Director, Portfolio Construction

Mackenzie Financial Corporation•Toronto, ON

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

IGM Financial Inc. is a leading wealth and asset management company in Canada, managing approximately $271 billion in assets. It offers financial planning and investment services to over two million Canadians through IG Wealth Management and Mackenzie Investments. Mackenzie Investments, founded in 1967, is a key part of IGM's business model, serving as a comprehensive asset-management partner for Canadian financial advisors and their clients. Mackenzie Investments is recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the fourth consecutive year and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. Their vision and strategy aim to innovate the industry and support Canadians in achieving their financial goals. The company encourages continuous learning and skill development in a supportive environment. The role operates in a hybrid work environment, requiring three days a week in the office for connection and collaboration. The company values are: Be better; Be accountable; Be a team. Reporting to the VP, Head of Portfolio Construction, the Director will oversee the portfolio construction franchise, helping investment advisors build better portfolios for their clients. This includes overseeing current operations, such as guided portfolios, leading thought leadership, and managing a team of up to two portfolio construction specialists. The successful candidate will also play a leading role in building and launching a next-generation portfolio construction engine developed by an external vendor to support Canadian financial advisors.

Requirements

A university degree in a business or finance-related discipline.
7+ years relevant experience in the investment industry.
5+ years of experience of relevant experience as a sell-side or buy side research associate or equivalent in the investment management industry.
Exceptional written communication skills with a demonstrated ability to share compelling stories.
Sufficient technical fluency to engage meaningfully in the build process, including familiarity with Python or similar data workflows.

Nice To Haves

Combination of CFA, CAIA or MBA a plus.

Responsibilities

Act as the builder of the next-generation portfolio construction capability.
Work with the VP, Portfolio Construction and internal partners to design and define the portfolio construction framework end-to-end, including inputs (returns, volatility, correlations, proxies), model design (objective function, constraints, guardrails), and outputs (efficient frontier, portfolio positioning, and recommendations).
Work directly with external vendors or internal developers to translate this logic into a functioning platform.
Step through model calculations, validate outputs, and challenge results to ensure the system reflects sound portfolio construction principles and produces usable, advisor-ready insights.
Bridge portfolio construction expertise with technology execution.
Bring sufficient technical fluency to engage meaningfully in the build process, including familiarity with Python or similar data workflows.
Code where needed or manage and direct those who do.
Evaluate and select technology partners, define requirements clearly, and ensure the resulting platform can operate in real-world conditions, including imperfect data, proxy-based exposures, and product shelf constraints.
Serve as owner of existing portfolio construction franchise.
Own all elements of the current portfolio construction franchise, including guided portfolios that reflect the firm's approach to asset allocation and fulfillment solutions utilized by investment advisors focused on high-net-worth investors in Canada.
Work with internal partners responsible for capital market assumptions to ensure these portfolios remain up to date and aligned with the firm’s views.
Oversee the existing portfolio construction service used to review advisor portfolios, with responsibility for optimizing workflows and improving how portfolios are assessed in the current state.
Contribute to and help shape portfolio construction perspectives, ensuring key concepts are clearly articulated and consistently reflected across models, diagnostics, and advisor-facing materials.
Manage a small team, leading, mentoring, and developing talent, and fostering a culture of excellence and intellectual curiosity.