Position DescriptionWe are seeking a CIT Solutions Strategist to join our CIT Strategy Team and help shape the future of PIMCO's Collective Investment Trust (CIT) business. The team sits within PIMCO's U.S. Retirement business and supports the growth of the firm's CIT platform. This role is well suited for an adaptable, intellectually curious professional who can lead the detailed, hands-on work that makes CITs successful while connecting that work to evolving client needs.
You will serve as a specialist, strategic resource, and trusted internal partner across the firm, helping to advance PIMCO's CIT capabilities. You will collaborate with Defined Contribution Solutions, Client Management, Product Strategy, Legal, Operations, Compliance, and third-party trust companies to implement CITs, support client adoption, and help internal teams position CIT strategies.
Why this role
- Strategy and execution together. You will lead projects, timelines, and detailed work behind new launches, working closely with trustees, while connecting CIT decisions to broader client and consultant needs. .
- Broad collaboration. You will work every day with our trustee partners and colleagues across the firm.. Success depends on building trust and bringing people together around shared goals.
- A small team and a real voice. The team is newer and small, so you will think like a business owner and have direct impact on how the CIT business operates and grows.
- Room to innovate. We are seeking someone who is AI-forward and eager to use these tools in day-to-day work to respond to client needs, synthesize documents and data, find gaps and areas of improvement, and apply prior work to new projects and situations. We encourage you to turn what works for you into best practices you share with colleagues.
The CIT Solutions Strategist will bring expertise in CIT structures, governance, operations, fee arrangements, regulatory considerations, and retirement plan investments. The role requires strong analytical capabilities, project leadership, business judgment, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively across multiple initiatives. Success also requires a hands-on mindset, equal care for strategy and detail, and a willingness to contribute at every level.
Location
Newport Beach, New York
ResponsibilitiesCIT Product Development
- Lead the implementation and enhancement of CIT products and share classes.
- Partner with the product and distribution teams to identify market opportunities and determine product and share-class needs.
Trustee & Platform Management
- Serve as a primary liaison with third-party trust companies, with a strong understanding of their practices, operational and reporting requirements, fiduciary responsibilities, and governance frameworks.
- Proactively identify opportunities to expand collaboration with trustees and support business growth.
Governance, Compliance & Regulatory Oversight
- Partner with Funds Legal Compliance and Trustees to support adherence to regulatory and fiduciary requirements.
- Evaluate governance implications of product changes, operational issues, and investor requests, including restricted affiliates, employer securities, trading guidelines, and eligibility restrictions.
- Proactively monitor regulatory developments and changes across the retirement landscape, assess potential implications for the CIT business, and provide timely, actionable updates to business stakeholders.
Business Management & Strategic Execution
- Lead cross-functional initiatives across multiple stakeholders and business units. Develop project plans, establish milestones, manage dependencies, and drive execution.
- Identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and proactively communicate issues and recommendations.
Stakeholder Support & Education
- Serve as a trusted internal resource on CIT structures, investor eligibility, product positioning, fees, reporting, governance, liquidity, and operational considerations.
- Provide accurate, well-supported analyses, recommendations, and communications to internal and external stakeholders.
Operational Excellence
- Drive continuous improvement of CIT processes and controls. Maintain expertise in CIT workflows, reporting, fee structures, and trustee administration; translate operational considerations into business implications
- Develop and enhance process documentation and internal knowledge resources.
- Improve efficiency, scalability, data quality, and controls across the CIT platform, including using AI to identify gaps or errors in internal and trustee-sourced data.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; MBA, CFA, JD, or other advanced designation preferred.
- 8+ years of experience in asset management, retirement solutions, institutional investments, CITs, mutual funds, or related financial services, particularly fixed income, with knowledge of the institutional client base.
- Demonstrated experience working with CITs, Defined Contribution plans, or institutional investment products, including having worked with CITs in some capacity (e.g., at a trust company or in a product, investment, client, operations, legal, or compliance role).
- Strong understanding of CIT structures and governance, including trustee and custodial relationships.
- Deep knowledge of the Defined Contribution and retirement plan markets, including ERISA and retirement industry regulations and the compliance considerations that affect retirement investment vehicles.
- Working knowledge of investment operations and implementation processes, fee structures, and institutional product development.
- Experience leading cross-functional projects and strategic initiatives.
Skills & Competencies
- Strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to see CITs in the context of the broader retirement business.
- Hands-on project management and execution, with the ability to coordinate across multiple internal teams and external trustee partners and to manage competing priorities.
- Analytical and problem-solving capabilities, including comfort using AI-enabled tools to review information, identify patterns or data issues, and improve processes.
- Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with high attention to detail and accuracy.
- Ability to operate independently and exercise sound judgment.
- A hands-on, business-owner mindset in a small team setting, able to connect the dots and help build scalable infrastructure.
Success Factors
Successful candidates consistently demonstrate:
- Deep CIT expertise and technical credibility.
- Strong ownership and accountability, with high-quality execution and limited oversight.
- The ability to anticipate business needs and provide clear, actionable recommendations.
- Effective partnership across Product Strategy, Client Management, Legal, Compliance, Operations, Portfolio Management, and trustee partners.
PIMCO follows a total compensation approach when rewarding employees which includes a base salary and a discretionary bonus. Base salary is the fixed component of compensation that is determined by core job responsibilities, relevant experience, internal level, and market factors. The discretionary bonus is used to award performance and therefore is determined by company, business, team, and individual performance.
Salary Range: $ 145,500.00 - $ 168,000.00
