NUS-CSP Singapore Job Opening for Research Associate/Senior Research Associate (Closed)

About CSP Singapore

The mission of the Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth Singapore (CSP) is to research th­e important questions of sustainable finance in the private wealth space and to mobilize capital to impact.

CSP SG is an independent nonprofit that works in collaboration with the CSP Zurich at the University of Zurich.

CSP Zurich is an academic research and teaching institution that has a distinctive edge in bringing together wealth owners, investment professionals, scientists, and policy makers to generate knowledge and to mobilize capital toward impact.

CSP developed out of the Impact Investing for the Next Generation program launched in 2015 at the Initiative for Responsible Investment (IRI) at Harvard Kennedy School.

The CSP platform is deeply integrated in the private wealth community globally, including via deep partnerships with key investor networks such as Toniic, The ImPact, and NEXUS, and the key groups at leading universities ranging from Harvard to the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative.

The work of CSP addresses three barriers in steering capital to impact:

• Knowledge
• Capabilities
• Support networks

These barriers are addressed through:

• Research into the key questions of sustainable finance and private wealth
• Trainings that translate actionable insights into practice
• Engagement that amplifies the work of CSP and its partners

About the Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS), NUS Business School

CGS was established by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School to spearhead relevant and high-impact research on corporate governance (CG) and corporate sustainability (CS) issues that are pertinent to institutions, government bodies and businesses both in Singapore and Asia.

Roles and Responsibilities:

As a senior researcher you will play a vital role to lead and drive applied research for CSP SG’s training programmes and sustainable finance science guides focused on wealth owners in Singapore and globally.

This is a highly interesting role for anyone interested in driving outsized positive impact globally and in a very dynamic growth-environment, as you are responsible for the uniquely powerful research element of the global CSP platform.

You will be responsible for conducting applied research projects that lie within the strategic scope of sustainable finance in Asia and globally. Broadly speaking, this includes any research that makes a serious and relevant contribution to sustainable finance, with emphasis on private wealth management.

This role requires interactions with a range of internal and external stakeholders, most often managing several moving project parts simultaneously.

Research and Project Responsibilities:  

• Collaborate closely with the Directors and key stakeholders to develop and lead research projects.
• Take ownership and responsibility for the successful completion of research projects, ensuring they are delivered within the stipulated deadline and budget, and meeting/exceeding project specifications and targets.
• Provide oversight and direction for qualitative and quantitative analyses of existing frameworks, with the goal of unifying them to develop a single comprehensive framework.
• Monitor progress of research projects and provide corrective interventions to ensure smooth completion of each project.
• Identify and pursue suitable fundraising opportunities.
• Optional engagement with investor audiences, although there are no mandatory teaching requirements for this role.

The candidate will report to the Director, Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS), NUS Business School with an indirect reporting line to the Managing Director, CSP SG.

Requirements

• Singapore Citizen/Permanent Resident with a solid academic background in sustainable finance, e. relevant degrees, professional experience, publications or working papers. Knowledge in wealth management is a strong plus.
• Ability to source, understand, and summarize academic research in a range of sustainable finance topic areas.
• Proven potential to lead and drive applied research projects ahead in a structured, self-driven manner.
• Proven ability to compile applied research reports, guides and presentations that are attractive and well understood by practitioner audiences.
• Interest in driving applied research in finance that has the potential to solve major problems in the realm of sustainable development (e.g. climate change, poverty, etc.). Experience in sustainable development topics is a plus but not required.
• Dedicated team player.
• High level of self-leadership and self-organization in dealing with a highly dynamic and growing environment.
• High attention to detail and standards of work quality.
• Trustworthiness in handling confidential data.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Pursue important and meaningful research together with the NUS CGS and global CSP teams, a young and diverse team with backgrounds and relationships at top research institutions (e.g., MIT, Harvard, University of Zurich), management consulting (e.g., McKinsey & Company, BCG) and Banking (e.g., UBS, Vontobel).
• Be embedded in a global community of impact-minded academics (e.g., Harvard, MIT, Oxford), practitioners (e.g. UBS, Julius Bär), and investors (e.g. ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families).
• Be part of an important movement and have a tangible impact on sustainable development.
• Gain knowledge, experience, and a network in sustainable finance.

Closing

To apply, please submit (1) your CV, (2) your cover letter where you outline why you are interested in this role, where you see your fit, and how you would proceed in the first 100 days in the role, as well as (3) an example of your work (article, business plan, pitch-deck, etc.).

Note: please upload both (2) and (3) under ‘Cover Letter’.

Interested applicants are to email your documents submission to Ms Verity Thoi, Business Development Lead, CGS, at verity.thoi@nus.edu.sg.

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.