Morningstar - Associate Director - ESG

We are looking for an experienced and passionate leader for a research team in Mumbai, which is focusing on collecting a set of ESG metrics such as carbon, water, fatalities etc, The team is part of the Sustainalytics Global Research Team and will be operating from multiple locations while the majority of staff will be based in Mumbai. Investor clients use metrics data, like carbon emissions, water, waste etc for reporting purposes or assessing the impacts of their portfolio.

The ideal candidate for this position will bring a wealth of organizational, leadership and ESG expertise to the Quantitative Data research team (QDT). The candidate should preferably have a strong background in setting up new research processes, in successfully delivering research and be experienced in leading complex strategic projects. The ability to work in a fast-paced technical environment is critical.

The candidate will ultimately be responsible for the team's delivery of high-quality and timely research. The ability to communicate clearly at all levels, form strong relationships with stakeholders globally and proactively identify and manage risks is also essential in this role. The team will be part of the global Sustainalytics research department. The candidate will report to a Research Director, located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES :

- Strategic leadership for the QDT : expand the existing research team which can deliver upon its mandate in the organization and contribute to the strategic direction of this research area.

- Coaching and mentoring of managers: in their efforts to build strong performing and motivated sub-teams.

- Drive results: develop research planning and delivery capabilities with a focus on quality and budget control; develop forecasting tools; and analyze deviations and initiate corrective actions; define key metrics for team success, establish reporting capabilities and collaborate with senior management about risks/challenges.

- Content Management: drive high quality research by enhancing analyst guidance related to the metric indicators . Oversee capacity-building initiatives.

- Process Management: Design, map and improve business processes to generate the ESG metrics research . Document critical processes in Standard Operating Procedures. Analyze client complaints and implement corrective and preventive measures. Build a strong quality culture in the team and ensure quality assurance practices are consistently applied.

- Quality Assurance & Data Analytics: Run tools to estimate metrics data for cos not reporting on ESG metrics & development of quality assurance tools to assess the quality of research output.

- Project Management: Build and maintain the research project portfolio and encourage the use of project management best practices and tools

- Team Management: Foster an environment of healthy team debate and collaboration.

- Technical Tools: Work with internal stakeholders to further develop the technical support tools (databases, crawlers, Booleans, machine learning / AI) which are needed by the team to generate the research.

- Cross Functional Collaboration: The candidate of this role will work closely together with other internal colleagues within the Global Research Team but also other Sustainalytics- teams.

- Client Support: Respond to research inquiries (e.g. about a subject company) and support client calls regarding specific research assessments.

Required Qualifications:

- Master's degree, with at least 8-10+ years- experience preferably in a research / data environment.

- Demonstrable understanding and experience of financial services and the responsible investment industry. Demonstrated passion for sustainability.

- 5+ years- experience with operational and people management. Proven experience with the process and quality management. Preferably with a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certificate.

- Strong project management and execution skills.

- Ability to work cross-functionally with ease and manage competing interests.

- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

- Strong analytical skills, entrepreneurial and problem-solving attitude; decisiveness.

- Candidate is used to working in a dynamic, international environment.

- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and PowerPoint.

- Morningstar is an equal opportunity employer

About Us

Sustainalytics is a Morningstar company dedicated to responsible investment with over 25 years' experience in ESG research and ratings. With an extensive client base across asset managers, asset owners and investment banks, our mission is to provide the insights required for investors and companies to make more informed decisions that lead to a more just and sustainable global economy.

As Morningstar's ESG center of excellence we are responsible for driving both the commercial success and innovation of its ESG products as well as its overall ESG strategy.

In these times, we rely on virtual team meetings and management practices, as well as a remote buddy program, to support a smooth integration in our virtual offices. New team members are onboarded and start their first day with the company from the safety of their homes.

For more information, visit www.sustainalytics.com