The Role
We’re looking for a sharp, curious, and impact‑driven professional to join our Investment Stewardship team as a Policy & Research Specialist, with a dedicated focus on EMEA‑related corporate governance and proxy voting issues.
In this role, you’ll lead research and policy development for the region, ensuring our voting guidelines remain rigorous, data‑driven, and aligned with fast‑evolving governance standards across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
If you enjoy deep analysis, strategic thinking, and playing a key role in shaping stewardship policy, this is an opportunity to influence outcomes at scale.
In this role you will
Lead regional governance research & policy development
Serve as the subject matter expert on EMEA governance and stewardship frameworks, leading analysis on market‑specific trends, regulatory developments, and proxy voting issues
Drive quantitative and qualitative research projects to evaluate existing policies and develop forward‑looking recommendations tailored to EMEA markets
Build robust data‑collection approaches to support high‑quality, region‑specific insights
Drive strategic positioning on EMEA stewardship issues
Produce high‑quality written materials, presentations, and statistical analyses that inform leadership on emerging governance topics across EMEA
Interpret research, corporate disclosures, regulatory changes, and internal insights to assess complex voting decisions or engagement outcomes
Identify regional trends and opportunities and provide concise, evidence‑based recommendations to senior management
Enhance and evolve our global stewardship policy
Lead policy analysis and audits with a particular emphasis on EMEA‑related voting guidelines
Recommend enhancements to ensure alignment with regional governance norms and evolving best practices
Build strong internal & external partnerships
Collaborate closely with business partners, global colleagues, and external research providers, especially on EMEA‑focused initiatives
Provide insights that support global communications and ensure regional feedback loops are strong and effective
Lead cross‑functional projects that advance the impact of our stewardship work across EMEA
Support capability-building within the team
Mentor colleagues on EMEA governance considerations, voting guidelines, and engagement preparation
Support internal training on new or updated stewardship policies, ensuring clarity and consistency
Contribute to special projects that strengthen our regional and global stewardship approach
What it takes
Deep knowledge of EMEA corporate governance principles, regulatory environments, and market‑specific stewardship expectations
Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex datasets and develop clear, actionable insights
Proven experience in policy evaluation or development, especially in a governance or stewardship context
Ability to synthesise diverse information sources (e.g., proxy research, regulatory developments, company disclosures)
Stakeholder management — comfortable influencing across teams and presenting to senior leaders as well as being able to produce crisp research papers, persuasive recommendations, and engaging presentations
Project leadership — experienced in guiding cross‑functional or organisation‑wide initiatives
A proactive, curious mindset — someone who continually seeks to understand new governance trends and their implications
Special Factors
Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position
This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)
Why Vanguard?
Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients.
This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments.
It's what we stand for: value to investors.
Inclusion Statement
Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”
We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.
When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.
Our commitment to equal employment opportunity
Vanguard is an equal opportunity employer. Vanguard is committed to providing all crew members a working environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice and bias. Through this Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy, Vanguard reaffirms its commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and crew members without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran or military status. In addition, Vanguard prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.
Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Vanguard. Please inform [email protected] if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
