & Reporting

Develop a strong working knowledge of issuer-level climate disclosures, frameworks and methodologies such as the ClimateAction 100+ Net Zero Company Benchmark, CDP, MSCI, the Net Zero Investment Framework 2.0, the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosure and the SBTi
Develop a strong working knowledge of a specific sector and related sub-industries including financial fundamentals and material environmental, social and governance issues
Conduct analysis of qualitative disclosure in order to complete climate transition assessments and identify key climate issues for research and issuer engagement
Enter comprehensive notes into AB’s proprietary frameworks and record-keeping systems, and support collection and maintenance of research materials into those systems
Stay informed of issuer developments on climate strategies, disclosures and controversies to inform research and engagement priorities and help make appropriate updates and adjustments
Support the development of internal and external reporting, presentations and other materials on climate research projects and deliverables
Liaise with other professionals including the Governance team, Data Science Team, CIOs/PMs, Investment Analysts to execute climate research and engagement priorities and ensure proxy voting recommendations align with such efforts
Attend and participate in regular internal working group meetings, including agenda setting, note-taking and following up with relevant stakeholders on action items

What makes this role unique or interesting (if applicable)?

Ability to work with Investment Teams and Responsible Investment team members around the globe
Participation in rapidly evolving research area (climate transition risk and related environmental research)

Qualifications, Experience, Education:

We are seeking candidates with academic achievement, intellectual curiosity and a demonstrated interest in research, data analysis, responsible investing and financial services

Bachelor’s degree with 2-5 years industry-related experience in areas such as environmental/climate policy, sustainability consulting, environmental science or finance. Financial services or capital markets experience is a plus
Strong competency in MS Office suite, particularly PowerPoint and Excel, with solid quantitative ability to analyze data and articulate results
Critical thinker with the ability to assess large amounts of disparate information, apply frameworks and construct thoughtful recommendations, research and engagement questions.
Quantitative, analytical and problem-solving skills – ability to Gather and manage large data sets to perform and trouble shoot statistical and time series analysis, simulation and quant modeling.
Collaborative and team-oriented with strong interpersonal skills balanced with an ability to work and think independently
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a focus on deliverables
Ability to synthesize data into actionable insights and compelling stories
Detail-oriented, ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced environment
Fluency in English required, fluency in a Chinese dialect is a plus
Availability to work Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) hours

Location: Pune, India

Pune, India

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Environmental Research Associate