Investment Strategist

AtAmerican Equity Investment Life Holding Company, we think of ourselves asThe Financial Dignity Company. Our policyholders work with independent agents, banks and broker-dealers through our wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, to choose one of our leading annuity products best suited for their personal needs to create financial dignity in retirement. We remain steadfast in our commitment to quality products, excellent customer service, integrity, safety and delivering on our promises to our policyholders. Our success comes from hiring people who embody the beliefs that drive our unique, energetic, fast-paced and caring culture of collaboration, ownership and innovation.

We currently fund over half a million retirements nationwide, and have been headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, for over twenty-five years, withsatellite offices slated to open in 2022 in Charlotte, NC, and New York, NY. We are a NYSE-listed company and maintain an "excellent" rating from AM Best. Our companyhas over $57 billion in assets, 26,000 active agents and over 800 employees.

GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

The Investment Strategist is a front office investment professional responsible for supporting organizational and team needs related to Investment Strategy, Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) and/or General Account Portfolio Management. This individual will be a collaborator across teams as a conduit of investment information that will drive Net Investment Income (and investment performance more broadly), as a critical element of American Equity's go-forward business strategy.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSBILITIES:

• Work across investment teams to support identification and origination of new asset classes and opportunities. Lead project-oriented quantitative analysis.
• Monitor macroeconomic trends and changes in market conditions and disseminate findings to Head of SAA and other portfolio managers.
• Contribute to tactical asset allocation including relative value analysis.
• Analyze cash flows, liquidity profile, credit risk, tax treatment, capital treatment and GAAP and STAT accounting treatments for new asset classes and/or investments.
• Support SAA recommendations and framework given in-force liability profile, external capital sources, tax position, income objectives and capital/reinsurance solutions.
• Contribute to buildout of SAA monitoring by leveraging Aladdin capabilities and other SAA technology tools.
• Advance Asset Liability Management (ALM) objectives while developing economic view of value and risk.
• Provide input to the company's liquidity risk policies and cash management processes.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Direct Reports: 0

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field of study; plus a minimum of five (5) to ten (10) years related experience. Advanced degrees are valued where applicable.
• Experience working in institutional asset management, and ideally familiarity with insurance portfolio management, capital planning, benchmarking, and ALM.
• Experience allocating across sectors including multi-sector core fixed income, commercial mortgage and agricultural loans, private credit, infrastructure, and commercial and residential real estate.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS:

• CFA designation, CAIA designation, CPA designation, FRM designation, and/or relevant actuarial designations are recognized and valued (though not required).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to explain technical concepts to internal and external peers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills including ability to analyze new investment opportunities.
• Willingness to learn and ability to effectively apply new information on the job.
• Ability to prioritize, meet deadlines and manage multiple projects in fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with peers, strategic partners, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Technical proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel VBA), BlackRock Aladdin, Bloomberg API, and other investment related software is preferred.
• Familiarity with analytical models and programming languages such as Python, R, and/or Matlab where applicable.

LOCATION CONSIDERATIONS:

• Preference for candidates with proximity to either New York City or other American Equity offices.