Associate Director, Ag Research & Strategy

Description and Requirements
Role Value Proposition:
Based in Whippany, New Jersey, MetLife Investment Management (MIM) is one of the largest institutional investors and asset managers in the world, with nearly $600.8 billion in combined managed assets, and has consistently generated superior returns for both policyholders and shareholders. The enterprise has more than 850 dedicated professionals with extensive experience and expertise in all asset classes, with a strength in public and private fixed income and private assets, including real estate. Visit us at www.metlife.com/investments to learn more.
MIM's Global Real Estate and Agricultural Investments maintains a portfolio invested in commercial real estate and agricultural mortgages, as well as real estate equities. In addition to sourcing and managing these investments, the groups are responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with key industry contacts and referral sources.
The Associate Director, Agricultural Research & Strategy role (Associate Director) will be a high profile and integrated position supporting an agricultural mortgage portfolio owned by MetLife's general account and other MetLife Investment Management institutional investor clients. The Associate Director will support the Head of Agricultural Research & Strategy in developing and communicating the house view on agricultural, timber, and agribusiness commodity and capital markets to senior management and MIM clients/prospects. The Associate Director will also assist in high profile special projects related to portfolio management and strategy and will author research publications.
Key Responsibilities:

• Author whitepapers on agricultural trends that can be distributed to borrowers, potential clients, and the media, to position MIM's agricultural research as industry leading.
• Support formulation of actionable investment strategies for the agricultural portfolio and communicate these strategies to senior management.
• Assist in directly communicating MIM's market views/outlook and investment strategy to both internal and external clients.
• Assist in process of forecasting commodity prices to support underwriting of agricultural mortgage loans.
• Develop market views via data collection and market analysis by key sectors of interest, ranging from production agriculture to agribusiness and the timberland investment space.
• Partner with Regional Operations and the Agricultural Strategies Group on special projects
• Update periodic market research reports produced for the regional offices and management.
• Develop/maintain relationships with key Agricultural and Agricultural Finance data vendors/agencies.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret economic/market data relevant to the agricultural sector.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of agricultural mortgage risk assessment and rating tools and serve as a key resource for the agricultural mortgage underwriting process.
• Develop and implement stress testing methodologies to support the management of the agricultural mortgage portfolio.

Essential Business Experience and Technical Skills:
Required:

• 5+ years of relevant work experience in agricultural investment industry preferable
• Candidate should have excellent analytical, project management and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing with all levels of management.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task in fast-paced work environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in agricultural economics, agricultural finance, or related fields preferable
• Experience with econometrics and statistical programming tools such as Python, R or STATA is preferred.

At MetLife, we're leading the global transformation of an industry we've long defined. United in purpose, diverse in perspective, we're dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our customers.
Benefits We Offer
Our U.S. benefits address holistic well-being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no-cost short- and long-term disability. We also provide company-paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more!
About MetLife
Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" as well as the 2023 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For ®, MetLife , through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world's leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by empathy, we're inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it's #AllTogetherPossible . Join us!
Equal Employment Opportunity/Disability/Veterans
If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [email protected]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.
MetLife maintains a drug-free workplace.
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