VICE PRESIDENT FINANCIAL ANALYST - Hatch Global Search

Job Description

New York, NY

Compensation: $140,000 - $195,000 Per Year

BLACKROCK NEW YORK

VP ACTIVE INVESTMENT STEWAREDSHIP

BlackRock is establishing a dedicated investment stewardship team for our active business. This capability builds on the innovation and customization BlackRock has brought to stewardship to reflect clients’ individual investment choices and goals. The person in this role will contribute to our voting and engagement activities in relation to our active investment strategies, consistent with our fiduciary duties as an asset manager to seek the best risk-adjusted returns for clients, within the mandates our clients have given us.

About our team:

BlackRock Active Investment Stewardship (BAIS) is a specialist team within the active investing business which manages BlackRock’s stewardship engagement and voting on behalf of clients invested in active strategies globally. This is an exciting opportunity to join a new function, and we are looking to build a team of high performing associates and VPs located between LON and NY. The team sits within BLK’s Portfolio Management Group (PMG) which encompasses BLK’s Fixed Income, Fundamental Equities, Private Credit, Systematic Investments, Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions and Private Investors Businesses. Our activities are informed by our Global Engagement and Voting Guidelines and insights from active investment analysts and portfolio managers, with whom we work closely in engaging companies.

Engagement with public companies is the foundation of our approach to stewardship within fundamental active investing. Through direct dialogue with company leadership, we seek to understand their businesses and how they manage risks and opportunities to deliver superior financial returns to our clients. Generally, portfolio managers and stewardship specialists engage jointly on substantive matters. Our discussions focus on topics relevant to a company’s success over time including governance and leadership, corporate strategy, capital structure and financial performance, operations and material sustainability-related risks, as well as macro-economic, geopolitical and sector dynamics. We are constructive and patient investors, and generally support management as they adapt and develop their businesses to perform over time. We aim to build and maintain strong relationships with company leadership based on open dialogue and mutual respect.

About the position:

The BAIS Analyst will be responsible for voting and engagement in relation to a universe of companies, in collaboration with active investors. They will provide support on portfolio company analysis, engagement preparation and follow up, and reviewing and assessing corporate governance in advance of voting. The intention is for the person in this role to specialize in a subset of the companies in BAIS’ engagement universe, along with various aspects of relevant policy, to support the delivery of our annual and long-term objectives. They will report to the Head of BAIS/Deputy Head of BAIS.

Key responsibilities at the Vice President level include:

Demonstrating expertise in analysis of company performance, corporate governance and material sustainability-related practices.

Preparing for, participating in, and documenting engagement meetings with portfolio companies, often alongside active investors.

Learning and applying BAIS engagement priorities, proxy voting policies, and key industry initiatives that have impact on BAIS policies and practices.

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.

Building strong relationships and collaborating with relevant counterparts within the active investment business and selectively contributing to cross-platform initiatives.

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.

Coordinating with active investors in fundamental equity and fixed income on engagement meeting agendas, questions and objectives.

Participating in industry research groups and thematic initiatives with the active investment teams as appropriate.

Attending, documenting and leading (as needed) engagement efforts, including recording research notes to be stored and shared with select audiences within BlackRock’s active investment business.

Monitoring policy developments to improve the relevance of BAIS’ guidelines.

Participating in peer benchmarking analysis and modeling to contribute to leading engagement and voting practices.

Monitoring proxy voting workflow to ensure all accounts are voted as intended and are in accordance with the appropriate guidelines.

Supporting the development of BAIS position papers and reporting.

Analyzing companies’ shareholder meeting agendas and related materials in order to vote in the manner most consistent with BAIS’ 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 satisfaction.

Reviewing the BAIS 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.

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.

Additional Information

1. Travel arrangements for candidates’ traveling with a BlackRock employee, as directed by BlackRock, must be booked through Blackrock.

2. BlackRock verifies the credentials and employment history of candidates offered employment. Therefore, the Search Firm agrees to notify all candidates that information presented on any application forms, resumes or during the interview process will be verified.

3. The Search Firm will advise each candidate that BlackRock expects him or her to honor his or her contractual obligations to any previous employer. The Search Firm will also advise the candidate to seek independent legal advice where the candidate has any question concerning the nature of the candidate’s obligations or enforceability of any contract terms, such as provisions prohibiting solicitation of other employees of any previous employer, confidentiality and non-compete clauses. In the event that the Search Firm learns that a candidate is subject to restrictive covenants of the type referenced above that it reasonably believes may impact the candidate’s ability to perform in an unrestricted manner in the position for which the search is engaged, the Search Firm will advise BlackRock of such restrictions.

4. Hiring Company verifies the credentials and employment history of Candidates offered employment. Therefore, the Search Firm agrees to notify all candidates that information presented on any application forms, resumes or during the interview process will be verified. Any false or misleading information, omissions or misrepresentations may be grounds for immediate discharge if the employment has commenced employment or revocation of the offer. Federal law also requires that employers hire only individuals who are authorized to be lawfully employed in the United States. In compliance with such laws Hiring Company will verify the employment authorization status of every individual offered employment with Hiring Company. Accordingly, all offers of employment are subject to the verification of the applicant’s identity and employment authorization and it will be necessary for the candidates to submit such documentation as required by law to verify identification and employment authorization. All offers of employment are also conditional upon satisfactory completion of a background check conducted by an outside vendor which may include a criminal record search, drug testing and/or fingerprinting, as may be permissible under applicable law. The Search Firm agrees to inform all candidates of these requirements.