Stewardship Analyst - Universities Superannuation Scheme Limited - #2196129

Stewardship Analyst

Place of Work: London

Contract Type: Permanent

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme means you will have numerous opportunities to learn and develop your career. Given our size you'll have real autonomy and influence as you collaborate closely with a wide-ranging team of experts.

About the role

In your role as Stewardship Analyst you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to support the development and delivery of USS’s stewardship activities with a focus on proxy voting, corporate governance, and company engagement.

Governance is one of USS’s four RI priorities, alongside Climate, Nature and People. The role will have a particular focus on advancing the Governance priority, while using voting and engagement to support the other priorities where relevant.

The Stewardship Analyst will apply subject matter expertise to contribute to thematic research, participate in industry events and engagements, and provide the RI and investment teams with insights on regulatory and market level developments, contributing to the continuous development of USS’s stewardship approach.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the Responsible Investment team you will be responsible for:

Proxy voting

1. Undertake research and analysis and liaise with investment teams to support the development of proxy voting recommendations in accordance with USS’s Voting Principles and Voting Guidelines.
2. Support the timely and accurate execution of proxy votes.
3. Contribute to the development and maintenance of USS’s Voting Guidelines and other reference materials.
4. Contribute to the ongoing development of USS’s stewardship approach by identifying opportunities to strengthen voting, engagement, research and reporting processes.

Engagement

1. Support the identification of engagement opportunities and participate in the engagements with investee companies on corporate governance matters.
2. Prepare for engagements through research and discussions with relevant investment teams.
3. Maintain clear records of engagement activity, notes, and outcomes for monitoring and reporting purposes.

Corporate governance research

1. Contribute to thematic research on priority corporate governance topics.
2. Prepare briefings and memos on relevant regulatory, governance and market developments.

Stakeholder engagement

1. Help responses to queries relating to proxy voting, with clear and timely communication.
2. Represent USS at select industry events and collaborative initiatives relevant to stewardship and corporate governance.

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box, if you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will have:

1. Strong knowledge of proxy voting and key corporate governance topics.
2. Good understanding of how governance approaches vary across company life cycles, jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks, and their relevance to investment decision-making.
3. Practical understanding of the processes and technical considerations involved in exercising proxy votes.
4. Relevant experience within a stewardship, corporate governance or responsible investment environment, with an understanding of how stewardship can support investment decision-making.
5. The ability to build effective and trusted relationships with investment teams and other stakeholders.
6. Strong written and verbal communication skills
7. The ability to represent USS professionally in engagements with companies, industry bodies and other external stakeholders.

Why join us?

At USS, every individual contributes to building a secure financial future for our members and their families. We strive to create a work environment where everyone can thrive professionally while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. We're also committed to helping you build your career by providing opportunities for development. We put a focus on recognising and supporting each individual's unique career path, driving this forward with the support of an engaged and proactive management team. Here at USS, we want you to thrive in and out of work with a friendly team, flexible culture and excellent range of benefits!

How we will reward you

1. Great starting salary
2. Generous annual leave package
3. Access to a high quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
4. Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
5. Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
6. Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
7. Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
8. Employee Volunteer Day’s to support the communities where you work and live
9. Cycle to Work Scheme

Our culture and values

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves. Our purpose firmly states the importance of members, putting them ‘front and centre’ of what we do. This is embedded through our values:

1. Integrity
2. Collaboration
3. Excellence

About us