This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join a leading Public Policy team and work within our Global Responsible Investment team to shape our advocacy and stakeholder engagement on sustainable finance and market reform to promote long termism. Focus will be on management of policy issues with multi-lateral organisations that affect our customers, our company and society.
Role Purpose & Accountabilities
We are looking for an enthusiastic and talented analyst who will provide research and support to the Chief Responsible Investment Officer and the Head of International Government Engagement across the full breadth of activity within the Aviva ‘Good Ancestors Programme’. This seeks to promote, among other things, a UN resolution on sustainable finance, standards for sustainable finance, and the creation of public open source league tables ranking corporate performance on the UN sustainable development goals. You will also help develop and execute a global public policy strategy for Aviva on sustainable development and related issues.
You will:
- Be responsible for monitoring, analysing and proposing policy ideas on the rapidly evolving debate on how we can collectively correct the capital market failures that lead to unsustainable development. This extends to supporting the delivery of our Roadmap for Sustainable Capital Markets, issued in 2014, as well as the associated white papers on the UN Sustainable Development Goals; the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; the UN Global Compact and the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange initiative;
- Supporting those Representing Aviva at, inter alia, the Financial Stability Board Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclose; the United Nations Friends of Sustainable Finance; the European Commission work on a Sustainable Capital Market Union; the Insurance Development Forum; and the UK Green Finance Initiative. You will also be expected to represent the firm at these events from time to time;
- Support the creation of a series of white papers on sustainable finance, as well as the extension of the Money Talks series;
- Help to coordinate and lead the Sustainable Finance Advocacy Network, which Aviva has helped to assemble, to ensure that this coalition is an effective force for change;
- Help design, build and execute the engagement plan that supports the delivery of the UN resolution on Sustainable Finance, in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
- Work within the Global Public Policy team as part of a wider UK, EU, International and Corporate Responsibility Department collaboratively shaping the external policy environment, focusing on issues and campaigns which advocate long-term sustainable development, that are most important for our customers, the company and society;
- Act as a promoter/source of new ideas and challenge, and work in an agile way;
- Embody Aviva’s values throughout your role: Care more, Kill complexity, Never rest and Create legacy;
- Be flexible with regular travel.
Qualifications & Experience
Our ideal candidate has:
- A strong degree qualification;
- A passion for long-term sustainability;
- Understanding of how multi-lateral agencies and policy-making bodies operate, particularly the UN, OECD, G20;
- Experience of building multi-stakeholder coalitions;
- The ability work effectively within and across high functioning teams at pace;
- Provided advice/guidance and influence at senior management level;
- Translated complex matters in a concise way;
- Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
- Programme management experience;
- Good exposure within the Responsible Investment, the Principles for Responsible Investment, the Principles of Sustainable Insurance, the UNEP Finance Initiative and various initiatives on long termism such as Focussing capital on the long term;
- Outstanding skills in communication, team work and inter disciplinary collaboration;
- Knowledge of the Aviva Investors Corporate Governance & Corporate Responsibility Voting Policy and Stewardship Code through engagement and voting execution (desirable);
- A second language (desirable).
Additional Benefits:
- Salary of £60,000 - £70,000 depending on skills, experience and qualifications;
- Defined contribution pension scheme;
- Generous holiday allowance;
- Excellent flexi-benefits package.