Job Description

At abrdn, our purpose is to enable our clients to be better investors.

Clients worldwide trust us to find future-fit investment opportunities to deliver the outcomes they want. Our technology and insight help empower them to make better decisions, while the powerful partnerships we build help to enhance the expertise that we offer. And by enabling clients to invest responsibly, it helps us to build a better world.

About the department

The Fixed Income ESG team is dedicated to driving the integration of Environmental, Social and Governance factors within Fixed Income.  The remit of the team is to encourage collaboration within the Fixed Income team and across the wider business on ESG best practice and to ensure continual development and enhancement of our approach.   ESG is critical to our continued success with clients and the team’s input is key to all areas of the Fixed Income business. The team is made up of 4 ESG Analysts and the Head of Head of ESG – Fixed Income.

About the role

Career Level – 2

Reporting to the Head of ESG – Fixed Income and working closely with the other ESG analysts, the role holder will work to implement our ESG approach and look to continually improve the knowledge and expertise of the wider Fixed Income team.  The individual will assist with performing individual company ESG risk assessments from external data sources as well as from direct engagements with issuers. 

The role will also be focused on meeting our client expectations in terms of ESG information requests and serving as a key connection between with various ESG stakeholders within the wider business including the central ESG team, ESG equities analysts and various networks. 

Key Responsibilities

• Provide support to the global Fixed Income team to ensure that ESG is integrated into investment research and portfolio construction.

• Work effectively with the Fixed Income team and be able to communicate and participate with colleagues to share information.

• Participate in generating trade ideas and producing notes for investment approval for using the Climate Transition Bond framework, SDG framework, labelled bond framework

• Produce insightful thematic research pieces on material sustainability topics

• Engage with issuers via their Investor Relations team, Management or topic area specialists such as Group Heads of Risk and Heads of Sustainability on ESG issues and subsequently write notes capturing key data and insights identified.

• Keep up-to-date on relevant ESG developments and trends and interpret how those developments may impact investment recommendations and communicate that understanding to colleagues.

• Champion ESG issues with the Fixed Income team.

• Influence investment recommendations and portfolio construction through ESG analysis in order to positively impact investment performance.

• Assist in the implementation of regulatory requirements in existing and upcoming fund strategies.

• Engage with the Sustainable Investment Team to share knowledge and work with other asset classes on ESG engagements.

• Reporting for ESG mandates and responding to client enquiries on ESG via written and oral forms.

About the candidate

• Stakeholder engagement skills

• A continuous improvement mind-set

• Demonstratable interest in ESG

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

• Ability to self-motivate, handle multiple tasks effectively and work within tight deadlines

• Attention to detail

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. Therefore, if you have a disability and would like to apply to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire and one of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.

Our benefits

There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.

When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefits here.

Our business

Enabling our clients to be better investors drives everything we do. Our business is structured around three distinct areas – our vectors of growth – focused on our clients’ changing needs. You can find out more about what we do here.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment.  We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance.  We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.

If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.