Head of Human Rights, Social & Governance Issues

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

Job Description

This is a key role in the sustainability issues and analysis team, part of PRI’s sustainable systems group. This position will oversee the human rights, social and governance issues sub-team, managing team members, and working to provide excellence in insights across these issue areas to support our four strategic pillars of engagement (pathways, regional investor ecosystems, policy, and collaborative investor initiatives).

We are looking for an experienced team and programme manager with a passion for human rights and social issues to lead this work. The successful candidate would work closely with team members across the PRI (in particularly within the SIA team), with PRI signatories and with external partners to drive forwards work in this area.

Core Responsibilities

• Support the Director of Sustainability Issues and Analysis in delivering against the team’s business plan and budget
• Provide regular reporting to the Director of Sustainability Issues and Analysis and Chief Sustainable Systems Officer as required
• Act as a spokesperson on human rights, social and governance (HRSG) issues where relevant, in coordination with team members, the director and the senior lead.
• Contribute to strategic planning and positioning on human rights, social and governance issues
• Ensure synergies between HRSG issues and those of climate and nature, to build cross-issue understanding and delivery.
• Oversee and contribute to PRI events at key moments and external events including PRI in Person, the UN Business and Human Rights Forum in collaboration with external and internal partners 
• Ensure delivery against the team’s responsibilities under the business plan and in line with budget, including reporting to funders as needed
• Accountability for ensuring the team meet agreed deadlines, acting as a point of escalation for team performance and quality issues
• Provide oversight and management of direct reports, supporting their development and managing their performance effectively to help the team fulfil their potential; manage recruitment of new team members as needed
• Maintain strong understanding of signatory needs through regular interactions with PRI’s Signatory Relations team and PRI signatories
• Support internal knowledge sharing on HRSG and relevant issues
• Maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders and third parties to bolster PRI knowledge and understanding, and to help better serve signatory needs.

Person Specification

• Professional experience and high level of expertise in the field of social and governance issues.
• Systems thinker, recognises inter-linkages, real world dynamics and complexity to help design effective interventions within and between issues.
• Excellent networking, relationship management and interpersonal skills and experience of building strong and productive relationships with investors or businesses, preferably on social or governance issues, ideally with a well-established existing network.
• Excellent programme management skills, with experience in delivering successfully, including directing others that may not be your direct reports and/or with inter-organisational collaboration, with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience with budget management and oversight
• Well-developed people management skills and experience of leading
• Excellent written communication and verbal presentation skills
• A collaborative and consultative approach to working with others & committed to fostering an inclusive environment 
• Demonstrates a commitment to developing others and a growth mindset, actively pursuing continuous profession and personal development
• IT/Digital skills including Microsoft Office, video conferencing tools (Teams, Zoom, etc.).  
• As this is a global role, international travel may be required.
• Language skills, other than English, are desirable

We particularly welcome candidates from under-represented groups, including Black, Asian, and other People of Colour, those with visible or non-visible disabilities, LGBTQ+ candidates and those who are neurodivergent.

The PRI is committed to offering flexibility to our employees, both formal (e.g. part-time work) and informal (e.g. a shift in hours to accommodate caring responsibilities). Please talk to us about how we could make this role flexible for you.

N.B. We reserve the right to close a vacancy in the event of an overwhelming response or a change in business priorities.

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