Investment Strategy Associate

Business Area: ISA – Investment Strategy & Advice

Place of Work: London

Contract Type: Permanent

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme means you will have numerous opportunities to learn and develop your career. Given our size you'll have real autonomy and influence as you collaborate closely with a wide-ranging team of experts.

About the role

In your role as Senior Investment Strategy Associate you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to join our portfolio strategy team. The Portfolio Strategy team provides research, analysis and recommendations on asset allocation, including expected returns and portfolio construction.

This role primarily supports the team in taking responsibility for running, maintaining and improving key models used within the Portfolio Strategy team including the expected return model.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the ISA – Investment Strategy & Advice you will:

• Develop a strong understanding of approaches to forecasting long-term returns with a view to enhancing USSIM proprietary methodology
• Improve the quality and robustness of USSIM tools for constructing long-term expected returns and analysis
• Conduct scenario analysis and stress-testing of return assumptions to capture uncertainty over model inputs and the implications of specific scenarios
• Carry out research projects on strategic and cyclical aspects of asset classes and asset allocation investment strategies
• Support the Investment Strategist with portfolio construction analysis
• Deliver and present well-prepared input to internal USSIM and USS stakeholders outlining research findings and investment implications
• Work with the ALM function in Risk to fully integrate long-term expected returns with ALM analysis, stochastic modelling and portfolio construction
• Maintain and improve the data used for analytics within Portfolio Strategy

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box. If you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will have:

• Familiarity with macroeconomics, investment theory and characteristics of broad asset classes
• Good understanding of quantitative methods (statistics, econometrics, etc.) and practical applications
• Some experience in an investment role
• Understanding of modelling of asset returns and portfolios
• Ability to communicate effectively in both written papers and in presentations
• Advanced IT and programming skills (especially Excel, VBA, Python and Matlab)
• Attention to detail with the ability to identify and solve problems

At USS, every individual contributes to building a secure financial future for our members and their families. We strive to create a work environment where everyone can thrive professionally while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

We're also committed to helping you build your career by providing opportunities for development. We put a focus on recognising and supporting each individual's unique career path, driving this forward with the support of an engaged and proactive management team.

Here at USS, we want you to thrive in and out of work with a friendly team, flexible culture and excellent range of benefits

How we will reward you

• Generous annual leave package
• Access to a high-quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
• Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
• Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
• Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
• Employee Volunteer Days to support the communities where you work and live
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Our culture and values

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves.

Our purpose firmly states the importance of members, putting them 'front and centre' of what we do. This is embedded through our values:

• Integrity

About us

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was established in 1974 as the principal pension scheme for universities and higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for more than 528,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £75.5bn (at 31 March 2023). To find out more, please visit https://www.uss.co.uk.

USSIM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to ensure our recruitment process is as flexible and inclusive as possible so we can attract diverse candidates and recruit the best talent. We want all candidates to perform at their best during the recruitment process, so if you need any reasonable adjustments or if there is anything we can do to help support you through your recruitment journey please let us know by contacting resourcing@uss.co.uk.