Head of Product Development & Strategy

Trust Co of West•Los Angeles, CA

43d•$350,000 - $400,000•Hybrid

About The Position

TCW is a privately held global asset manager that specializes in fixed-income, equities, and alternative investments. Over the past five decades, we have been committed to delivering investment strategies that use rigor and deep analysis to break from consensus. We build high-conviction portfolios, seeking to minimize risk and deliver compelling returns for our clients. TCW's clients include many of the world's largest corporate and public pension plans, financial institutions, endowments and foundations, insurers, as well as financial advisors and high-net-worth individuals. A critical part of TCW's ongoing growth plan is the continued expansion of its product lineup across both public and private markets to best serve our clients. To advance this agenda, TCW is seeking a Head of Product Development & Strategy. The Head of Product Development & Strategy will be responsible for formulating and executing the firm's product strategy for its next phase of growth and for optimizing the existing product suite across asset classes and vehicles. This position is a high-priority leadership role, and the successful candidate will serve as a key architect in evaluating TCW's current product landscape and shaping the future direction of its institutional and wealth offerings. The Head of Product Development & Strategy will assume ownership of existing and new strategies and vehicles across product suite. The selected individual will serve as a business leader and a subject matter expert for all product platforms across distribution channels and will be instrumental in expansion opportunities, bringing new products to market, and managing those already in existence. This will entail working with the investment teams to generate ideas, internal sales teams to gather client feedback, and market research staff to keep abreast of competing products in the market. This individual will also need to coordinate across departments to develop pricing strategies and ensure alignment with legal and compliance frameworks.

Requirements

Minimum of 15 years of experience in investment management with direct exposure to both public and private markets, including experience across fixed income, equities, and alternative strategies.
Career marked by progressive leadership growth and success in building, leading, and scaling product development and management teams within complex investment organizations.
Demonstrated track record of developing, launching, and structuring investment products across multiple vehicles (e.g., mutual funds, ETFs, commingled funds, LP structures, and SMAs) to maximize benefits to clients across multiple jurisdictions and within various regulatory and tax regimes.
Established relationships with market participants and service providers within the global investment community.
Proven experience collaborating with senior leaders across operations, technology, finance, risk, legal, and compliance, guiding coordination across these functions and with key external providers.
Deep understanding of statutory, legal, regulatory, tax, compliance, and other structural considerations related to product offerings globally.
Strong internal relationship building and influencing skills, coordinating with multiple investment teams and distribution organizations globally to develop and launch new products and solutions, particularly in the alternatives arena. This includes collaboration on distribution and marketing campaigns and fostering organizational alignment across channels.
Experience presenting to executive management and internal business approval committees.
Hands-on, well-rounded commercial business leader with a deep understanding of investment management, including fund formation, operations, and the evolution of asset classes, investor preferences, and product structures. Demonstrates the ability to conduct analytically driven assessments of revenue opportunities, P&L projections, capital requirements, and costs.
Strategic, forward-looking thinker with a broad perspective on investment markets and the discernment to identify trends across multiple asset classes, investment vehicles, and client segments. Able to translate insights into actionable product strategies, solutions, and initiatives that align with TCW's growth objectives.
Outcome-oriented manager with a strong sense of purpose, urgency, and accountability; capable of managing complex initiatives and multiple workstreams across public and private markets within a matrixed organization.
Collaborative leader with high emotional intelligence, skilled in building alignment among investors, distribution, and corporate functions. Embodies TCW's culture of collaboration, humility, stewardship, and entrepreneurship while fostering engagement and follow-through across teams.
Team-oriented and collegial, with an appreciation for the contributions of colleagues and a demonstrated ability to sustain high levels of partnership and performance across the organization.
Mentor and developer of talent - a proactive, supportive leader who drives cohesion, engagement, and professional growth across investment, distribution, and functional areas through coaching, communication and empowerment.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree and CFA designation a plus

Responsibilities

Lead efforts around product rationalization and platform evolution, enhancing product design for existing offerings (e.g., introducing income or leverage features to maximize return streams) and identifying opportunities to repurpose vehicles while preserving track records.
Monitor competitor and market trends, including new vehicle structures and innovations that offer advantages such as improved liquidity, transparency, or client access.
Analyze competitor flows and fundraising activity to identify areas of market momentum and inform TCW's product launch priorities, determining where to focus resources for the greatest growth potential while avoiding oversaturated or low-demand segments.Stay abreast of regulatory developments impacting fund structures, adapting TCW's platform to capture commercial opportunities arising from new rules (e.g., BDC regulation changes).
Leverage industry research, consultant feedback, and client insights to inform the product roadmap and support fact-based decision-making on new initiatives.
Cultivate relationships across the investment ecosystem, including investment banks, administrators, consultants, and placement agents, to stay informed on evolving structures, investor preferences, and distribution dynamics.
Partner with TCW's Global Distribution teams to engage directly with intermediaries, RIAs, family offices, and institutional consultants to validate demand and gather input for pipeline development.
Foster collaboration across internal teams, ensuring investments, sales, legal, operations, risk, and compliance are aligned from ideation through launch and ongoing management.
Chair and lead the Product Development Committee, ensuring effective governance, prioritization, and decision-making on all new product proposals and product-related initiatives.
Drive operational readiness and coordinate cross-functional execution across the product lifecycle of new initiatives, partnering with investments, operations, finance, legal, and compliance to ensure alignment, control, and commercial viability.
Oversee the end-to-end product development process from concept and feasibility through design, approval, launch, and rationalization, ensuring alignment with TCW's strategic, operational, and financial objectives.
Conduct annual diagnostic reviews of the product platform, including pricing, benchmarks, guidelines, and seeding strategies, with recommendations for enhancement or retirement.
Integrate disciplined project management practices to organize and execute multiple concurrent initiatives efficiently and on time.
Provide ongoing analysis of product performance, positioning, and competitiveness across public and private offerings to ensure continued relevance and differentiation.