Location: California; Colorado; Oregon; North Carolina; or New York
Duration: Summer 2023 internship (10-12 weeks)
Hours: Full-time, temporary (40 hrs/week)
Salary: $29-35 USD per hour
About the role
On 3 November 2021, the IFRS Foundation Trustees announced the creation of a new standard-setting board—the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)—to help meet the demand from international investors for high-quality, transparent, reliable and comparable reporting by companies on climate and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. The ISSB builds on the success of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) as well as the work of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board and the Value Reporting Foundation (formerly IIRC and SASB), which both consolidated with the IFRS Foundation in 2022.
The intention is for the ISSB to deliver a comprehensive global baseline of sustainability-related disclosure standards that provide investors and other capital market participants with information about companies’ sustainability-related risks and opportunities to help them make informed decisions.
The Summer Research Associate will partner with Technical Staff from the ISSB Technical team and take responsibility for projects in support of the development of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards through various tasks such as conducting research and analysis on sustainability-related financial reporting issues and supporting stakeholder engagement.
Key Responsibilities
The ISSB’s work is fast-paced and, while the primary areas of responsibility could include the following, we value adaptability and a collaborative mindset.
- Contribute to the development of technical proposals and recommendations for the ISSB’s consideration through research and analytical work.
- Support or lead research efforts on sustainability-related financial reporting issues by:
- conducting in-depth research and analysis on sustainability topics such as biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services; human capital; and human rights;
- analysing the international applicability of the SASB Standards;
- supporting the development of guidance to support the application and implementation of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards;
- organising complex information into easy-to-digest structure to share or present to Technical Staff or project lead; and
- advancing relationships with companies, investors and third-parties.
- Support stakeholder relations, including those with companies, investors, and third-parties by:
- analysing and documenting market input in an effective and systematic manner; and
- supporting the internal and external stakeholder engagement from industry and the sustainability, investment, regulatory and standard-setting communities.
- Support projects and activities for internal teams, including Outreach, Education and Partnerships, Communications and Technology.
- Advance ISSB Technical team objectives through efficient collaboration, project management and strategic thinking.
Skills, experience and qualifications sought
- Commitment to the mission of IFRS Foundation.
- High-quality research and analysis skills (detail oriented), including technical aptitude and the ability to synthesise complex information into clear insights and conclusions.
- Practical knowledge of capital markets and the links between sustainability-related risks and opportunities.
- Excellent communication and writing skills across a range of formats and audiences.
- Collaborative work style with an ability to be effective as an individual contributor in an entrepreneurial fast-paced environment.
- Self-starter with an agile mindset and hands-on mentality who is comfortable navigating ambiguity.
- Intellectual curiosity and a willingness to learn.
- Takes ownership and responsibility for the quality of the work output, regularly communicating progress and escalating issues appropriately.
- Undergraduate degree (BA or BS) required.
- Currently enrolled in a degree-granting program (eg between the first and second years of an MBA).
- Professional experience in a finance, accounting, consulting and/or sustainability function.
- Preferred but not required: interest in and knowledge of sustainability reporting standards (eg the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Draft Standards, the CDSB Framework, GRI, IIRC Framework, SASB Standards, TCFD, etc), regulatory sustainability standards (eg the European sustainability reporting standards, UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, US SEC climate-related disclosures, etc) and financial reporting standards (eg IFRS Accounting Standards and other GAAP).
To apply
Please submit your resume with a cover letter to recruitment@ifrs.org, with the email subject as 'Summer Research Associate.' Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Closing date: Closed
Due to the number of responses we receive, we are unable to respond individually to each application. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date you may assume that your application has been unsuccessful.
Followable tags
Job opportunities
