Investment Manager - Investment Manager Oversight - Zurich

About Swiss Re

Mission/Purpose of Position:

This is your opportunity to join one of the world’s leading reinsurers and a team of motivated investment professionals within Swiss Re’s Asset Management (AM) unit! Do you have a passion for financial markets and long-term, sustainable investing? Do you enjoy operational due diligence across both public and private markets asset classes and supporting investment decision-making?

We are looking for an experienced operational due diligence professional to join our Investment Manager Oversight (IMO) team. You will be responsible for delivering operational due diligence reviews (non-investment due diligence) on new external investment managers as well as our existing platform of managers, ensuring all managers meet the minimum standards required by Swiss Re. Our IMO team is responsible for the oversight and monitoring framework on all external investment managers, including responsibility for operational due diligence, service delivery monitoring and management reporting as to Swiss Re’s overall assessment of managers on both investment and operational KPIs.

This role would suit someone with operational due diligence experience across both private and public markets. The IMO team does not operate in a silo, we work closely alongside the investment teams and other key internal functions to identify any risks associated with the external investment managers which provides IMO with unique insight into the rationale for investment and understanding of potential issues that may arise. The investments undertaken are diverse and will provide you with new and interesting asset classes for review.

About The Role:

Functions to include but not limited to the following:

• Work closely with the other members of the IMO team to complete operational due diligence (ODD) on new managers and regular ongoing ODD on existing managers

• Prepare and present the key findings from pre-investment and ongoing ODD to the regular internal investment committees and senior management meetings

• Own and lead the ongoing operational monitoring and ODD of external managers, including review and escalation of operational events as well as updates on material operational changes

• Lead the coordination of regular management reporting and analytics as to external manager assessments including both investment performance, investment KPIs and operational topics

• Ability to identify, escalate and communicate to managers improvements in their operational practices

• Continuous enhancement and seek to drive overall improvements in IMO monitoring framework across the process, tools and reporting aspects

• Undertake and lead projects and business change initiatives as and when they arise

• Stay current with all industry and regulatory developments to ensure the ODD process adapts over time and remains relevant

Experience required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, including (but not limited to) Business Management, Law, Finance, Economics, Actuarial Science or Mathematics

• 5+ years relevant prior work experience in the area of external manager monitoring and/or operational due diligence, with knowledge or expertise in one or some of the following areas – investment operations, fund accounting & administration, operational risk, audit, legal, compliance/regulatory, technology & information security

• You are customer-focused and results-oriented. You understand the operations value chain and can translate asset management’s business needs into operational requirements. Ability to assign priorities to multiple activities while ensuring integrity, accuracy, and timeliness
• Problem-solving: You are self-motivated, proficiently navigate ambiguity and you have a hands-on mentality in day-to-day work. You are comfortable expressing unpopular views when vital
• You have strong analytical skills and ability to evaluate asset class portfolios and external manager performance, ability to challenge poor operational practices, where required
• You are able to build strong and reliable relationships with internal and external partners

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including proficiency in English

• Ability to work both individually and as a team member

• A conscientious manner, proactive self-starter with high attention to detail and ability to deliver outputs in a timely manner