Investment Consultant

Consultant, Alternative Investment Client Solutions - Front Office Solutions New    81617 Requisition #    12 hours ago Post Date Description Front Office Solutions is a new strategic business for Northern Trust that provides a holistic digital+ service offering for some of the most sophisticated institutional investors across the globe, including foundations, endowments, pension funds, corporations, insurance companies, central banks and sovereign wealth funds. As asset owners engage in more complex, data-driven investment approaches to asset allocation, their operational needs and demands for high quality data have skyrocketed. Front Office Solutions provides a holistic, full-service, multi-asset solution that aims to empower in-house investment teams and support their important mission by providing a more comprehensive set of operational services and analytics including portfolio management, investment decision support, operational risk management, CRM/document management and workflow tools. Under general supervision (but works independently most of the time) the consultant will be responsible for investment data administration that will provide clients with the holistic data sets they need to fulfill their various stakeholder requirements. Researching and identifying solutions for data challenges for institutional clients Primary Responsibilities

• Acts as daily point of contact for alternative asset client queries.
  • Acts as a subject matter expert for alternative asset queries
  • Assists in review of all other queries
• Responsible for supporting data management with respect to alternative asset transactional impacts and interpretation of complex capital account statements and transaction notices. Responsible for communicating how the data should be captured.
• Acts as point of initial review for all investment data. Includes review of (but not limited to):
  • Investment transactions (typically statement-based for alternative assets; file-based for public markets)
  • Investment valuations (typically statement-based for alternative assets; file-based for public markets)
  • Manager Estimates
  • Plan Income / Expense Items
  • Plan Contributions / Spending Withdrawals
  • Underlying Manager Exposure Data
  • Benchmark Data
  • Alternative Investment Performance Data
• Responsible for secondary review of all investment reconciliations. Includes reconciliation of cash, positions, performance, transactions, alternative investment metrics (unfunded commitment, etc.).
• Responsible for secondary review of NAV, allocation and underlying client performance for alternative investments.
• Serves as secondary reviewer of investment and composite performance calculations, including time weighted return and IRR calculations.
• Serves as secondary reviewer of single, conventional and blended benchmark calculations; reviewer of Public Market Equivalent (PME) benchmark calculations.
• Reviews proxy return settings at the investment level.
• Participates in initial client discovery sessions, assists in project planning, setting client expectations and facilitating continuous client updates throughout the onboarding process
• Responsible for the review of all historic data entry and reconciliations during client onboarding.
• Assists in training new FOS partners in the alternative asset space.
• Participates in ongoing process improvement discussions where feasible including:
  • Process improvement through technical skills development
  • Third party vendor sourcing
  • Ongoing Front Office Solutions program build (fee billing, legal contracts, training, etc.)

Required Knowledge/Skills Experience working with complex asset owners including Endowments, Foundations, Family Offices, OCIOs, Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, and institutional asset managers.

• Strong understanding of institutional investment industry, including markets, instruments, funds and fund structures, trading, etc.
• Deep knowledge of Alternative Assets, investment products, and related operational processes (hedge funds, private equity). Demonstrated understanding of private equity transactional impacts on unfunded commitments, market value, cost, and other metrics typically associated with private equity (TVPI, DPI, PIC, etc.).
  • Demonstrated knowledge of complex capital account statements and transaction notices.
  • Deep understanding of Alternative Investment products.
  • Understanding of time weighted return and IRR calculations; understanding of instances when performance issues need to be escalated to a supervisor
• Analytical skills.
• Advanced understanding of Microsoft Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), with particular emphasis on Excel.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and perform effectively under deadlines.
• Ability to handle multiple concurrent projects and to reconcile any conflicting priorities.
• Commitment to project success as it may require working unconventional hours during critical project phases

Preferred Knowledge/Skills

• Experience using VBA, Python or other programming language to format large data sets.
• Prior experience with multi-asset class portfolio management software.
• Experience/orientation to operational process improvement.
• Client servicing experience. High level of comfort communicating directly with clients and client advocacy.
• Ability to work closely and collaborate with internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• A College or University degree
• 5+ years industry experience working with Alternative Assets, preferably in Operations.
• Completion (or progress towards) of advanced credentials (CFA, CAIA, CPA, MBA) preferred.
• A genuine desire and capability to work in a fast-paced, professional, inclusive environment which requires teamwork, well-honed problem-solving skills, frequent re-prioritization, deadline management, ongoing and comprehensive communication, constant attention to detail, and a commitment to continuous improvement and best practices.

About Northern Trust Northern Trust provides innovative financial services and guidance to corporations, institutions and affluent families and individuals globally. With 130 years of financial experience and nearly 20,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Working with Us As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company that is committed to strengthening the communities we serve! We recognize the value of inclusion and diversity in culture, in thought, and in experience, which is why Forbes ranked us the top employer for Diversity in 2018. We'd love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world's most admired and ethical companies. Build your career with us and apply today.