Skip to main content

This job has expired

You will need to login before you can apply for a job.

Director, External Relationship Management

Employer
BlackRock
Location
London, United Kingdom
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
May 15, 2021

View more

Job Function
Banking
Industry Sector
Finance - General
Employment Type
Full Time
Education
Bachelors
Description

About this role

About BlackRock:

BlackRock is one of the world's preeminent asset management firms and a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services to institutional, intermediary and individual investors around the world. BlackRock offers a range of solutions - from rigorous fundamental and quantitative active management approaches aimed at maximizing outperformance to highly efficient indexing strategies designed to gain broad exposure to the world's capital markets. Our clients can access our investment solutions through a variety of product structures, including individual and institutional separate accounts, mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles, and the industry-leading iShares® ETFs.

Business Unit Overview:

BlackRock's institutional business serves corporate and public sector pension funds, charities and endowments, insurers and other financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds as well as governments and official institutions.

Our institutional clients have very specific needs that require genuine partnership. We aim to be that investment partner by listening to our clients, understanding them and by applying our investment expertise across asset classes and markets to solve their needs.

In practice, our commitment to fostering long-term relationships means we can gain a deep understanding of our clients' long-term objectives. Having a culture where we share knowledge across asset classes and regions allows us to create investment solutions that better meet client specific challenges. The third pillar underpinning our offering is our risk management culture and systems: we seek to ensure that every investment position is deliberate, diversified and appropriately scaled.

Job Purpose/Background:

The successful candidate will be responsible for a portfolio of Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO, or fiduciary) client relationships. They will be involved in the full life cycle of OCIO client relationships, from pre-sale prospecting through the sales process including calls with prospective clients and third party evaluators, and responsibility for reviewing RFP responses. They will then oversee the onboarding process and be responsible for leading the ongoing relationship with new and existing clients. The candidate will drive BlackRock's engagement with the UK pensions industry, covering marketing and interaction with third party evaluators and professional trustees.

The role requires a strong understanding of the UK defined benefit pensions landscape and investment strategy for these schemes. The successful candidate will have a track record of starting, managing and developing client relationships, ideally in a fiduciary context. A network of professional trustees and third party evaluators is desirable.

The candidate will be able to demonstrate knowledge of key risks and opportunities for the industry and a strong track record of sales for this client segment.

Key Responsibilities:

The role is expected to be split into three key areas: sales/prospecting, relationship management and industry engagement. There will also be additional responsibilities such as people management, internal networking and proposition improvement.

Sales and prospecting

Ownership of full sales process from opportunity identification through the RFP and tendering process and on to pitching and successful completion. It will involve:
  • Working with junior sales colleagues to identify and target prospective OCIO clients;
  • Responsibility for and oversight of the RFP process - working with the RFP team, investment team and junior sales colleagues;
  • Review of presentation materials;
  • Participation in pitch rehearsals to hone messaging;
  • Attendance at pitch meetings as lead client contact;
  • Assistance in converting key sales messages into creative marketing collateral;
  • Feedback of success stories and learning points for future meetings.


Client relationship management

Lead client relationship manager for 5-10 OCIO clients, responsible for:
  • Primary client contact for ongoing relationships with existing clients.
  • Attendance at client meetings, providing funding and portfolio updates, as well as investment training as required (e.g. on ESG, LDI, Alternatives). Generally in these meetings you will be accompanied by a member of the investment team which is responsible for clients' investment strategies.
  • Review of client materials for meetings and portfolio updates, in conjunction with junior client relationship managers and the investment team.
  • Updating of CRM system pipeline and meeting activities for existing and new clients and prospects


Wider industry engagement

Working with Marketing, Corporate Comms, investment, institutional and consultant relations colleagues to promote our brand within the industry, such that BlackRock is known as a market-leading OCIO provider. The role will require the candidate to engage with external parties including:
  • Third party evaluators;
  • Professional trustees;
  • Prospective clients through attendance at conferences and industry events;
  • Networking within the industry to promote our OCIO proposition.


Additional roles
  • The successful candidate is likely to be given people management responsibilities for junior colleagues.
  • Identification of improvements which could be made to the current OCIO offering
  • Working with senior stakeholders across the business to improve our OCIO proposition
  • Engaging with the OCIO investment team and other BlackRock product areas to integrate BlackRock offerings into solutions as appropriate.


Key Requirements:

The candidate is expected to have the following:
  • 10 years' UK pensions industry experience
  • CFA/FIA qualification preferred
  • Ability to explain complex concepts clearly and concisely
  • Strong sales and relationship management track record
  • Deep network within industry, covering professional trustees and third party evaluators in particular
  • Excellent presentation delivery skills, in both virtual and in-person meetings
  • Track record of driving change within a team or business
  • People management experience


This is role is within the scope of the Senior Manager and Certification Regime(SMCR).

Key Regulatory Obligations

The successful candidate will be subject to both the Individual Conduct Rules and the Fitness and Propriety Rules of the FCA. As long as they remain a Certified Person it is their responsibility to continue to meet the required standards of fitness and propriety for their role.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being. Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children's educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment - the one we make in our employees. It's why we're dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit careers.blackrock.com | www.blackrock.com/corporate | Instagram: @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law. BlackRock will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance law.

Sign in to create job alerts

Sign in or create an account to start creating job alerts and receive personalised job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert