About this role

Team Overview

BlackRock Active Investment Stewardship (BAIS) is a specialist team within the active investment business and manages BlackRock’s (BLK) stewardship engagement and voting on behalf of clients invested in active strategies globally. The team sits within BLK’s Portfolio Management Group (PMG). BAIS activities are informed by our Global Engagement and Voting Guidelines and insights from active investment analysts and portfolio managers, excluding index equity, with whom we work closely in engaging companies.

Position Overview

The BAIS Operations Associate will be responsible for promoting sound corporate governance as an informed, engaged shareholder on behalf of clients invested in active strategies.  They will be responsible for supporting the BAIS proxy voting platform by onboarding new accounts for voting, implementing control processes, and generating reports.  As part of a new team at BlackRock, the role will have opportunities to develop and contribute toward strategic projects aimed at enhancing BAIS operational processes and procedures to ensure BAIS delivers best-in-class stewardship for BLK clients.  The BAIS Operations Associate will report to the Head of BAIS Operations.  

Key Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of operational processes and procedures of the BAIS proxy voting platform.
• Develop expertise of the proxy voting infrastructure and troubleshoot where necessary with third-party vendors, custodians, and/or other stakeholders.
• Develop expertise in the interaction of the third-party proxy voting platform and BlackRock internal systems.
• Partner with BAIS voting analysts, portfolio managers, and other internal stakeholders across the active platform and across the shared platform such as Securities Lending and Client Reporting to support the BAIS proxy voting platform.
• Partner with portfolio onboarding to ensure proper set-up of new portfolios for proxy voting.
• Support and enhance client reporting of BAIS proxy voting activity.
• Maintain and enhance the BAIS operational environment to ensure regulatory and client obligations are met.  
• Implement standardized control and reconciliation processes.
• Support ad hoc requests within the scope of BAIS operations as needed for clients or other internal stakeholders.

Key Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in finance, economics, accounting, or other relevant field.
• A minimum two to four years of experience, preferably in an operational role.
• A keen interest in corporate governance and proxy voting.
• Collaborative with strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships internally and with external parties.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to prioritize, analyze, and resolve complex issues independently while paying consistent attention to detail.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and project management skills.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience working with corporate governance data is a plus.
• Experience with SQL or Python is a plus.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

Guidance on AI use for candidates

At BlackRock, AI has long been part of how we work – enhancing decision-making, improving operations, and helping us deliver better outcomes for clients. We encourage candidates to use AI thoughtfully to learn, prepare, and work more effectively; but during our interview process, we want to focus on getting to know you through your own experiences, thinking, and judgment. To support you, we’ve provided  on when and how to use AI during our hiring process so you can approach each step with confidence and showcase your best self.