Senior Engagement & Advocacy Manager (Charities and Universities)

ShareAction is an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle the climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.

What you’ll do

As part of ShareAction’s Investor Engagement Team, the Senior Engagement & Advocacy Manager (Charities and Universities) is responsible for leading and managing the secretariat of the Responsible Investment Network – Universities (RINU) and Charities Responsible Investment Network (CRIN). These are two vibrant communities, comprising the finance/investment leads of UK-based higher education institutions and charities whose aim is to support each other in investing their assets responsibly, in line with their organisational values and missions. ShareAction provides the secretariat for both networks.

The role is key to supporting these networks of mission-driven investors to implement responsible investment practices and approaches – and to drive up ambition – by ensuring that network members have the resources and support required to be active, collaborative, responsible investors and that they are positioned as leaders in their respective sectors. The role involves engaging members in network activities to create a thriving community, as well as overseeing the development and delivery of the annual work plans of events, research, and advocacy. It also involves developing the strategy and managing the budgets for the networks, as well as managing and supporting the work of other secretariat members.

As part of this role, you will regularly be engaging with the 30-plus member organisations of the two networks, forming great relationships and using your skills to shape a programme of research, events and discussions which support and enable leading practice. You will ensure the smooth delivery of regular communications and information-sharing and enable member participation in investor coalitions and engagements with companies and policymakers led by other ShareAction teams. You will line manage one direct report and work with other members of the wider team to ensure the research needs of the networks are met. You’ll also be responsible for managing a budget and for ensuring we monitor progress, evaluate impact and continuously improve our approach.

If this role sounds like something that would build on your current skill set and engage you, we’d love to hear from you! Keep in mind that some people will want to work with us more for the themes we focus on, rather than the responsible investment angle, so please ensure you explain how the role aligns with our core themes.

What you’ll bring to the team

We want to hear from you if you’re highly skilled in relationship building and project management and if you have a deep interest in making the investment system work for people and the planet. We think this role would suit someone who has previous experience in community and network building or advocacy and who enjoys spending a lot of their time talking to and listening to others. Experience of facilitating and chairing meetings and events would be a big plus, as would experience of either the charity or higher education sectors. While we hope we’ll find someone with the majority of these skills and experience, we’re keen to hear from you even if you don’t have them all. We appreciate lots of skills are transferable, and we welcome opportunities to explore different ways of achieving our goals.

We are currently formalising our hybrid working policy; however, the team meets in the office on a regular basis, and this role involves a lot of meetings with London-based stakeholders, so there is an expectation that you will be able to attend the office or meetings on average six times a month.

What we will do for you

We are a fast-paced organisation that has grown substantially over the past few years. We recognise that our people work hard to advocate for responsible investment and drive meaningful engagement with those who have the power to create a brighter future. Every day, they bring their expertise, passion and persistence to build a world where the financial system serves our people and planet. We want to ensure we provide the right environment for our colleagues to thrive, and we are committed to improving our employee offer where possible.

Currently, we are pleased to offer:

• A commitment to flexible working: over 60% of our employees have some sort of flexible working arrangement in place.
• Hybrid working: we are committed to supporting our staff to work in a way that suits their lifestyle and meets the requirements of their role.
• Internal promotion and development opportunities: we offer a range of ways to improve your skills and focus on what you love, including promotion, secondment, or sideways development opportunities. For some levels of roles, we also offer direct progression.
• The opportunity to help make a difference: we tackle some of the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges. We offer opportunities for you to develop your skills and experience in a friendly, flexible and supportive working environment.
• A unionised work environment: our staff have the opportunity to join the union and are supported by our recognised union, Unite. We regularly consult and negotiate with our employees on workplace matters ranging from working conditions to pay.
• Regular in-person meetings, including all-staff away days, retreats and directorate strategy days to create connected teams.
• 8% non-contributory pension, invested with NEST and their green funds.
• A healthcare cash plan with Westfield that gives you money back on your healthcare costs.
• An employee assistance programme: advice and support, lifestyle discounts and short-term counselling.
• 25 days’ annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus office closure at the end of the year, ensuring everyone gets time to switch off together.
• Enhanced family leave pay: up to 18 weeks paid at 90% for either parent.
• Enhanced sick pay starting at 5 weeks’ full pay from day 1.
• Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities, and we are working hard to provide an environment where all can bring their authentic selves to work. We know that some people won’t apply for a role unless they meet all the requirements listed in the job description. If this is the case for you, but you think you would excel in this role, we want to hear from you!

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 9.00 am on Tuesday 14 January 2025.
First-round interviews: Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 January 2025 (online).
Second-round interviews: Tuesday 28 January 2025 (in person at ShareAction’s office in East London).

To be considered for this post, you must be legally eligible to work in the UK; unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.