BlackRock Investment Stewardship, Analyst/Associate, Tokyo

Job Description

About this role

Description:

As an independent, fiduciary asset manager, BlackRock is committed to acting at all times in the best long-term interests of our clients. We undertake our BIS activities to protect and enhance the economic value of the companies in which we invest on their behalf.

The work of BlackRock’s BIS team is an investment function. The team operates in seven offices across three regions – the Americas (New York and San Francisco); Europe, Middle East and Africa (London); and Asia-Pacific (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney) – and undertakes engagement with and proxy voting at portfolio companies on behalf of clients globally.

BlackRock aims to take a common view in-house regarding our engagement and voting policies and uses the BIS group to coordinate, communicate and carry out these policies at approximately 17,000 shareholder meetings at which the firm votes each year.

The BIS Analyst/Associate will work as part of a team focused on Japan. The role reports to the Head of BIS Japan and is based in Tokyo. The intention is for the person in this role to support head of BIS Japan strategically represent the work of BIS to key stakeholders such as clients, further contribute to the voting and engagement across several sectors in Japan and to the team’s thinking on policy issues relating to corporate governance, stewardship and material sustainability issues.

Role description:

The Analyst/Associate– BIS will work for the BIS APAC-Japan team based in Tokyo. The role reports to the Head of BIS Japan. The intention is for the person in this role to support head of BIS Japan represent the work of BIS to clients and other key stakeholders, while specialise in a number of industry sectors in Japan, as well as in a subset of the policy issues covered by the team; and facilitate the overall development of team capabilities.

Responsibilities:

• Support head of BIS Japan strategically represent the work of BIS to key stakeholders, particularly clients.
• Working closely with the Institutional Client Business teams to ensure BIS reports, presentations commentaries and RFPs are delivered at a high standard (insightful and analytical) and submitted on time
• Contribute to the team’s core duty of proxy voting and company engagement
• Monitor the various corporate governance standards and best practices in the region and contribute to internal guidelines refreshment and external communications
• Support representation to key stakeholders such as policy makers and wider constituencies.
• Contribute to ESG integration and research for other investment teams

The tasks involved in fulfilling these responsibilities include:

• Contributing to the production of reports, presentations for and/or engaging with internal and external parties on BlackRock’s corporate governance and stewardship policies and activities
• Working with BlackRock’s client-facing group and with clients directly to ensure client reporting and client presentations meet expectations, and that client queries on stewardship are responded to promptly and to the satisfaction of the client
• Contributing to engagement with policymakers on corporate governance, stewardship policy and ESG matters, including through dialogue and/or public comment letters
• Analysing meeting agendas and related materials in order to vote in the manner most consistent with BlackRock’s corporate governance and stewardship policies
• Supporting the integration of ESG considerations into the investment process, as applicable
• Conducting research on ESG topics and related matters
• Contributing to the continual review of the BIS team’s output and working practices to ensure risks are minimised and performance optimised

The person in this role will be/will have:

• An undergraduate with a degree in finance, economics, accounting, business, communications, technology or related discipline
• Corporate governance, investment, consulting experience an advantage, but not a must.
• An understanding of and interest in corporate strategy, corporate governance, stewardship, environmental and social issues as long-term investment considerations
• The ability to be analytical and creative, capable of communicating clearly and persuasively in writing and orally, including with clients, senior colleagues and investee company representatives
• The ability to build and maintain successful relationships with colleagues across the firm and with external parties
• The ability to analyse and resolve complex problems under time pressure
• Details focused and persistent to see things through to completion whilst managing multiple tasks and changing priorities
• Extensive knowledge of Excel and strong knowledge of the entire MS Office suite
• Experience in data analysis, consolidation and creating detailed reports, charts and tables a strong plus
• Demonstrable desire to expand technical expertise. Working knowledge of SQL or other programming languages eg. R, Python, a strong plus
• Fluency in Japanese and English

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.

About BlackRock

BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, our clients turn to us for the solutions they need when planning for their most important goals. As of June 30, 2020, the firm managed approximately $7.32 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate | Twitter: @blackrock | Blog: www.blackrockblog.com | 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.