Senior Investor Engagement Officer – Biodiversity

We are at a pivotal moment: the climate and biodiversity crises are deepening, and inequalities are even more marked in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global investment system has an oversized impact on many of these global challenges. We want to make sure that impact is positive. At ShareAction, we work with investors, policymakers and individuals to unleash the positive potential of the investment system. We aim to build a world where our financial system serves our planet and its people.

Team

In 2020, ShareAction undertook research to understand what it would take to move the investment system to address biodiversity loss. In the biodiversity team, we are now building an ambitious programme of work which will establish standards and leading practices for responsible investors on addressing biodiversity impacts and hold major investors accountable against them. At the same time, we’ll work collaboratively with investors, using their influence to challenge companies, such as agrochemical producers, to halt and reverse nature loss. This is a small but growing team that aims to have a huge impact.

Position

The destruction of our natural world is one of the most pressing crises we face today. Some 75 per cent of land and 66 per cent of marine environments have already been severely altered by human activities. Tackling this will require urgent and transformative action by all actors, but the financial sector has a major role to play.

We are seeking to appoint a Senior Engagement Officer to help us build and maintain effective working relationships with the key investor stakeholders in our biodiversity programme. You will work closely with team members responsible for research and campaigns to encourage investors to use their influence with companies to halt and reverse our imminent nature crisis.

What you’ll do:

• You will identify investor stakeholders to engage with in order to achieve biodiversity programme objectives
• With support from the Head of Biodiversity, you will develop and oversee an annual work plan of engagement activity with investors
• You will conduct investor engagement activity, including calls, meetings and other events held 1:1 and in groups and make sure that these are tracked in our database
• Building on our existing networks, you will grow and maintain effective relationships with key investor contacts
• You will conduct ad-hoc research on current and leading investor policies and practices on biodiversity, in collaboration with our Financial Sector Research team
• You will support and take part in follow-up engagements with banks and investors on the biodiversity findings of ShareAction’s banking and asset managers surveys
• You will provide ad-hoc support to the Banks team to support additional engagements with banks and key stakeholders that are relevant to biodiversity
• You will provide input to team efforts to develop new areas of work, including contributing to funding bids, when required
• You will play a role in the wider team and across ShareAction activity related to biodiversity to foster collaboration

Requirements

What you’ll bring to the team:

• You’ll be able to demonstrate your knowledge of biodiversity loss and the nature crisis
• You will have some experience of promoting action by businesses to address nature loss or a related issue
• You’ll have experience or a working knowledge of third-sector advocacy or campaigning organisations
• You will have excellent written and verbal communication and demonstrate experience of tailoring your message to a range of different audiences
• You will be a natural collaborator and team player, making sure you get the best out of those you work with
• You will be able to manage a range of competing priorities and deadlines
• You will have some experience of Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in a programme

It would also be great – but not essential – if you have:

• An understanding of the role of the investment system in driving positive change in corporate behaviour
• An understanding of the agrochemicals industry

What we will do for you

• We will provide you with training on all our systems and any other developmental training you might need
• There are already meetings set up with other teams that you will be able to join to facilitate collaboration, but you will have a chance to input into these and suggest changes
• There are other options to collaborate across the organisation, such as joining our D&I working groups or social committee
• ShareAction teams enjoy hybrid working, splitting their time between home and our office in London Bridge
• There is currently no mandatory requirement for time spent in the office, but the Biodiversity Team aims to meet together in the office at least once per month

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button HERE.

Closing date: 9am on Monday 15 August 2022.

There are likely to be two rounds of interviews from the week beginning 22 August 2022.

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities, and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities and so if you are not 100 per cent sure that you meet all the requirements but believe you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply and use the application questions to tell us about your experience and what you hope to bring to this role.

We have a London office; we actively encourage staff to work in ways that best suit their needs, and our flexible working policy outlines many of the options available – such as part-time and term-time working, job sharing, home working and working compressed hours. Please talk to us at the interview about the flexibility you need. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

ShareAction’s London office is based in vibrant Bermondsey and a short walk from London Bridge underground and national rail. Remote working will remain the norm for many ShareAction staff as we continue to face the Covid-19 pandemic, with office space available as described in London for those who wish to use it.