Associate Director - Investment Governance & Manager Research

About the role

An opportunity has arisen for an Associate Director/Director - Investment Governance & Manager Research to join a large wealth management platform

The role sits within an investment function, supporting the design, implementation and ongoing oversight of investment portfolios and solutions across a significant pool of assets under advice.

Working closely with senior investment professionals, the role will have broad exposure across investment manager research, investment and operational due diligence, investment frameworks, governance, compliance and manager onboarding.

This is an opportunity for an experienced investment professional to operate at the intersection of investment research, portfolio construction and investment governance, with exposure to senior stakeholders and a broad range of investment managers and strategies.

Key responsibilities

Investment Governance & Frameworks

• Support the development, maintenance and implementation of investment governance frameworks, policies and procedures.
• Establish and oversee investment frameworks covering manager selection, portfolio implementation, monitoring and ongoing oversight.
• Ensure investment activities remain aligned with relevant mandates, investment objectives, risk parameters and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to investment committees and governance forums, preparing analysis, recommendations and supporting materials.
• Identify emerging investment, regulatory and operational risks and work with relevant stakeholders to address them.

Investment Manager Research & Due Diligence

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research across a range of investment managers and strategies.
• Lead or support comprehensive investment due diligence, assessing investment philosophy, process, performance, portfolio construction, risk management, organisational capability and resources.
• Undertake operational due diligence across prospective and existing investment managers, assessing areas including governance, controls, valuation, operations, technology, risk and business continuity.
• Monitor existing managers and identify material changes requiring further review or escalation.
• Support recommendations relating to manager appointment, retention, watch-listing or termination.

Manager Onboarding & Implementation

• Coordinate the investment manager onboarding process from initial approval through to implementation.
• Work across investment, legal, risk, compliance, operations and external managers to ensure appropriate governance and controls are in place.
• Review investment documentation, mandates, investment guidelines and operational arrangements.
• Identify and resolve issues arising through the onboarding and implementation process.

Compliance & Risk

• Ensure investment activities comply with internal policies, investment mandates and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Partner with Risk, Compliance and Legal teams on investment-related matters.
• Support ongoing monitoring of investment restrictions, portfolio exposures and governance requirements.
• Assist with responses to regulatory, audit and internal governance requirements.

Strategic Asset Allocation & Investment Solutions

• Contribute to broader investment research and portfolio construction initiatives.
• Support strategic asset allocation analysis and investment solution development.
• Provide research and analysis to support portfolio recommendations and investment decisions.
• Contribute to broader projects across the OCIO investment function.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Significant experience across investment manager research, investment due diligence, investment governance or a related investment function.
• Strong understanding of investment strategies and portfolio construction across multiple asset classes.
• Experience conducting or overseeing investment and/or operational due diligence.
• Understanding of investment governance frameworks, mandates and compliance requirements.
• Exposure to strategic asset allocation and broader investment strategy.
• Strong analytical and research capabilities, with the ability to interpret complex investment information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage with senior investment professionals and external managers.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and work across investment, risk, compliance, legal and operational teams.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in finance, economics, commerce or a related discipline; CFA or equivalent investment qualifications would be advantageous.