EMEA Hedge Fund Strategy, BlackRock Multi Asset Client Solutions, Director recruitment
Business Unit Overview:
BlackRock takes a dynamic approach to alternative investments, creating investment vehicles designed to capitalize on evolving opportunities in fast-changing markets. We offer clients strategies designed to provide returns with low correlations to the broad equity and bond markets, including private equity, real estate equity and debt, funds of hedge funds, single-strategy hedge funds, long-only absolute return strategies, commodities and structured products. Our alternative investment capabilities are fully integrated into BlackRock, allowing investment teams to capitalize on the firm’s considerable resources in areas such as risk management, product development, client service and operational support.
BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Client Solutions (BMACS) team develops and manages investment solutions involving multiple strategies and asset classes. The team includes more than 160 portfolio managers, quantitative analysts, investment strategists, research analysts, economists, and actuaries. We partner with clients to solve their investment and liability challenges by understanding their objectives, advising on solutions, and designing and implementing strategies that meet or exceed goals. The team’s guiding principles are to:
Serve as a trusted advisor by providing unbiased advice on portfolio issues and multi-asset solutions
Deliver BlackRock’s global capabilities by leveraging the firm’s insights in a holistic and consistent manner
Employ a flexible framework using a dynamic approach to investment solutions that adapts to client needs
Take ownership of implementation and performance, by focusing on high-quality execution and delivering investment results
Actively research and select return-generating strategies from both internal and external providers
BlackRock is seeking an Investment Strategist to support the growth of the Active Allocations business within BMACS in its London office. The Active Allocation group manages over $30bn in a wide range of asset allocation driven strategies that are based on both model-driven and fundamental research. This role would be primarily focused upon supporting BlackRock’s Multi-Strategy Fund
The Multi-Strategy Fund is a single manager, multi-strategy hedge fund which invests exclusively in BlackRock managed alpha vehicles, exploiting the breadth, depth and diversity across the BlackRock hedge fund platform. The Fund has delivered robust performance over the previous three years in very challenging market conditions, and has exhibited a very low correlation with traditional asset markets. The Fund has assets of over $1.5bn invested on behalf of clients globally.
The successful candidate will work closely with the Research and Portfolio Management teams as well other members of the Active Allocation Investment Strategy group.
Responsibilities
- Engage clients: Progressively develop a network of relationships with new prospects and existing BlackRock clients in partnership with Global Client Group and BlackRock Alternative Investors with the aim or securing new mandates and successfully growing the business over time.
- Create and maintain appropriate materials: capabilities documents, monthly commentary, product presentations. Work closely with other members of the team to create convincing product strategy material.
- Develop in depth competitor awareness; monitor new product launches, keep track of competitor performance in order that we can accurately differentiate BlackRock strategies.
- Develop partnership with BlackRock’s Global Client Group and BlackRock Alternative Investors. Work with BlackRock's account managers to identify and understand client needs for the Multi-Strategy Fund across the institutional and retail platforms.
- Consultant relationships: develop relationships with the consultant community in co-ordination with the Global Consultant Relationship team. Produce education material and relevant product and market data to share with consultants.
- Product Development: work with the product management groups to design and develop innovative vehicles for the delivery of the MuSt investment strategy to multiple client types. This may include: CTF's, UCITS compliant vehicles, separate accounts, new share classes, etc.
- Results Tracking/Performance Monitoring: Develop and maintain metric tracking for production, product pipeline, meeting initiation, quality of interactions and follow-up with existing client relationships.
- Thought Piece Creation/Awareness Efforts: Through working closely with investment teams, the successful candidate will author thought pieces to share with clients and to encourage prospect discussions.
Knowledge/Experience:
- Deep capital markets knowledge and experience dealing with a range of hedge fund strategies. Good understanding of the asset management sales process as it relates to institutional investors.
- CFA, CAIA or advanced degree preferred.
- Extensive experience in the hedge fund industry with a background in product structuring, product management, and or investment / product strategy. Exposure to multi-strategy hedge funds and/or quantitative hedge fund strategies a particular advantage.
- Strong understanding of key product features as it relates to institutional and retail investors, in addition to regulatory limitations / requirements on investment strategies (UCITS vs. Cayman).
- Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills to clearly articulate sophisticated concepts, ideas, and processes to both internal and external audiences at a very senior level.
- Demonstrated research, analytical, and presentation-drafting skills. Ability to critically evaluate multiple product solutions and define and execute on a cohesive strategic vision.