BlackRock Active Investment Stewardship Operations - Associate - (London, England, United Kingdom)

About this role

Team Overview

BlackRock Active Investment Stewardship (BAIS) is a specialist team within the active investment business and manages BlackRock’s (BLK) stewardship engagement and voting on behalf of clients invested in active strategies globally. The team sits within BLK’s Portfolio Management Group (PMG). BAIS activities are informed by our Global Engagement and Voting Guidelines and insights from active investment analysts and portfolio managers, excluding index equity, with whom we work closely in engaging companies.

Position Overview

The BAIS Operations Associate will be responsible for promoting sound corporate governance as an informed, engaged shareholder on behalf of clients invested in active strategies.  They will be responsible for supporting the BAIS proxy voting platform by onboarding new accounts for voting, implementing control processes, and generating reports.  As part of a new team at BlackRock, the role will have opportunities to develop and contribute toward strategic projects aimed at enhancing BAIS operational processes and procedures to ensure BAIS delivers best-in-class stewardship for BLK clients.  The BAIS Operations Associate will report to the Head of BAIS Operations.  

Key Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of operational processes and procedures of the BAIS proxy voting platform.
• Develop expertise of the proxy voting infrastructure and troubleshoot where necessary with third-party vendors, custodians, and/or other stakeholders.
• Develop expertise in the interaction of the third-party proxy voting platform and BlackRock internal systems.
• Partner with BAIS voting analysts, portfolio managers, and other internal stakeholders across the active platform and across the shared platform such as Securities Lending and Client Reporting to support the BAIS proxy voting platform.
• Partner with portfolio onboarding to ensure proper set-up of new portfolios for proxy voting.
• Support and enhance client reporting of BAIS proxy voting activity.
• Maintain and enhance the BAIS operational environment to ensure regulatory and client obligations are met.  
• Implement standardized control and reconciliation processes.
• Support ad hoc requests within the scope of BAIS operations as needed for clients or other internal stakeholders.

Key Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in finance, economics, accounting, or other relevant field.
• A minimum two to four years of experience, preferably in an operational role.
• A keen interest in corporate governance and proxy voting.
• Collaborative with strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships internally and with external parties.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to prioritize, analyze, and resolve complex issues independently while paying consistent attention to detail.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and project management skills.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience working with corporate governance data is a plus.
• Experience with SQL or Python is a plus.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.