Associate Director – Pension Asset Management Full Time

The Pension Asset Management Associate Director is responsible for all investment activities related to the fixed income, equity, real estate, and alternatives mandates of MetLife’s benefit plans.  The position resides within MetLife’s Pension Investment Unit (“PIU”), which provides oversight, analysis and investment processes related to the ongoing portfolio management of MetLife’s approximately $20 billion of Qualified and Non-Qualified employee benefit assets.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Oversees all investment activities related to the hiring, monitoring and termination of third-party investment managers, with the objective of maximizing returns within specified risk parameters while ensuring fulfillment of all fiduciary responsibilities.
• Lead new manager searches including conducting due diligence of prospective candidates, preparing comprehensive analysis and detailed investment memos, and developing recommendations for the MetLife Pension Committee for review and approval.
• Monitors all activities related to investments of third-party investment managers for the benefit plans.  This includes investment performance, attribution analysis, portfolio holdings, organization, personnel, investment process and peer analysis.  Ensures that results are meeting the expectations as defined for the given mandates and that investment guidelines comply.
• When expectations of investment managers are not met, objectively determines the underlying deficiencies.  For terminations, oversees the process for transitioning assets to the new respective mandates, ensuring minimal disruption to the plans.
• Conducts ongoing fundamental investment research to evaluate and recommend relative value trades.  When appropriate, develops analysis and recommendations for the periodic asset rebalancing of the plans.
• Assists in periodic asset/liability studies, ensuring adoption of the industries’ latest trends in risk management.
• Participates in and represents MetLife in pension industry conferences and symposiums.

Essential Business Experience and Technical Skills:

Required:

• Pension/endowment/foundation experience, ideally with third-party fixed income manager oversight and ALM concepts.
• Action oriented and highly motivated in pursuing challenging projects.  Strong interest in financial markets and asset management.
• Ability to find common ground and solve problems, working within a team-oriented structure
• Strong analytical skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to present to internal and external clients.

Preferred:

• Undergraduate degree required (MBA and/or Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation preferred).
• Experience in VBA programming and/or Bloomberg is a plus.

Source: MetLife Real Estate Career Page

Tagged as: Life Insurance Company, REPE Firm