Senior Manager Research & Oversight

Business Area: Investment Product Management

Place of Work: London

Contract Type: Permanent

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme mean 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 Manager Research & Oversight, you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset.

This role provides a great opportunity to be involved in the selection and oversight of internal and external mandates to ensure they are implemented in the best financial interests of the scheme and its members.

This includes input into mandate design, selection, oversight, and steering reporting and changes through the necessary governance processes.

What you will be doing

As a trusted member of the Investment Product Management team, you will:

• Focus on the selection and oversight of both internally managed and externally managed strategies.
• Collaborate with investment desks, the Investment Strategy & Advice Team, the Financial Risk team, and other teams within USSIM.
• Contribute to mandate design and the decision-making process for internal/external allocation.
• Define objectives and success measures for investment mandates.
• Develop business cases to support internal mandate implementation.
• Create and review mandate guidelines aligned with the scheme's investment objectives and requirements.
• Support monitoring processes to ensure mandates meet their objectives.
• Maintain a network and understanding of the external manager universe for comparison purposes.
• Assist with external manager selection on an ad hoc basis.
• Work with operations, compliance, legal, and other teams to ensure mandates are implemented as intended.
• Help integrate responsible investment considerations into mandates.
• Support the Managers & Mandates Committee's effective functioning.

About you

We understand that candidates may not meet every requirement; if you're excited about working with us and have most of the skills or experience, we encourage you to apply.

To succeed, you will have:

• Experience in institutional investment, such as pensions or insurance, with significant exposure to manager research and selection.
• The ability to see the bigger picture and deliver high-quality work under tight timelines.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills.
• Effective communication skills, both written and oral.
• Attention to detail, especially when reviewing documents.
• Strong project management skills with a flexible approach.
• Pragmatism-focusing on key factors and narratives as appropriate.
• A strong compliance culture and high ethical standards.

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

We are committed to supporting your career development through various opportunities and an engaged management team.

Join us to thrive in a friendly, flexible environment with excellent benefits!

How we will reward you

• Generous annual leave
• Access to a high-quality pension scheme
• Supportive policies, including enhanced sickness and family pay
• Contributions towards your personal development and wellbeing
• Health and wellbeing services, including private healthcare and discounted gym memberships
• Learning and development opportunities
• Employee Volunteer Days
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Our culture and values

Our people are our strength. We foster a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality. Our purpose centers on members, putting them 'front and centre' in everything we do. Our values include:

• Integrity

About us

Founded in 1974, USS is the principal pension scheme for UK universities and higher education institutions. We work with around 330 employers to secure the financial futures of over 528,000 members and their families. As one of the UK's largest pension schemes, with assets around £75.5bn (as of 31 March 2023), we are committed to diversity and inclusion. If you need adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact .