Managing Director, IG Corporate Credit Research - Hybrid

Symetra • Farmington, CT

9h • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced and intellectually driven Managing Director to lead our Investment Grade Public Credit Research effort. This is a senior leadership role in a $50 billion fixed income platform with a longstanding commitment to rigorous, bottom-up fundamental credit analysis. The Managing Director of Investment Grade Public Credit Research will be responsible for setting and maintaining the analytical standards of the team, leading coverage across a broad set of industry sectors, and actively developing credit talent at all levels. This individual will operate at the intersection of research leadership, portfolio collaboration, and analyst development—serving as the intellectual anchor of the investment grade credit franchise. The role requires deep sector breadth, a genuine passion for credit research, and a demonstrated ability to teach, coach, and mentor analysts across all experience levels. This role will work in close collaboration with peer groups in high yield, leveraged loans, private placements, and structured products—bringing continuity and connectivity to the firm’s broader fixed income platform. This is a hybrid work role based in Farmington Connecticut (2 days per week). Symetra Investment Management (“SIM”) is a SEC-registered investment advisory firm with approximately $78 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025. Symetra Financial Corporation (“SFC”), a diversified financial services company with $68.4 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington is the sole shareholder of SIM. SFC is also the holding company of Symetra Life Insurance Company (“Symetra Life”), which was founded in 1957, and has insurer financial strength ratings of ‘A’ by A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s and ‘A1’ by Moody’s. Symetra Life is among the top 40 largest life insurance companies in the United States (based on statutory admitted assets as of December 31, 2024) and has approximately 2.3 million customers and over 2,600 employees nationwide. SFC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Life Insurance Company, a mutual life insurance company with head offices in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1907, Sumitomo is one of the largest life insurance companies in Japan with $319 billion of assets as of March 31, 2024. SIM currently has recently begun marketing its investment management services to third-party institutional investors.

Requirements

• Minimum 12–15 years of credit research experience in investment grade corporate bonds, with demonstrated coverage across multiple industry sectors.
• Deep expertise in fundamental credit analysis, including financial modeling, industry analysis, and relative value assessment within the investment grade universe.
• Proven track record of leading or co-leading a credit research function, including direct management and mentorship of analysts at varying levels of seniority.
• Experience designing or contributing to a structured rotational credit training program for early-career professionals.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex credit views into clear, concise investment-grade research.
• Strong cross-asset awareness and ability to collaborate effectively with peers across high yield, leveraged loans, private placements, and structured products.
• Capacity and interest in designing, developing and employing AI as part of the research process.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting, or a related field required; CFA designation strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience at an institutional fixed income asset manager, insurance company general account, or bulge-bracket credit research platform.
• Familiarity with the specific dynamics and investor base of USD-denominated investment grade corporate bonds at scale ($25B+).
• Experience interfacing directly with clients, consultants, and rating agencies on behalf of a credit research platform.
• Advanced degree (MBA, CPA, or equivalent) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee fundamental credit research across a broad universe of investment grade corporate issuers spanning multiple industry sectors.
• Refine and maintain rigorous analytical standards for issuer-level credit work, including financial statement analysis, business model assessment, capital structure evaluation, and covenant review.
• Develop and articulate well-grounded credit views in written and verbal form for use by portfolio managers in investment decision-making.
• Stay current on macroeconomic conditions, credit market technicals, and sector-specific developments that bear on issuer credit quality.
• Contribute to top-down thematic credit research and sector allocation views in collaboration with portfolio management.
• Lead the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for the analyst team and incorporated them into the process.
• Lead, mentor, and coach a team of credit analysts ranging from junior associates to senior analysts, with a focus on accelerating professional development and deepening analytical capability.
• Conduct regular feedback sessions, provide structured guidance on the research process and communication, and support analyst performance reviews.
• Design and oversee the firm’s developmental credit training program for early-career analysts, including curriculum development, onboarding structure, and progression milestones.
• Cultivate a culture of intellectual curiosity, analytical rigor, and collaborative debate within the research team.
• Identify and recruit top-tier credit research talent in partnership with senior management and human resources.
• Partner closely with portfolio managers on the investment grade team to ensure research output is actionable and aligned with portfolio construction objectives.
• Collaborate with peers and analysts in high yield, leveraged loans, private placements, and structured products to share credit intelligence, maintain issuer coverage continuity across the capital structure, and support cross-platform investment decisions.
• Participate in firmwide investment committees, credit forums, and client-facing discussions as a senior research spokesperson.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of research processes, tools, and infrastructure in partnership with technology and operations.

Benefits

• Plan for your future with our 401(k) plan and take advantage of immediate vesting and company matching up to 6%
• Paid time away including vacation and sick time, flex days and ten paid holidays

What This Job Offers

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