MAI Quantitative Support recruitment
Role Context
- The role holder will work on the Strategy desk, which is part of the Multi-Asset Investing Team (MAIT) at Standard Life Investments.
- MAIT is responsible for client investments that cross over more than one asset class, compared with the bond, equity or property fund managers at SLI who invest in a single asset class. MAIT is responsible for the Global Absolute Return Strategy (GARS) fund, one of the fastest growing and best performing funds in its sector. MAIT carries out the day to day asset allocation for over 100 institutional client and pooled pension funds. It manages the Group funds and staff pension scheme for Standard Life plc and handles Liability Driven Investing (LDI) and passive investments for clients.
- There are three broad teams within MAIT: fund management, risk and Strategy. The Strategy team is responsible for creating the research ideas which feed both into GARS and into the House View asset allocation decisions made by the Global Investment Group of senior fund managers. The team is considerably involved with the Global Client Group and the Press Office in raising the external profile of SLI, through the Global series of publications, through articles in the national media and trade press, and through client meetings and conferences. Examples can be seen on the Market Views section of the SLI web site: http://uk.standardlifeinvestments.com/ifa/market_views/index.html
Role Purpose
- The MAI Quantitative Support is an important role within the Strategy desk and MAIT. The role holder is responsible for much of the day to day technical work underpinning the team, as well as carrying out more in-depth analysis on specific issues. Key responsibilities include:
- Producing charts, tables and research material to include into the Global Perspective, Global Outlook and Global Horizons publications, including assistance with the design process as chart editor;
- Measuring the performance of the House View, reporting to the GIG and MAIT meetings;
- Compiling papers for the Global Investment Group (GIG), the Strategic Investment Group (SIG) overseeing GARS, and other MAIT meetings, taking and circulating minutes where appropriate;
- Producing a series of House View Powerpoint presentations for a wide variety of people to use, from the Global Client Group to the Chief Executive.
- Answering statistical queries from client relationship managers, asset class managers, Marketline, clients, press etc;
- Researching investment ideas for the GARS fund, often examining complex financial instruments, and for other client funds, usually involving cross-comparisons of different economic variables, bond and equity financial markets, interest and exchange rates;
- Responsible for day to day management of the House View icon, an internal web site used to publicise the reports produced by Strategy, the GIG House View process and MAIT;
- Minor day to day tasks include contributing to the weekly review, generating the Morning Meeting markets note, the Disaster Recovery procedures, ensuring a suitable audit trail of House View decisions and processes etc.
Key Outcomes
- Timeliness and accuracy of data are two of the key outcomes for the role holder. The Strategy team works to very tight deadlines in terms of e.g. research reports and presentations for meetings, Global publications for the media. The accuracy of data is vital for the successful performance of major funds such as GARS.
Key Knowledge/Experience/Qualifications/Skills
- A good / high level of statistical ability is required. The main sources of data used by the MAI Quantitative Support will include: Bloomberg, Datastream, plus written material and statistics eg spreadsheets from external and independent brokers. Data is usually manipulated in Excel charts, eg correlation and regression analysis, and set out in Powerpoint. The role would also benefit from good writing communication skills, necessary for example for minute-taking and research reports. The role often involves liaising with large numbers of internal and external contacts, eg investment banks, independent research providers, accurately gathering and reporting information, often to senior people.
This is not an FSA Regulated role.