Chief Operating Officer

THE COMPANY

At Water Tower Research, our mission is to bridge the information gap between companies and investors, while reaching a much broader and diverse group of investors, in comparison to the traditional and challenged equity research model. Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum.

We have built a new and innovative platform designed to reach all investors using free-to-access modern digital distribution strategies leveraged on the insights from credible and experienced analysts. We focus on identifying key variables and drivers that are impacting companies and then help investors understand said variables with the objective of providing resources needed to make intelligent decisions. With the incumbent equity research model on Wall Street facing unprecedented challenges, we are building a new model to help investors and companies rebuild the information exchange on which fundamental investment strategies are based.

THE POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

We are looking to add a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to our senior management team.  The COO will report to senior leadership including the CEO and founders of the firm. As a senior executive in the company, this position is a member of Water Tower Research’s leadership team and will contribute to setting strategic direction, monitoring financial performance, providing financial reports to management and the Board of Managers, and for overseeing the legal and compliance, editorial and production, finance, and HR functions of the organization. Ideal candidate will be results and detail oriented, entrepreneurial, and have a partnership mindset.

The COO’s responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

• Providing strategic and tactical direction for Water Tower Research.  The COO will be responsible for processes and procedures that ensure the firm is achieving its financial and production goals. The COO will be tasked with running the day-to-day operations of the company and driving analyst performance as well as strategic initiatives. 
• Legal and compliance. The COO ensure compliance with the firm’s policies on trading, outside business activities, etc. The COO will work closely with outside legal counsel on items that come up in the normal course of business such as employment agreements, HR-related matters, and client contracts.
• Oversight of editorial, production, and distribution of content. The COO will oversee Water Tower Research’s editor and ensure proper workflow, quality of content, professional look and feel of product, and effective and broad dissemination of the product. The COO will require a strong knowledge of investment research and will also create a positive partnership with the editorial staff and the analysts.
• Financial management oversight. The COO will work to oversee financial projections and expense and cash management. They will work closely with the Investor Engagement team to ensure all receivables are being collected and with our outside accounting firm on cash management. As a growing company, it is important to have a strategic vision on how to properly allocate cash to ensure proper ROI. The COO will also be in charge of all other financial functions including payroll and tax planning.
• Recruiting and onboarding. The COO will be an integral part of the recruiting and onboarding process of all new employees. Adding new content creators will be important to the growth of the firm. The COO will be responsible for ensuring an orderly onboarding process in terms of technology access, payroll, benefits and all necessary documentation such as completed employment agreements.
• Technology leader. We expect the COO to continually seek new technology that can improve our efficiency such as CRMs, distribution systems, and an authoring platform. The COO will control all enterprise licenses and authorize use of such licenses for employees.
• Human capital management. The COO will be responsible for managing the firm’s HR-related processes such as employment agreements, benefits, etc.
• Involvement in the digital media strategy. The COO will work closely with other senior leaders on the firm’s digital media strategies including the firm’s distribution of research, website updates, and social media plans.
   

MEASUREMENTS

The COO’s performance will be evaluated on the following:

• Cash management
• Analyst productivity and growth
• Completion of strategic initiatives
• Revenue  and pre-tax profit growth of the firm

THE PERSON

The ideal candidate would have the following:

• 10+ years of experience in capital markets – sales, research, and/or investment banking
• Prior experience in a leadership role such as a COO, CAO DOR, ADOR, senior analyst, or sales leader
• Background in financial management
• Experience with start-ups or building businesses
• Results and detail oriented, entrepreneurial with a partnership mindset
• A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business; advanced degrees such as a Masters or JD is a plus

Please email resume to:

Stu Linde CEO stu@watertowerresearch.com