Manager Research

Mercer Investments is a leading global provider of investment services, and offers customized guidance at every stage of the investment decision, risk management and investment monitoring process. We have been dedicated to meeting the needs of clients for more than 40 years, and we work with the fiduciaries of pension funds, foundations, endowments, wealth managers and other investors in over 46 countries. We assist with every aspect of institutional investing including investment strategy, manager structure and implementation and portfolio monitoring. We work with clients in a number of ways, including both on an advisory and fiduciary management basis.

To support these services, we maintain a global investment manager research programme. Our programme involves researchers in every major region around the world, and is focused on identifying products that can add value for our clients. The team, of around 100 researchers, is divided into four research boutiques: Equities, Bonds, Real Estate and Alternatives. We are also supported by a separate operational due diligence group.

As a part of the Alternatives team based in London, you will play an important role in researching and rating private equity funds and other illiquid alternative strategies to be used by Mercer’s global client base. You will work in a team that has a high profile in the UK and European pension fund markets and globally within Mercer, and in due course expect to have some client interaction. Working with other researchers around the globe and reporting to the Global Head of Private Markets, the candidate will focus predominately on the coverage of European private equity managers, as well as servicing clients, consultants and our fiduciary business.

Key duties will include the following:

• Research of private equity products and other illiquid alternatives strategies (including desk-top analysis, on-site meetings, past performance analysis and reference checking).
• Preparation of investment research notes to distil and document your research views as well as communicate the research findings (positive and negative) to consultants and clients.
• Sponsor proposed research ratings for each strategy at our global ratings review committees.
• Work with researchers colleagues globally to identify, prioritise and maintain coverage of assigned managers and manager universes.
• Work with consultants, clients and fiduciary colleagues to identify and assess particular managers or strategies to meet specific goals.
• Represent Mercer within the investment management community and developing relationships with managers.
• Be able to articulate the process and manager views to consultants as well as externally to clients, both existing and in new business situations.
• Support clients, consultants and fiduciary colleagues in the area of alternative investments.

Qualifications

Skills and qualifications required:

• The ideal candidate will have experience either in the private equity industry (including fund of funds and/or a private equity fund itself) or alternatively with a well-known and respected investment consultant or investment bank. Direct experience of researching private equity funds or other illiquid alternative strategies run by UK/European based managers is preferred.
• Sound intellect, capable of understanding conceptually complex issues and explaining them in terms that others can understand.
• Decisive. Must be comfortable making decisions using qualitative assessment supported by some quantitative data.
• Efficient. Capable of writing concise and logically argued research reports in a timely manner, sometimes to tight deadlines.
• Ability to “read between the lines” to understand personnel issues within fund management organisations.
• Ability to contextualise – to assess and communicate the pros and cons of an investment for particular type of investor or in the context of an investor’s current investments, goals and objectives.
• Has the confidence to represent Mercer and the research process both internally and externally (including external speaking).
• A team player, with sound interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to communicate views (in both written and verbal English) with confidence and to defend own point of view in debate
• Happy to work in an environment where written output is equally as important as verbal communication.
• Stable record of employment showing a clear progression of responsibility.
• Solid academic background.
• Computer literate.
• Must be prepared to do administrative leg-work as necessary.