Specialist, Sovereign Engagement

**LOCATION**: Hybrid - Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Canberra
Please note, where PRI has an office there is an expectation to work a minimum of 2 days per week
- **BASIS**: 2 Year Fixed Term
- **SALARY**:$146,000 - $172,000 AUD
- **CLOSING DATE**: 8:00pm, 1st Dec 2024 AEDT

**About the PRI**:
The PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions.

The PRI’s three distinct capabilities relate to the core elements of the PRI’s approach to achieving a sustainable financial system.
- Translate RI (Responsible Investment) thought leadership into insights and practical support that is tailored to what signatories need to progress their RI practice
- Convene our vast network to create opportunities for collaborative action
- Harness our global scale to influence policymakers and regulators to effect system change

This position will work on an emerging PRI global initiative, help develop a new area of stewardship practice and support investors to directly engage with Australian governments and related entities on climate change.

This role has strong public policy and climate change components but sits in the PRI’s Stewardship Initiatives Team which is part of the broader Investor Initiatives & Collaboration Team. The Stewardship Initiatives Team is responsible for coordinating and facilitating collaborative stewardship initiatives (such as the initiative covered by this role) on environmental, social and governance issues.

Participating investors are engaging as sovereign bond holders and through other portfolio exposure and are collaborating to assist Australian governments to take all possible steps to mitigate climate change in line with the Paris Agreement. Active engagement in the market has been underway since mid-2022 and now involves 27 participating investors from Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, responsible for USD$9.5 trillion in assets under management.

The Australian engagement has to date served as a pilot for PRI’s collaborative sovereign engagement work. PRI is now establishing a global multi-market initiative of which the Australian engagement will be a part.

This role reports to the Head of Stewardship, Sovereign Engagement, based in Sydney.

**Core Responsibilities**:

- Coordinate the Australia engagement of the Collaborative Sovereign Engagement on Climate Change.
- In collaboration with relevant PRI colleagues and the initiative’s Australian Advisory Committee and Investor Working Group, develop and facilitate the implementation of a robust engagement strategy, including annual goals and workplans.
- In partnership with participating investors and relevant teams at PRI, develop and execute a collaborative sovereign engagement strategy for the COP31 summit if it is held in Australia.
- Assist the Head of Stewardship, Sovereign Engagement and Director, Stewardship in evaluating the progress and impact of engagement activities and identifying improvements to sovereign engagement practice to support the global program.
- Convene and facilitate regular Australian Advisory Committee and Investor Working Group meetings to track the progress of engagements, discuss issues, share information and agree on next steps.
- Conduct and/or disseminate relevant research, guidance, and other analysis for investors to use in sovereign engagements both within and beyond the Australia engagement.
- Build relationships with investors to maintain and expand expertise of engagement best practice and needs.
- Work closely with the other members of the PRI Stewardship Initiatives Team to ensure that the ambition of the Active Ownership 2.0 strategy is implemented throughout all work.
- Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders in the Australian financial system and climate policy spaces to inform investors’ expectations and create channels of communication between the investor group and relevant stakeholders.
- Speak at events, both digital and in person, on the PRI Australia sovereign engagement on climate, on stewardship and the PRI’s work more generally.
- Maintain excellent overall knowledge on stewardship, sovereign engagement, climate and nature issues, and public policy on climate change, nature and economics.
- As this role works with global stakeholders and across the breadth of the Australian market, occasional international travel (approx. 1-2 times per year) and domestic travel (approx. 2-3 times per year) may be required as well as frequent (approx. 1-2 days per week) calls/meetings outside of normal working hours.

**Person Specification**:

- A demonstrated knowledge of Australian climate change policy and the relationship with investor interests and practice.
- Experience working for or with in