Responsible Investment Analyst

At Scottish Widows, we recognise that environmental, social and governance factors such as climate change are some of the biggest issues facing society today. We're proud to be part of Lloyds Banking Group, who are taking the initiative in supporting a greener economy, and we can make a real difference to tackling these challenges by helping to finance a greener and more prosperous future together.

Scottish Widows is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, UK Stewardship Code and a number of others systemically important initiatives. Our work with IIGCC encourages public policy solutions to ensure an orderly transition towards a low-carbon economy, and also helps encourage and inform investment practices aimed at preserving and enhancing long-term investment value.

As a leading pension provider in the UK with c.GBP190bn in pensions and investments, Scottish Widows is looking after the retirement savings of millions of hard-working people. Given the nature of the products we offer, our goal is to help secure financial futures for our customers and so it is imperative we understand the financial implications of ESG issues. Where we believe these factors pose downside risk to investments or offer potential upside opportunities, we incorporate them into our investment decision making.

This supports our ambition to be a leading UK pension provider that offers our customers and colleagues sustainable investment choices and challenges companies we invest in to behave more sustainably and responsibly. We have an ambitious Net Zero strategy covering all our investments and our active stewardship is showcased in our annual RI & Stewardship reports.

The Responsible Investment analyst will play a strong supporting role in developing a leading Responsible Investment and stewardship proposition in line with our Responsible Investment policies and will assist in all areas of responsible investment activities of Scottish Widows as the need arises. You'll report to a senior manager within the Responsible Investments team.

The Responsible Investment proposition will be developed and maintained with a view to go over and above external and competitor standard methodology, and effectively implemented working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across the Insurance Division and Group Environmental Sustainability and Group Responsible Business teams.

Responsibilities:

• Support the development of a market leading Responsible Investment program within Scottish Widows, as directed by Senior Manager, working collaboratively with colleagues within Investment team and Group Environmental Sustainability team.

• This role will undertake reporting on our stewardship and Responsible Investment activities, in line with Scottish Widows standards, customer requirements, and regulatory and industry practice.

• Performs complex Responsible Investment data processing using established procedures and testing new procedures.

• Helps senior colleagues handle internal and external client relationships by using client systems and protocols.

• Supports and enables others to use and benefit from existing Responsible Investment data management systems.

• Develops personal capabilities using existing formal and informal training opportunities.

• Engages, with key people in Scottish Widows to ensure that their views are taken into account in the development of Responsible Investment and stewardship initiatives and that appropriate governance processes are being adhered to.

• Supports others by carrying out designated sustainability research activities, with a particular focus on stewardship enabling research into our portfolio companies.

• Produces Responsible Investment and stewardship related materials as required.

Specific skills, knowledge and experience we're looking for:

• Understanding of responsible investment, sustainable finance and ESG regulatory space with a particular focus on investments. Pension knowledge desirable.

• Teamwork - ability to bring together all parties and ensure successful partnership on things mandate developments

• Organisation awareness - ability to quickly gain awareness of a large and complex organisational structure and products. Able to use internal network to quickly make change happen

• Analysis - able to structure and complete complex analysis to inform evidence based decision making

• Communication - good oral and written communication skills

Location and Ways of Working

Our team is split across over our Edinburgh and London hubs therefore we'll need you to be based a commutable distance from one of these areas. We work in a hybrid model, splitting our time between the office and working from home.

What we can we offer you?

In addition to base salary , we'll give you a remuneration packages which includes:

• A discretionary performance share bonus

• A generous pension contribution

• A flex cash pot you can adjust to suit your lifestyle

• Private health cover

• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays

• Various share schemes including free shares

Please note the salary range advertised is for candidates based in Edinburgh. If you are based in London the salary range will be higher.

Together we have a key role to play in shaping the bank of the future, whilst the scale and reach of LBG means you'll continue to have opportunities to learn, grow and develop.

We're committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the customers and communities we serve, and to building an inclusive environment where all our colleagues can be themselves and succeed on merit. We support the principles of agile working and are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We're an equal opportunity employer and deeply value diversity within our organisation.

Please get in touch if you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you.

So if you have the skills we're looking for, we'd love to hear from you!