The Responsible Finance team within SLR advises the world’s most successful investors on responsible investment. The Responsible Finance team assists private equity firms in establishing best-in-class environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs that are deployed throughout the investment lifecycle in order to mitigate risk and create value. We partner with firms that invest across a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, and consumer products. The Responsible Finance team was an early entrant into this rapidly-evolving industry and continues to be at the forefront of ESG innovation and defining best practices.

Job Description

Associates  assist on engagements with our clients across asset classes, including private equity, private credit, and growth equity. This often takes the form of ESG due diligence reviews for prospective acquisitions. Associates to think creatively about material ESG issues, systematically examine business practices, effectively communicate findings to the team, and develop strong, business-cased recommendations for tangible improvement and quantifiable value creation or protection during the hold period. In many aspects of their jobs, Associates are relied upon to function in an unstructured work environment and take ownership over their work from an early stage in their careers.

Responsibilities 

Due Diligence Engagements: Evaluate a company’s exposure to material ESG risks and its capacity to mitigate those risks for a client considering acquisition. Assisting with ESG due diligence reviews is the core responsibility (at least 80% of total time) of all Associates on the Responsible Finance team within SLR.

• Gain a rapid and deep understanding of a company’s core operations through a review of publicly-available information and extensive primary-source document review (policies, contracts, litigation, etc.)
• Identify all potentially material ESG issues and develop tailored questions to be asked of key stakeholders to further assess the company’s risk exposure, management capacity to mitigate risk, and value creation opportunities
• Listen into live calls (led by more-senior team members) with the management team at the company and take copious notes on their responses about the company’s ESG risk exposure, risk mitigation practices, and value-creation opportunities
• Synthesize information from various sources into a cohesive narrative outlining the company’s current state and recommendations for tangible ESG improvements; assist in the drafting and editing of ESG due diligence deliverables

Monitoring Engagements: Assist in regularly checking in with portfolio companies to understand progress on key initiatives and identify changes in risks or opportunities, helping to update recommendations based on the latest insights and industry practices.

• Collect and organize ESG data from portfolio companies to support ongoing monitoring and reporting efforts.
• Review updated ESG-related documents and information from portfolio companies to identify key changes or developments.
• Assist in preparing refreshed annual ESG reports by compiling data and summarizing progress under the guidance of senior team members.
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Fund Advisory: Assist in the development of private equity clients’ ESG strategies, supporting senior members on the Responsible Finance  team.

• Help prepare materials for ESG projects, like surveys, reports, and training sessions, by gathering information and organizing content.
• Support daily client communications by assisting with requests and helping with urgent tasks when needed
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About us 

SLR are global leaders in Sustainability Solutions, helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals. We are a consultancy with 4000+ employees across 6 regions in over 125 countries. Our ‘one team’ culture is at the heart of our business, providing a collaborative and supportive environment for professional development. 

Along with competitive salaries, our staff enjoy a comprehensive benefits package with a company pension plus excellent healthcare offering, travel and life insurance and a structured career framework with regular reviews offering outstanding opportunities for progression. Alongside 25 day’s annual leave, with additional flexible bank holidays, we offer flexible, agile and hybrid working which enables staff to tailor hours worked around core hours, with family friendly policies help balance the needs of professional and home life. 

Qualifications/Education/Memberships:  

• Skills: Project management/organization, communication, presentation, teamwork, and attention to detail will be key to success in this role. Strong writing, PowerPoint, research, organization, qualitative reasoning, financial modeling, and business acumen are preferred. Language fluency in French, German, or Spanish is a plus.
• Experience: Top candidates will have 1-2 years of experience in management consulting or a similar field. Previous experience working with private equity or in ESG/Sustainability is preferred but not required.
• Education: Candidates who have demonstrated a track record of success in rigorous academic environment.
• Other Traits: In addition to being highly motivated, candidates must be passionate about solving business problems. Candidates must be self-starters, critical thinkers, highly organized, able to work independently, able to multitask, and enjoy working in an informal work environment
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Culture & Inclusion at SLR 

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer, and our expectations go beyond purely complying with legislation. Through our Regional C&I Committees, Global Council and Employee Networks, we foster an inclusive environment where all people regardless of their background can thrive.  

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of their background, including those from groups that are currently under-represented at SLR, such as people identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous peoples, ethnic minority groups, women, and people with visible or invisible disabilities, including those who are neurodivergent.  

Should you require any special adjustments throughout the recruitment process with us, please let us know. As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we seek to ensure all applicants have equitable support when applying to SLR.