This is a Special Appointment position and serves at the pleasure of the Appointing Authority.GRADE MSRP0009
LOCATION OF POSITION120 East Baltimore Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Main Purpose of JobThe main purpose of this position is to lead investment research and design and develop quantitative investment strategies. This would entail developing internal research as well as integrating new tools and alternative datasets. The Senior Investment Analyst II helps the public equity group to achieve the goal of adding value in excess of public equity benchmarks while taking a reasonable amount of risk.
The Senior Investment Analyst II will be responsible for supporting manager selection that involves identifying prospective managers, running thorough due diligence, and monitoring of total Public Equity Portfolio.
The Senior Investment Analyst II should be highly quantitative and develop quantitative processes in investment strategy development and portfolio construction. They should also work towards enhancing existing investment strategies, developing dashboards to monitor portfolio exposures, managers' performance. They should also develop quantitative frameworks to improve portfolio sizing and allocations. This position is expected to increase the team's productivity by automating a lot of current processes.
The ideal candidate will be a multi-tasker able to handle multiple specific responsibilities at a given time.
POSITION DUTIES Duties include but are not limited to: - Performs factor research, develops quantitative models for various investment strategies, and enhances existing quantitative investment strategies.
- Explores and onboards alternative datasets, tests those datasets for their prediction power, and integrates those with internally developed factors and launch new investment strategies.
- Assists in manager selection and monitoring of investments for the Public Equity Portfolio by attending and taking notes at external portfolio manager meetings and analyzing performance and portfolio characteristics through use of eVestment, BlackRock Aladdin, and Bloomberg, Factset or any other tools employed in Investment Division.
- Assists in the administrative tasks required of a senior portfolio manager in public equities.
- Assists in various public Investment Division's projects assigned by CIO, DCIOs, and the team supervisors.
- Designs and develop dashboards, portfolio construction tools to help achieve the investment return goals Serves as a backup to portfolio managers by reviewing and approving trades.
- Assists portfolio managers in portfolio construction and trading.
- Documents policies, processes, and procedures for new initiatives.
- Collaborates with Operations and other partners to ensure new accounts are opened and supported at their respective ends.
- Test the process/connectivity with all partners to ensure all necessary securities are traded and settled with no issues.
- Works with Legal, index providers, external research providers, platform providers, and others on contract negotiations and execution.
- Identifies additional value add opportunities for the total portfolio by interacting with external research providers, test the research signal's efficacy and explore the possibility of using those signals to launch new internally managed funds.
- Completes other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Education: Four-year degree from an accredited four college/University in quantitative discipline such as Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Data Science, Physics, Engineering, Economics, or Finance.
Experience: Three years of relevant investments or finance experience.
Note: Applicants may substitute a minimum of four years of additional relevant investments or finance experience for the required education qualification. Relevant master's degrees, CFA, or CPA can count for two years of relevant professional experience. CAIA can count for one year of relevant professional experience. A relevant PhD can count for four years of processional experience.
DESIRED OR PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSWe welcome candidates who have developed relevant investment expertise through different professional paths. Although experience across multi-asset is valuable, candidates are not expected to have worked in every asset class, in investment field or to satisfy every preferred qualification. We encourage applicants to apply who bring strong expertise in one or more core areas, demonstrate the ability to learn and contribute to adjacent disciplines, and can collaborate effectively across investment, technology, risk, legal, compliance, and operational teams.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS• Strong quantitative skills, AI knowledge, and coding skills
• Knowledge of the principles, practices and procedures of investment management, knowledge of appropriate safeguards and risk mitigants in an investment program, and knowledge of one or more private investment asset classes
• Expertise in a performance attribution and risk system
• Five years of experience performing investment research and providing investment analysis/recommendations
• Experience sourcing and underwriting opportunities to invest external managers
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Proficiency with MS Excel for modeling and analysis
• CFA/CAIA or desire to work towards certification
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTSA resume and cover letter are required to be uploaded with your application. Please combine the resume and cover letter into one pdf file to upload to application.
Due to the confidential nature of the work, selected candidates must undergo and pass a background and credit check.
SELECTION PROCESS Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the minimum, selective and preferred qualifications for this recruitment.
All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date.
Successful candidates will be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified and placed on the employment (eligible) list for at least one year or be placed on a register for at least one year. This list will be used by the hiring agency to select candidates for interviews in-person or virtually.
For education obtained outside the U.S., any job offer will be contingent on the candidate providing an evaluation for equivalency by a foreign credential evaluation service prior to starting employment (and may be requested prior to interview).
Complete applications must be submitted by the closing date. Information submitted after this date will not be added. Incorrect and/or in completed application forms will not be accepted.
EXAMINATION PROCESS The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position. It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application.
Please report all experience and education that is related to this position. You may be asked to complete a supplemental questionnaire. The supplemental questionnaire may be used as part of the rating process. Therefore, it is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application.
BARGAINING UNIT STATUS This position is exempt from Bargaining.
BENEFITSThis is a full-time, permanent position and eligible for full State benefits, which include:
• Hybrid teleworking
• Paid holidays 12-13 per year
• Generous paid leave package (annual, sick, personal and compensatory leave)
• State Pension ("defined benefit" plan)
• Tax-deferred supplemental retirement savings plans (401(k) and 457)
• Comprehensive, subsidized health, dental and prescription plans with little to no deductibles, free generic prescriptions and free preventative health services
• Flexible Spending Account plans for Health Care and Daycare
• State Employees Credit Union
To learn more, please click this link:
STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITSFURTHER INSTRUCTIONSThe online application process is STRONGLY preferred. If you are unable to apply online, you may mail a paper application and supplemental questionnaire to:
Maryland State Retirement and Pension Systems
Human Resources Section
120 E. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Email Nick Pindale at npindale@sra.state.md.us
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT UNSOLICITED DOCUMENTATION
The resulting certified eligible list for this recruitment may be used for similar positions in this or other State agencies.
