Lead Investment Portfolio Specialist

The role will be responsible for overseeing investments across asset classes, including public and private markets, through External Fund Managers. The Lead will monitor and conduct due diligence on the investments and will be part of a team responsible for constructing portfolios and selecting External Fund Managers. The Lead will advise on changes to investment policy, present reports, and analysis, and provide expert analysis and recommendations to the Division Manager and other stakeholders. The Lead will also monitor market trends, seek out new investment strategies and participate in broad investment discussions and projects.

Key Accountabilities:

Strategic & Asset Management

• Lead, supervise and offer guidance to the team managing the EFM portfolios for OCR and Non-OCR Funds and follow up and monitor the various External Fund Managers.
• Coordinate the development of the investment policy statements (IPS) for the all the Funds under the management of the Division in coordination with the Operations and Reporting Section and other dependency stakeholders.
• Construct portfolios for each eligible asset class in the investment policy including public equities, Public real estate infrastructure, etc. Ensure diversification and manage risk of the portfolios by selecting complementary strategies, EFMs and diversification across vintages, geographies, industries etc.
• Lead the Implementation of TAA, Dynamic Asset Allocation and Rebalancing activities through existing EFMs, ETFs/ETCs, or any other products and new mandates to ensure compliance with IPS and improve returns. This requires coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.

Portfolio construction

• Lead a rigorous portfolio construction through EFM and conduct manager search process, Due diligence including qualitative and quantitative due diligence, to select suitable external asset managers to manage the funds within the parameters outlined in the investment policy statement.
• Lead Investment mandates execution including the negotiation of all the legal documentation (IMA, subscription agreements, LPA, etc)
• Set performance expectations on financial returns based on the relevant benchmarks and closely monitor the performance of the external asset managers.
• Perform continuous due diligence and manager research and maintain a list of potential new managers for future manager search. The Division will engage with new managers to assess, structure and source new investment strategies which can enhance the investment returns of the Funds. The Division will also keep updated information and data on new market developments, new ideas and opportunities in the alternative asset space.

Manager monitoring and evaluation

• Monitor on EFMs against their mandated guidelines and risk parameters, monitor, evaluate the risk and performance of individual EFMs, including analysis on performance attribution including contributors and detractors to portfolio performance.
• Meet frequently with investment partners and managers to understand fund holdings, investment performance, personnel changes and market conditions.
• Meet with market participants to understand evolving market opportunities and landscape.
• Undertake comprehensive periodic evaluation of the EFMs based on the archived performance record every three years, with a midterm assessment, and submit retain, under watch or dismiss recommendations to Management.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide technical stewardship and motivational and inspirational leadership for the team and communicate to direct reports.
• Providing regular feedback on results at a division level, promptly addressing areas of underperformance.
• Determine actions needed to increase the performance and impact.
• Support filling in key capability gaps of teams through capacity development and training.
• Coach, mentor and develop the junior staff.
• Provide internal and external stakeholders communication through strong presentation skills, and negotiation skills.
• Academic and Professional Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in financial economics / Finance / Investments / Asset Management or related quantitative discipline.
• Holding of the CAIA/CFA/FRM/CIMP/ERP certificates is preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in Investment management, alternatives including infrastructure, private equity, Asset Allocation and portfolio construction, Fund Managers Due Diligence, Pension Funds Investment, Manager search consultancy firms, OCIOs.
• 3 years of managerial / relevant supervisory experience is mandatory.
• Experience in co-investments / direct investments and other private markets strategies, including infrastructure and / or private debt, is desirable.
• Experience in IPOs and public equities portfolio management is an asset.

Skills & Necessary Knowledge:

• Demonstrated ability and sound knowledge of private investments’ markets, private and public equity investment structures as well as portfolio management.
• Demonstrated ability and sound knowledge of applied macroeconomics, security analysis and portfolio management.
• Ability to work under pressure and provide accurate, efficient and effective results.
• Ability to utilize various portfolio management and data processing tools such as Bloomberg and familiarity with the use of relevant applications and MS Office programs.
• The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision making and convey resulting information to management.
• Advanced knowledge of Investment Markets and private equity.
• Advanced knowledge of Investment Management and Modern Portfolio Theory.
• Advanced knowledge in Private Market sharia structuring.
• Advanced knowledge in Portfolio Performance and Risk Analysis.
• Advanced report writing and oral skills.
• Expert in Excel VBA, and Power point presentation.
• Power BI and Python is an advantage.
• Expert in communication and negotiation skills.

Languages:

• English – Mandatory
• Arabic – Preferred
• French – Preferred

Source: https://www.isdbcareers.com/careers/isdb/VacancyDetail.aspx?VacancyID=168660