Specialist - Front Office Solutions

Specialist, Front Office Solutions

Front Office Solutions

Front Office Solutions is a new strategic business for Northern Trust that provides a holistic digital+ service offering for some of the most sophisticated institutional investors across the globe, including foundations, endowments, pension funds, corporations, insurance companies, central banks and sovereign wealth funds. As asset owners engage in more complex, data-driven investment approaches to asset allocation, their operational needs and demands for high quality data have skyrocketed. Front Office Solutions provides a holistic, full-service, multi-asset solution that aims to empower in-house investment teams and support their important mission by providing a more comprehensive set of operational services and analytics including portfolio management, investment decision support, operational risk management, CRM/document management and workflow tools.

Job Description

The Specialist, supported by a team of Client Solutions partners, will be responsible for providing a set of dedicated clients with the holistic investment data sets they need to fulfil their various stakeholder requirements as well as identifying solutions for data analysis and reporting challenges which will arise in this ever-changing, dynamic investment environment.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

• Responsible for detailed management and review of client investment data:
  • Investment transactions and valuations
  • Cost basis analysis, cash movement, gain and loss analysis
  • Alternative investment manager estimates
  • Plan contributions / spending withdrawals
  • Underlying manager exposure data
  • Benchmark data
  • Reconciliations
• Serves as daily point of contact for advanced / escalation of client service needs.
  • Responsible for interpreting, reviewing and resolving ad hoc client requests.
• Works with client's operational staff on discovery, problem resolution, and workflow management.
• Acts as first point of escalation for daily / monthly performance issues as raised by junior team members.
• Acts as a final reviewer and approver for month-end client cycle. Includes:
  • Validating statement-based valuations
  • Delivery of all client data analysis and reporting
  • Hosting monthly client sign off meeting to review all data and performance results with client.
• Provides final review and sign off on client output including NAV, allocation and underlying client performance.
• Responsible for adherence to client service level deliverables as documented in the respective SLDs.
• Serves as a resource for toolset's liquidity analysis and portfolio planning capabilities supporting the institutional asset owner clients.
• Supports client onboarding including initial client discovery sessions, project planning, setting client expectations and facilitating continuous client updates throughout the onboarding process.
• Participates in ongoing process improvement discussions where feasible including:
  • Third party vendor sourcing
  • Process improvement through technical skills

Required Knowledge & Skills:

• Extensive experience working with complex asset owners in one or more of the following fields:
  • Performance measurement (attribution, liquidity, and exposures)
  • Alternative asset or private equity operations
  • Investment operations (fund or investment accounting)
• Experience working with complex asset owners including Endowments, Foundations, Family Offices, OCIOs, Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, and institutional asset managers.
• Demonstrated understanding of private equity transactional impacts on unfunded commitments, market value, cost, and other metrics typically associated with private equity (TVPI, DPI, PIC, etc.).
• Deep understanding of accounting/reporting methods, including IBOR, ABOR, TrueNAV, to support complete and accurate data capture.
• Knowledge of performance measurement concepts, GIPS Standards and benchmark calculations across multiple asset classes as well as an understanding of the benchmark provider industry.
• Advanced understanding of Microsoft Suite (Excel, SharePoint), with particular emphasis on Excel.
• Experienced leading operational process improvement.
• Client servicing and relationship management experience; high level of comfort communicating directly with clients and client advocacy.
• Must be able to work closely and collaborate with internal stakeholders.
• Ability to handle multiple concurrent projects and to reconcile any conflicting priorities.

The successful candidate will benefit from having:

• Experience using VBA, Python or other programming language to format large data sets
• Prior experience with multi-asset class portfolio management software.

Qualifications:

• College or University degree; 7+ years experience.
• Completion (or progress towards) of advanced credentials (CFA, CIPM, CAIA, CPA, MBA) preferred.
• Genuine desire and capability to work in a fast-paced, professional, inclusive environment which requires teamwork, well-honed problem-solving skills, frequent re-prioritization, deadline management, ongoing and comprehensive communication, constant attention to detail, and a commitment to continuous improvement and best practices.

About Northern Trust:

Northern Trust provides innovative financial services and guidance to corporations, institutions and affluent families and individuals globally. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 20,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Working with Us:

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company that is committed to strengthening the communities we serve!

We'd love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of America's best banks and most sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today.

This recruitment is being managed by Korn Ferry. By applying to this position you are consenting to your details being shared with Korn Ferry.

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