Private Markets Research Analyst recruitment

Towers Watson is a leading global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance through effective people, financial and risk management. With 14,000 associates around the world we offer solutions in the areas of employee benefit programs, talent and reward programs, and risk and capital management.

The Investments business provides consulting and advisory services to Pension funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Endowments, Foundations and Charities and Wealth Managers across the globe. It has its history steeped in actuarial and pension fund advisory and has grown over the past two decades into one of the most respected financial advisory firms to institutional investors.

Our work covers all aspects of the investment function and focuses on better equipping our clients to make good, well researched, well thought through investment decisions. In doing so, we help clients manage investment complexity, establish their risk tolerance and improve governance. We combine innovative thinking with capable execution so our clients can successfully balance risk and return.

We aim to act as an extension of the internal investment function (regardless of size, scale, sophistication and complexity), offering tailored and specialist expertise, through global, regional and local research and coverage of investment issues and approaches.

We currently have an opportunity for a Private Markets Research Analyst within our global manager research team. In this role you will interview some of the most highly respected investment managers in the world, helping to form robust opinions on such areas as investment skill and the ability to meet our clients’ objectives. These views will be central to helping our clients build their global private equity programs.

Performance Objectives:

Excellence

 Interview and evaluate private markets investment managers, including both direct and fund of funds managers

Evaluate and analyze investment performance and portfolio characteristics; run quantitative analytics and modelling

Compose and publish documentation from investment manager meetings; act as a point of contact to provide information about the managers to members of the global investment practice

Extract and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to help drive decision making

Maintain manager research databases

Contribute to the development of the research function, improving methods and tools used

People

Build strong relationships externally with managers and internally collaborate on cross-functional teams

Demonstrate natural ease and effectiveness when dealing with clients/colleagues at all levels

Clients

Deliver high quality manager research consulting advice to internal/external clients as appropriate

Develop trusted advisor relationship through effective communication and efficient, quality execution of projects

Liaise with members of the wider investment team in order to gain the necessary data and understanding of the client’s needs

Deliver on projects to meet or exceed client expectations

Work with client teams in delivering special consulting projects

Financial

Support the generation of new business as part of the broader team

The Requirements

Undergraduate degree required; progress towards CFA preferred

Relevant progressive investment management or investment research experience, ideally gained in a client-service oriented environment (fund of funds, consulting or portfolio management) 

Insight into practical issues of investment management organizations (investment process, organizational structure and people, marketing, business management and strategy) across a range of asset classes

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Comfortable and successful in a team environment; able to fit seamlessly on teams of senior and more junior colleagues

Strong working knowledge of Excel and databases

Interest in and understanding of financial markets and institutional investing

Enquiring and analytically minded with a logical and thorough work ethic

Ability to grasp issues and offer innovative solutions

Track record of delivering high quality work on time and within budget