Institute for Sustainable Investing Associate

Company Profile:
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries. As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence and strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career – a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.

Department Profile:
The department is part of Morgan Stanley’s Global Sustainable Finance group (“GSF”), which coordinates the Firm’s pursuit of business opportunities involving the deployment of the Firm’s capital. The department seeks to execute transactions designed to deliver positive commercial, environmental, and social returns.

Job summary:
The Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing is dedicated to accelerating the adoption of sustainable investing, which seeks to deliver both competitive financial returns and positive environmental and social impact. The Institute partners across the firm to foster innovation, help develop the next generation of sustainable investing leaders and generate insights that inform and empower investors.

The Associate will primarily support the Institute’s thought leadership and capacity building programs, in addition to contributing to other initiatives within the Global Sustainable Finance Group (GSF). The Associate will be a sustainability subject matter generalist with a passion for sustainable finance, excellent project management skills, strong attention to detail and nuance, and exceptional business writing, presentation and organizational skills. The Associate will develop and manage complex work plans and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to support an ambitious thought leadership agenda across a wide range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics. In this role, the Associate will also conduct in-depth quantitative and qualitative research, across themes and issue areas that support the Firm’s sustainable investing activities. Building on the research, the Associate will develop summary topic briefs for an internal executive audience and synthesize key takeaways or elements of that research for an investor audience. The role will also support other areas of the GSF team, utilizing a similar skillset.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage detailed project plans, managing cross-functional project teams and stakeholders, while ensuring quality and attention to detail.
• Conduct thorough quantitative and qualitative research, including literature reviews, on a range of topics that support thought leadership and other GSF initiatives
• Produce summary topic briefs and presentations that synthesize key takeaways for investor and executive-level audiences
• Work with thought leadership team to develop research-driven insights and expertise to further the Institute’s agenda
• Assist with development and quality assurance of publications and presentations
• Support successful implementation of the Institute’s capacity building programs, working closely with university partners and others
• Engage, as necessary, with other areas of GSF including sustainable investing product development and corporate sustainability activities
• Master’s degree or equivalent work experience; courses in finance or sustainability a plus
• 3-5 years of work experience; finance, consulting, agency or sustainability experience a plus
• Excellent project management skills
• Strong and efficient research capabilities, with ability to prioritize and analyze information that is both quantitative and qualitative in nature
• Detail-oriented with excellent business writing, communication and presentation skills
• Strong PC skills, especially PowerPoint and Excel
• Comfort juggling multiple priorities; strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team or independently
• Persistence, tenacity and drive for results
• Series 7 and 63 preferred