Overview
ISS STOXX is growing! We are seeking a Research Analyst as part of the Sustainable Finance Research team within ISS-Corporate based in our Tokyo office. This role offers exposure to a broad range of sustainability and sustainable finance topics, as well as direct engagement with clients, financial institutions, and other market participants across Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region. You will contribute to external reviews, research, methodology development, and client projects while working closely with colleagues across our global team.
The ideal candidate brings strong analytical skills, sound judgement, and a solid understanding of sustainable finance, together with the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced and international environment.
Responsibilities
Lead and support Second-Party Opinion (SPO) and external review engagements for Green, Social, Sustainability, Sustainability-Linked, and other sustainable finance instruments.
Assess issuers’ sustainability strategies, frameworks, governance arrangements, commitments, and financing approaches.
Manage client relationships and support project delivery from initiation through publication.
Produce high-quality external review reports across corporate, financial, sovereign, municipal, and public-sector issuers.
Conduct thematic research and contribute to bespoke client mandates on sustainable finance topics.
Support the development and maintenance of methodologies, analytical frameworks, and research products.
Provide technical expertise to commercial and client-facing teams.
Produce market insights, research content, and thought leadership on sustainable finance developments.
Conduct qualitative sustainability assessments and related research.
Contribute to process improvements, innovation initiatives, and knowledge sharing within the team.
Qualifications
At least 4 years of relevant professional experience in sustainability consulting, environmental or climate advisory, sustainable finance, or capital markets.
Bachelor's or advanced university degree in environmental science, law, engineering, finance, economics, social sciences, international relations, or a related field.
Strong knowledge of sustainable finance, sustainable debt markets, financing frameworks, and corporate sustainability strategies.
Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with strong attention to detail.
Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines.
Professional fluency in English and Japanese, both written and spoken.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a client-focused approach.
Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and collaborative environment.
Amenable to work in a hybrid setup (3 days in the office and 2 days' work from home per week)
Working knowledge and/or experience in the following field/s would be an advantage:
Experience in client-facing advisory, research, or financial services roles.
Knowledge of sustainable finance regulations, standards, and taxonomies, including the ICMA and LMA Principles, Climate Bonds Initiative Standards, EU Taxonomy, EU Green Bond Standard, ESRS, and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.
Familiarity with transition finance and sustainability-linked financing instruments.
Business proficiency in Chinese (Mandarin) would be an advantage.
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What You Can Expect from Us
Our people are the moving force behind our work. We are committed to building a culture that values diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences. If you have the skills, passion, and drive to help us bring clarity and transparency to capital markets, we want to work with you.
Together, we can grow your career in an environment that fuels creativity, drives innovation, and has real impact.
About ISS STOXX
ISS STOXX delivers world-class research, data, and technology solutions that empower capital market participants to pursue their visions with confidence. Our expertise spans indices, corporate governance, sustainability, cyber risk, and fund intelligence, giving clients the tools they need to uncover opportunities, manage risks, and navigate evolving regulations. We are made up of 4,000 professionals operating across 20 countries and serving approximately 5,000 clients, including many of the world’s leading institutional investors. Our scale and reach give us deep market knowledge, while our innovative methodologies allow us to offer our clients tailored insights that drive impact and success.
As a leading provider of robust data, software solutions and expert advisory, ISS‑Corporate helps businesses understand and shape the signals they send to institutional investors, regulators, and other key stakeholders. By delivering essential data, tools, and insights, ISS‑Corporate empowers companies worldwide to build resilience, meet evolving market expectations, and proactively manage their governance, compensation, sustainability, and cyber risk initiatives.
Visit our website: https://www.iss-stoxx.com/
Learn more: https://www.iss-corporate.com/
View additional open roles: https://www.iss-stoxx.com/about/careers/
ISS STOXX is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, sex, age, height, weight, citizenship status, national origin, social origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy status, marital status, familial status, mental or physical disability, veteran status, military service or status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law (referred to as “protected status”). All activities including, but not limited to, recruiting and hiring, recruitment advertising, promotions, performance appraisals, training, job assignments, compensation, demotions, transfers, terminations (including layoffs), benefits, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, are and will be administered on a non-discriminatory basis, consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
Skills Required
- At least 4 years of relevant professional experience in sustainability consulting, environmental or climate advisory, sustainable finance, or capital markets
- Bachelor's or advanced university degree in environmental science, law, engineering, finance, economics, social sciences, international relations, or a related field
- Strong knowledge of sustainable finance, sustainable debt markets, financing frameworks, and corporate sustainability strategies
- Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with strong attention to detail
- Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines
- Professional fluency in English and Japanese, written and spoken
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a client-focused approach
- Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and collaborative environment
- Ability to work in a hybrid setup with three office days and two work-from-home days per week
- Experience in client-facing advisory, research, or financial services roles
- Knowledge of sustainable finance regulations, standards, and taxonomies, including ICMA and LMA Principles, Climate Bonds Initiative Standards, EU Taxonomy, EU Green Bond Standard, ESRS, and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards
- Familiarity with transition finance and sustainability-linked financing instruments
- Business proficiency in Chinese Mandarin
ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services) Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services) and has not been reviewed or approved by ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services).
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Retirement Support — Retirement plans include a notably strong 401(k) match with a Safe Harbor contribution that stands out within the package. The retirement offering is regarded as a highlight relative to other elements of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, paid holidays, and parental leave are substantial components of the package. Time-away benefits are often described as a standout compared with other facets of compensation.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage are comprehensive within the standard package. Health coverage is generally viewed as solid, albeit characterized as middle of the road in some descriptions.
ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services) Insights
What We Do
Founded in 1985, Institutional Shareholder Services group of companies (ISS) empowers investors and companies to build for long-term and sustainable growth by providing high-quality data, analytics and insight. ISS, which is majority owned by Deutsche Bourse Group, along with Genstar Capital and ISS management, is a leading provider of corporate governance and responsible investment solutions, market intelligence, fund services, and events and editorial content for institutional investors and corporations, globally. ISS’ 2,200 employees operate worldwide across 29 global locations in 15 countries. It’s approximately 3,100 clients include many of the world’s leading institutional investors who rely on ISS’ objective and impartial offerings, as well as public companies focused on ESG and governance risk mitigation as a shareholder value enhancing measure. Clients rely on ISS’ expertise to help them make informed investment decisions.
