Senior Investment Analyst-Global Income Strategies

Teachers Retirement System of Illinois•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Investments team at TRS plays a critical role in advancing the System's mission by managing and monitoring more than $83.7 billion in assets in a highly specialized, performance-driven environment. Comprised of more than 30 investment professionals and continuing to grow, the team is responsible for evaluating and selecting external investment managers across the portfolio. Investments span a broad range of strategies, including public equities, fixed income, real assets, hedge funds, and private markets. The team's investment process is rigorous and highly analytical, grounded in deep qualitative and quantitative due diligence. Investment professionals engage directly with existing and prospective managers to assess performance, risk, and portfolio fit. The Investments team operates with high expectations for talent, accountability, and collaboration, where the strength of the team directly drives long-term outcomes for the System and its members. Under the direction of an Investment Officer or Senior Investment Officer, the Senior Investment Analyst assists in coordinating and monitoring the investments within the Teachers’ Retirement System Global Income Strategies portfolio. The Senior Investment Analyst is responsible primarily for supporting Senior Staff in portfolio management with a specific focus on areas such as Public Debt (low duration, core and core plus fixed income, and emerging market debt) and/or Strategic Credit (global multi-sector credit and private credit) investments. Public debt includes rates, currencies, structured securities (CMBS, RMBS, ABS), bonds, and EMD. Private credit includes corporate direct lending, special situations, structured products, specialty finance/asset-backed finance, real estate debt, and real asset debt (infrastructure, transportation, energy/renewables). Helpful experiences may include fundamental credit analysis, fixed income trading, manager research and due diligence, private deal structuring, portfolio management, data analytics, and/or fund administration/operations. This position requires a working knowledge of general investment theory. The incumbent must be able to work effectively with Investments staff, conduct thorough analysis and due diligence, and produce quantifiable recommendations supported by this research. This position requires the incumbent to perform research to validate or invalidate hypotheses that relate to the performance of the fund. The incumbent must be able to function effectively in stressful situations and possess a high degree of skill in both oral and written communications.

Requirements

Minimum 3 years of relevant investment experience
A bachelor's degree in finance, economics, accounting or business administration, or quantitative fields such as statistics, mathematics, or engineering, is required
Ability to analyze and interpret data
Demonstrated time management and priority setting skills
Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills
Demonstrates excellent judgement and decision-making skills
Proactively approaches responsibilities
Working knowledge of general investment theory
Ability to work effectively with Investments staff
Ability to conduct thorough analysis and due diligence
Ability to produce quantifiable recommendations supported by research
Ability to perform research to validate or invalidate hypotheses that relate to the performance of the fund
Ability to function effectively in stressful situations
High degree of skill in both oral and written communications

Nice To Haves

Credible progress toward earning the CFA charter is encouraged Upon employment

Responsibilities

Research the investment performance and portfolio characteristics of existing and prospective investment management relationships and asset class structures.
Evaluate performance and portfolio characteristics to assure compliance with the directives of the trustees regarding investment objectives and constraints.
Assist Investments staff in preparing analyses, evaluations, and proposals for investments in new potential investment managers and structures.
Evaluate the qualifications of prospective investment management relationships in accordance with investment policy, asset allocation directives and mix, diversification strategies and guidelines controlling risk/return characteristics for the Global Income Strategies portfolio.
Prepare and/or support the preparation of statistical and narrative reports regarding the investment portfolios within the Public Debt and/or Private Credit asset class, market factors, alternative investment prospects, and investment industry practices.
Manage many of the operational functions of the existing TRS Global Income Strategies portfolio.
Research investment approaches, asset mixes, and portfolio management techniques to provide for potential incremental return to TRS’s individual assets and at the total fund level.
Interact at the highest level with external managers and entities in direct management of the relationship.
Assist Emerging Manager program staff, as necessary, in preparing analyses, due diligence, evaluations and proposals for administering emerging manager investment activity
Manage the potential investment manager search process by certifying that all proper search related milestones are followed, that all contractual agreements are in place, and that all funding directives occur.
Create reports assessing the public debt and/or private credit industry, measuring growth and performance statistics, new product offerings, mandate structures not currently utilized and general informational topics.
Assist the TRS investment accounting and custodian with all steps related to initial investment manager account set-up and ongoing performance calculations, fee assessments, and other related projects.
Pursue continuing educational opportunities as available.
Perform other duties as assigned or required.