Investment Management Operations Support recruitment
Mercer is a global leader in human resource consulting, outsourcing and investment services, with more than 25,000 clients worldwide. Mercer consultants help clients design and manage health, retirement and other benefits and optimize human capital. The firm also provides customized administration, technology and total benefit outsourcing solutions. Mercer's investment services include global leadership in investment consulting and multimanager investment management.
Mercer's global network of more than 20,000 employees, based in over 40 countries, helps ensure integrated, worldwide solutions. Our consultants work with clients to develop solutions that address global and country-specific challenges and opportunities. Mercer is experienced in assisting both major and growing, midsize companies.
In Ireland, Mercer employs over 600 employees in offices based in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh McLennan Companies, which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges.
Background
Mercer Investment Management (MIM) is Mercer's investment management arm. Investment is via Mercer Investment Management's own mutual fund range, the majority of which are structured as multi-manager, multi-class Funds. Investment Management hires third party managers, from Mercer Investment Consultancy's list of A rated managers in each asset class thus combining Mercer's in-house portfolio management expertise with the depth and breadth of Mercer Investment Consultancy's global investment manager research. The Investment Management fund range launched in Europe in September 2006 and currently consists of 47 Irish domiciled funds across 4 differing legal structures (UCITS, PIF, QIF QIF CCF).
At the heart of Mercer's Investment Management Business are the following initiatives:
- Investment management (IM) only solutions e.g. delegated manager selection for single sleeve asset classes such as alternatives invested into Mercer Funds.
- Implemented consulting solutions (IC) - this service bundles proactive investment consulting advice with manager selection and implementation.
- Mercer Dynamic De-Risking Solution (MDDS) which aims to manage pension schemes along a path to full funding (or some other funding target) and has arisen from a need to provide governance frameworks that will allow trustees to lock in market gains and protect against downside equity risk
Our Investment Management business has over $45bn in assets under management globally. In Europe, the business was launched in late 2006 and as at the end of October 2011 has assets under management of $10 billion.
With increasing burdens being placed on Trustees (regulatory, more complexity, cost pressures etc), we believe that the market for implemented investment solutions will continue to grow rapidly over the coming years and this is a unique opportunity to join the team that will be at the forefront of this market for Mercer in Europe.
Summary of MIM Operations Team:
The MIM Ops team currently consists of 16 team members. There are 3 sub teams, which all report into the MIM COO for Europe :
- A Dublin based Head of Operations, Ireland
- A Dublin based Day to Day Operations team currently consisting of 6
- A Dublin based Product Team currently consisting of 3
- A London based Head of Operations, London
- A London based MDDS Operations team currently consisting of 3
- A London based Client Take on Specialist
- 1 x Project based Resource currently working on the implementation of a new business proposition
Summary of MIM Operations Team:
This role relates to the MIM Operations Team. The MIM Operations Team have responsibility for the on boarding of new clients into the MIM funds, management of underlying funds/managers changes/additions, oversight of third party service providers, facilitators of operational infrastructure changes, development and maintenance of relationships with both internal and external clients and adherence to strict risk controls.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities
Investment Management Operations Support
- Responsible for the daily and periodic rebalancing of all Mercer funds and clients.
- Complete daily vendor and fund oversight in order to minimise risks.
- Ensure a timely, efficient and accurate client on boarding process from an operational perspective for all Mercer clients.
- Ensure a timely, efficient and accurate sub-investment manager change process from an operational perspective.
- Develop a strong relationship with both internal and external parties.
- Service our clients to the highest standard and ensure accuracy, efficiency and professionalism at all times.
- Monitor and manage the service quality from third party service providers.
- Produce daily, weekly and monthly MIS from third party service providers.
- Propose process improvements and participate in technology developments within the Operations Team.
- Respond to ad hoc queries received from internal and external customers.
- Assist in the production of all required senior management, director and regulatory reporting.
Reporting/Key Relationships
- Reports to the Operations Manager of the MIM BAU Operations Team.
- Works closely with other members of the wider Operations Team - both Dublin and London based teams.
- Works closely and in partnership with the Investment team.
- Works closely and in partnership with the both the Irish and UK based investment consultants.
- Works closely with any third party service providers.
- Supports Sales team
Skills
- A graduate with at least 5 years experience in Fund Accounting or Investment Management.
- Professional and proactive approach to work.
- Strong organisational skills
- Strengths to include accuracy and applying an analytical and questioning approach to ensure all risks are covered.
- Strong interpersonal skills to communicate with internal and external clients at all levels.
- Good knowledge of fund structures, parties to the fund and the differing fund types would be an advantage.
- Highly driven and disciplined.
- Ability to work effectively within a small, fast growing team and assist in the development of that team.
- Engaging and approachable / proactive with a pleasant style
- While may not tick all the boxes upfront in terms of having the required experience / knowledge at the outset has a good attitude, is keen to get stuck in and eager to learn
- Fluent English essential.
- IT knowledge including Microsoft Office