Senior ESG Associate

ClearBridge Investments is a leading global equity manager with over $189 billion in assets under management.  The firm is committed to delivering long-term results through active management. We have followed this approach for more than 60 years and continue to offer investment solutions that emphasize differentiated stock selection to move our clients forward. Our investment decisions are supported by a robust research platform that conducts in-depth fundamental analysis of individual securities. We integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into our fundamental research process in all our investment strategies.

Owned by Franklin Templeton, ClearBridge operates with investment independence from headquarters in New York and offices in Baltimore, Calgary, Fort Lauderdale, London, San Mateo, and Sydney. ClearBridge Investments has been named by Pensions & Investments Magazine (P&I) as one of the Best Places to Work in Money Management for the thirteenth year in a row. These awards reflect the Firm's diverse and inclusive culture, spirit of collaboration, work/life balance and our ongoing investment in our employees.

At ClearBridge, we believe that diversity and inclusion is essential to our success as an organization.  We benefit from the sharing of different perspectives and our varied experiences. ClearBridge is proud to be a diverse company that promotes integrity, respect and teamwork and encourages new ideas and viewpoints. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is demonstrated through our various recruitment efforts, employee programs, charitable and volunteer efforts. 

Job Summary:

ClearBridge Investments is seeking a Senior ESG Associate to join their New York-based Environment, Social, & Governance (ESG) Strategy team.  The Senior ESG Associate will be responsible for helping to lead the firm’s internal ESG engagement program and supporting ClearBridge’s firmwide ESG integration approach. This includes a range of tasks and projects that support ESG integration and impact activities being conducted by all investment teams and will act as a liaison among all areas of the firm (Central Research, Portfolio Management teams, the ESG strategy team, client-facing teams, technology team and others).

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the firm’s internal engagement initiative, which includes working closely with investment team members who will conduct the engagements to help identify additional topics, monitor and track progress, and report on outcomes
• Work with investment team members & ESG strategy team to manage firm-wide, ongoing ESG projects
• Oversee the firm’s ESG engagement tracking system and proprietary ESG ratings system
• Partner closely with firm’s technology team to both enhance existing ESG-related systems and explore new platforms to streamline ESG efforts
• Attend C-suite company meetings alongside ClearBridge PMs and analysts and support prep work with investment team members as needed
• Contribute to annual ESG training for the investment team
• Lead meetings with sell-side research and other industry organizations to help support ESG integration efforts across the firm
• Contribute to the firm’s annual Stewardship Report and originate other relevant thought leadership
• Represent the firm with ESG networks, working groups, and collaborative engagement initiatives
• Act as a liaison between the investment teams and sales/marketing teams (periodic client reporting, ad hoc ESG requests/queries)
• Ad hoc projects to advance the firm’s ESG integration and impact efforts

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required with 5-7 years of sustainable investment work experience
• Sustainability and ESG experience with expertise in Social-related topics (human rights, DE&I etc.) a plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and manage multiple projects
• Ability to lead projects independently and work collaboratively as part of a team
• Detail-oriented, focused, and committed work ethic
• High ethical standards

Total Rewards:
Our employees have access to a competitive and valuable set of Total Rewards.  Our Total Rewards include:

• Hybrid work schedule; 4 days in-office
• Health, wellness and risk benefits to protect employees and their families
• Retirement savings, stock purchase and other incentive programs to help employees plan for the future
• Holiday, paid-time-off and other employee programs that support work-life balance
• Support for pursuing certifications, external education and degree programs
• Learning, development and career advancement opport