Job Abstract

About this role

About our team:

• Investment stewardship is one of the ways in which BlackRock fulfills our fiduciary responsibilities as an asset manager to our clients. BlackRock Investment Stewardship serves as a link between our clients and the companies they invest in.
• We take a long-term approach to stewardship, focused on engaging with company boards and executive leadership to understand the drivers of risk and financial value creation in companies’ business models. Globally, the BIS team leads more than 3,700 engagement meetings with 2,600 portfolio companies annually.
• For clients who authorize us to vote on their behalf, we use voting to formally communicate our support for or concerns about how companies are serving the financial interests of our clients as long-term investors. Globally, in 2023 we voted on behalf of those clients who authorized us to do so at more than 18,000 shareholder meetings on more than 170,000 proposals.
• Our sole focus when we engage with companies or vote at shareholder meetings is to advance our clients’ financial interests. As part of our fiduciary duty to our clients, we consider it one of our responsibilities to promote sound corporate governance as an informed, engaged shareholder on their behalf.
• The BIS team of 65+ dedicated professionals bring diverse skills and life experiences to our work, with professional expertise developed in legal, financial, advisory, consulting, technology, corporate, and governance roles. We operate in ten offices across three regions – the Americas (New York, Wilmington, and San Francisco), EMEA (London) and Asia-Pacific (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney). Analysts on the Americas team are based in BlackRock’s New York office.
• BIS is proud of our global reach and local presence.  

About the position:

The BIS Investment Stewardship Professional will assist the lead proxy voting analyst covering companies in Financial Services and/or Real Estate (REITs) sectors. They will provide support on portfolio company analysis, engagement, and voting. The intention is for the person in this role to ultimately specialize in a subset of the companies in the given sector, along with various aspects of relevant policy, to support the delivery of our annual and long-term objectives. They will report to the lead sector analyst for that industry.

Key responsibilities at the Associate/Vice President level include:

• Demonstrating expertise on sector dynamics, including corporate governance and material sustainability-related practices within the financial services (including banking, insurance, capital markets, consumer finance, diversified financials) and real estate (REITs) sectors.
• Preparing for, leading, and documenting engagement meetings with portfolio companies.
• Learning and applying BIS engagement priorities, proxy voting policies, and key industry initiatives that have impact on BIS principles.
• Working with lead sector analyst(s) to implement BIS’ corporate governance policies.
• Supporting data gathering, benchmarking and reporting to support voting decisions and policy positions.
• Assisting in the preparation of position papers to facilitate issue discussion with broader BlackRock audiences.
• Collaborating across the team to identify ways to improve policy and business processes.

The tasks involved in fulfilling these responsibilities include:

• Preparing for engagement with senior representatives of portfolio companies, including crafting memos in preparation for meetings highlighting key data that will be useful in our engagement and stewardship efforts.
• Attending, documenting and leading (as needed) engagement efforts, including recording research notes to be stored and shared with select audiences across BlackRock.
• Monitoring policy developments to improve the relevance of BlackRock’s principles and guidelines.
• Participating in benchmarking analysis and modeling to contribute to leading engagement and voting practices.
• Monitoring of proxy voting workflow, to ensure all accounts are voted as intended and are in accordance with the appropriate guidelines.
• Supporting the development of BIS position papers and reporting.
• Analyzing companies’ shareholder meeting agendas and related materials in order to vote in the manner most consistent with BlackRock’s corporate governance policies and fiduciary responsibilities.
• Collaborating with client-facing and communications colleagues to ensure client reporting and client presentations meet expectations, and that client queries on corporate governance are responded to promptly and to the client’s expectations.
• Reviewing the BIS team’s output and working practices to ensure risks are minimized and performance optimized.

Desired qualifications include:

• An undergraduate degree in finance, economics, accounting, political science, history, sustainability or other relevant field.
• A minimum of 4-6 years of experience in a financial services focused role, ideally with a demonstrated strong understanding of financial statements and corporate finance.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information and convey it in a clear and concise manner to senior-level audiences.
• A diligent, focused, and persistent work ethic to implement while leading multiple tasks and changing priorities.
• The ability to prioritize, analyze, and resolve complex issues under time pressure while maintaining consistent attention to detail.
• An organized, self-reliant, and self-motivated approach to responsibilities.
• A keen interest in corporate governance and material sustainable business practices, ideally in relation to the financial services and/or real estate sectors.
• Collaborative working style, and strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to build and maintain successful relationships with colleagues across the firm and with external parties.
• Proficiency using Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft products.

*Level is commensurate with experience.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.