Executive Director Environmental and Social Risk Management

Morgan Stanley’s Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) team is responsible for developing, maintaining and executing the firm’s approach to environmental and social risks across its businesses. One of the primary focus areas of ESRM at Morgan Stanley is to ensure the bank’s client relationships meet the requirements set forth in the firm’s Global Environmental and Social Risk Policy. This policy is important to Morgan Stanley’s credit, financial and reputational risk management. Financial products covered under the policy include loans and credit facilities, debt and equity securities placements or underwritings, equity investments and commodities activities.

The firm seeks an Executive Director, ESRM to provide oversight and ongoing enhancement of firm policies and procedures, and due diligence processes as they relate to ESRM. The Executive Director, ESRM will also partner with the firm’s Global Sustainable Finance (GSF) team to inform and participate in internal and external stakeholder engagement on current and emerging environmental and social risk issues. The GSF team provides additional subject matter expertise to the ESRM team and is responsible for the development and execution of the firm’s sustainable business strategies and helping to develop sustainable investment products.

The individual will report into the firm’s Global Conflicts Officer, who oversees the franchise risk processes globally for the firm.

Position Description

The Executive Director, ESRM will be responsible for managing Morgan Stanley’s Global ESRM function, and will ensure coordination and communication among Morgan Stanley businesses, risk departments and GSF. This role will also prepare management reporting on ESRM activities and will perform and oversee environmental and social risk due diligence. The role will be interfacing with a variety of internal stakeholders across many Morgan Stanley business lines, with clients and with some additional external stakeholders and industry working groups. The role will involve limited travel and is an excellent opportunity to gain exposure across the firm and to a broad spectrum of industries.

The individual must be a self-starter, able to articulate her/his thoughts clearly, and have excellent attention to detail. The Executive Director will be required to build strong relationships internally with ESRM staff, other firm risk management peers, the GSF team and key partners within the firm’s business units. S/he must have a sound knowledge of and interest in environmental and social issues.

Critical success factors include:

• Ability to deliver effectively in a highly matrixed organization
• Skills in collaboration across the firm with input from multiple stakeholders internally, including senior firm and business unit management
• Skills in external stakeholder engagement with clients, investors, non-governmental organizations and others
• Ability to say “no” to a request while simultaneously offering strategic, thoughtful alternative options to get to “yes”, as and when appropriate
• Experience in creating new policy guidance and language in areas where there may be no roadmap, precedent or previous foundation to rely upon Minimum Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, advanced degree preferred
• 8+ years in compliance, operational risk, business process management, legal or financial services, of which at least 4 years must include direct experience in legal, compliance or operational risk management (includes audit, legal, credit risk, market risk, or the management of a process or business with accountability for compliance or operational risk)
• 2+ years’ management experience
• Subject matter expertise and strong interest in environmental, social and governance issues such as climate change, environmental impacts of business activity and/or human rights
• Adept at bringing stakeholders with diverse perspectives together to understand issues and solve problems
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple deliverables and meet deadlines despite competing priorities
• An understanding of sustainability and how companies manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues
• Proven skills in policy development on key business issues and risks
• Ability to focus on the details of an issue or task while keeping the big picture in mind
• A self-starter who can work independently and with minimal supervision
• A skilled communicator, both written and verbal, with an ability to influence others at all levels
• Eligibility to work in the United States (American Citizen or Permanent Resident)

To Apply

Please send cover letter and resume to Sandra Bertrand at sandra.bertrand@morganstanley.com.