Leveraged Finance Research Director

Northwestern Mutual • Milwaukee, WI

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for conducting independent fundamental research across assigned sectors and issuers and delivering forward-looking, dynamic relative value assessments and investment recommendations aligned with portfolio strategy and return objectives. The individual will work closely with the Head of Leveraged Finance Research, the Credit Research team, Portfolio Managers, and Traders, while also collaborating with Investment Strategy, Investment Risk & Operations, Compliance, and Law.

Requirements

• Minimum of eight years of experience in leveraged finance, fixed income investments, or a closely related field, with a demonstrated record of progressive responsibility and sustained success.
• A track record of strong investment judgment, prudent risk management, and continued growth in responsibilities and outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage, mentor, and develop investment professionals.
• A proven record of building and leading high-performing teams and adapting effectively to evolving market conditions and organizational needs will distinguish successful candidates.
• Demonstrated command of relative value investing within a total return mandate.
• Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in finance, accounting, economics, statistics, or a related field required.
• Strong analytical skills, including financial statement analysis, cross-sector relative value assessment, and the ability to present clear, well-supported credit recommendations for potential investment opportunities.
• Effective oral and written communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to prioritize work and manage competing demands.
• Proficient with Bloomberg, Microsoft Office, and Copilot.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Science or Master of Business Administration (MBA) preferred.
• CFA designation or progress toward attaining the CFA designation preferred.
• Experience with computer programming, data analytics, or related technology tools.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI-enabled tools into research workflows and business processes to improve productivity, analytical depth, decision support, and knowledge sharing while maintaining appropriate judgment, controls, and data governance standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop less-experienced peers while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence.
• Monitor assigned industry dynamics and develop expert views on the key drivers of profitability and cash flow, as well as technological, macroeconomic, and other external risks and opportunities.
• Conduct thorough fundamental credit analysis of assigned companies and demonstrate deep issuer expertise. Analysis should include a comprehensive assessment of quantitative and qualitative factors, including financial statement analysis, financial policy, management track record, and credit ratings profile.
• Assess the relative value of issuers and securities across capital structures and relative to comparable issuers.
• Provide investment recommendations across the coverage universe based on risk-adjusted return potential, portfolio strategy, fundamental credit views, and relative value, adapting recommendations to each portfolio’s return objectives.
• Produce concise, decision-useful written research and clearly articulate credit strengths, risks, and investment views to Portfolio Managers and Traders.
• Develop and maintain productive external relationships with Wall Street analysts and strategists, credit rating agencies, independent research firms, and company management teams.
• Promote a culture of mutual respect and high ethical standards.
• Model NM Behaviors: Client First, Powered by Our People, and Future Focus.
• Exercise sound judgment, intellectual independence, and disciplined decision-making.
• Identify and lead process improvements through the effective use of technology, data, and analytics.
• Respond effectively and promptly to requests for data, opinions, and other information.
• Attend, lead, and actively participate in group activities, engaging others in relevant and constructive discussion.

Benefits

• Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do.
• Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds.
• We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.
• At Northwestern Mutual, we believe relationships are built on trust. That our lives and our work matter.
• These beliefs launched our company over 160 years ago.
• Today, they're just a few of the reasons why people choose to build careers at Northwestern Mutual.
• In a company with such a long and storied history, this may be the most exciting and important time to be a part of Northwestern Mutual as we are growing our digital and tech capabilities and are always on the lookout for bright, tech-savvy candidates.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior