Responsible Business Analyst

Kennedys is seeking a Responsible Business Analyst to support the Responsible Business team. The role will help the firm meet regulatory sustainability reporting requirements, maintain key external reporting commitments and prepare for evolving ESG regulations and client expectations.

Our responsible business initiatives span the firm, giving you the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across our global regions. You will own and deliver both voluntary and mandatory responsible business reporting.

Team

Kennedys HR team supports the firm around the world with all people related matters.

We are a global team with HR presence in Chelmsford, Manchester and London for the UK, Dublin and Belfast for EMEA, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia for APAC, Berkeley Heights for US and London/LATAM for LATAM. The areas of HR that we have responsibility for are Business Partnering, Learning and Development, Recruitment, Responsible Business (Social Impact, Pro Bono, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Environment and Wellbeing), Policies and Operations, Reward and HR Systems. The HR function is also responsible for the Secretarial function in the UK.

You will be working in a fast-paced, demanding, and global environment as we strive to make a difference for our people, clients and communities where we work.

Key responsibilities 

• Reporting and disclosure: Own and deliver the firm's statutory and voluntary responsible business reporting processes, including the UN Global Compact Communication on Progress, the EcoVadis sustainability assessment, client assessments (for example NHS Evergreen), social value reporting and internal leadership reports.
• Environmental reporting: Support the collection and reporting of environmental data and greenhouse gas emissions across the firm's value chain, including energy consumption, business travel and supplier emissions, to enable delivery of the firm's carbon footprint, SECR disclosures, net zero commitments and wider environmental reporting requirements.
• Annual report: Deliver the firm's flagship annual Responsible Business Report, including data collection, content development and publication. Develop the report into a suite of external-facing assets that demonstrate progress against the firm's responsible business goals and priorities.
• Systems and controls: Develop and seek opportunities to continuously improve ESG reporting systems, processes and data-management frameworks to strengthen reporting quality, audit readiness and compliance with evolving requirements.
• Reporting governance and assurance: Ensure documentation provides a transparent audit trail, supports internal sign-off and external assurance, and clearly identifies data owners, assumptions, limitations and any gaps requiring escalation.
• Metrics and analysis: Advise Responsible Business workstream leads on suitable KPIs and metrics, ensuring alignment with responsible business goals and current and future ESG regulatory requirements. Collate and analyse responsible business and ESG performance data.
• Technology and AI: Use approved tools across the Microsoft 365 suite (including Power Apps and Copilot) and our environmental reporting platform, and apply appropriate human review, professional judgement and information-governance controls to all outputs.
• Stakeholder coordination: Work with stakeholders and designated data analysts across global functions to collect and validate ESG data, develop appropriate performance metrics and maintain clear reporting responsibilities.
• Embedded functional ownership: Work with operational functions including Procurement, HR, Finance, Facilities, Risk and Compliance, and other relevant teams to define reporting requirements, clarify responsibilities and coordinate ESG data and evidence. Support functions to embed ESG considerations within their existing systems and processes, while recognising that ownership of underlying data, controls and operational delivery remains with the relevant business function.
• Client requests: Feed data into information requests from clients and review responses, including for due-diligence questionnaires, RFIs, pitches, contract review meetings, and audits. Share themes and an analysis of client expectations back to workstream leads.
• Policies and assessments: project-manage stakeholder engagement exercises such as double materiality assessments, helping the wider team translate outcomes into strategic objectives, and support updates of responsible business policies, incorporating improvement areas identified through sustainability assessments.
• Research and capability building: Monitor emerging ESG trends, regulations and best practice across the firm's operating regions. Develop ESG reporting expertise as the landscape evolves and share practical learning with Responsible Business workstream leads to support their strategies.

Required experience 

• Reporting experience: Direct experience of delivering responsible business or ESG reporting, preferably in a professional services or corporate environment.
• Data and analysis: Strong analytical skills, with experience of interpreting complex data sets and communicating findings clearly.
• Subject-matter knowledge: A good understanding of data across DE&I, wellbeing, environment and social impact, such as workforce diversity and greenhouse gas emissions, and the ability to interpret it.
• Cross-pillar perspective: The ability to bring consistency to reporting and measurement approaches across multiple responsible business areas.
• Interest and awareness: A genuine interest in measuring and reporting ESG performance, together with a global perspective appropriate to a law firm operating across the world.
• Stakeholder management: The ability to collaborate across functions, manage a wide range of stakeholders and act as a trusted adviser to colleagues.
• Delivery skills: Strong attention to detail, demonstrated project-management capability and excellent organisational and written communication skills.
• Working style: A collaborative team player who can coordinate across workstreams and operate effectively in a fast-paced global law firm.
• Confidentiality and systems: The ability to handle highly confidential and sensitive data, with working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications.

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys. 

*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 3,000 people in 45 offices across 18 countries around the world we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.

Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.

We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.

What do we have to offer?

We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.

Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive, distinctive and ambitious. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.

The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles.  A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.

We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work.  We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority.  We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work.  Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.

Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.