Investment Operations Analyst OR Senior Investment Operations Analyst, Investment Office - UT System Administration
Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at University of Tennessee
The Investment Office is seeking to hire at either the Analyst or Sr. Analyst level, depending on skills and experience.
Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Investment Office oversees endowed assets invested for the benefit of the University of Tennessee. This capital base of roughly $1.8 billion includes public equity and debt, hedged strategies, private equity, private credit, venture capital, real estate, and natural resources.
The position will play a crucial role as part of a small, highly collegial team that is responsible for the daily execution and operational integrity of the Endowment. This person will be expected to develop a mastery of existing operating processes, as well as find opportunities to enhance those processes. The role requires frequent collaboration with the UT investment team, UT’s custodian, fund administrators, and external investment managers. This position will work directly with the Sr. Director of Accounting on operational tasks that supply critical information to the University’s accounting ledger. Most importantly, this person will play an essential role in managing systems and data that drive investment decisions and help lay the foundation for future growth.
The University of Tennessee System is the state’s oldest higher education institution and preeminent public university. The UT System is comprised of campuses at Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski and Martin; the Health Science Center at Memphis; and the statewide Institute of Agriculture and Institute for Public Service. With a presence in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties and through the combined force of education, research and outreach, the University serves students, business and industry, schools, governments, organizations and residents statewide.
The University of Tennessee System is the state’s oldest higher education institution and preeminent public university. The UT System is comprised of campuses at Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski and Martin; the Health Science Center at Memphis; and the statewide Institute of Agriculture and Institute for Public Service. With a presence in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties and through the combined force of education, research and outreach, the University serves students, business and industry, schools, governments, organizations and residents statewide.
Analyst
Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field with a strong academic background, as well as a strong interest in investment operations.
Experience in investment operations, preferably with an E&F, family office, or pension.
Ability to diplomatically resolve operational challenges with third parties.
Unwavering commitment to data integrity, accuracy, and consistency of all holdings, market values, performance metrics, and operational workflows within UT’s systems.
Curiosity and drive to understand the ‘why’ behind complex operational workflows.
Proactive mindset toward mastering multiple systems.
“Self-starter” approach to work with a strong sense of ownership and accountability for all operational deliverables.
Organizational discipline to concurrently manage and complete daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and ad-hoc tasks.
Innate drive to simplify and improve operational tasks and workflows.
Experience and sophistication with handling confidential information.
Highly proficient with Excel, preferably with mastery of complex nested formulas, and preferred experience with maintaining multi-period cash forecasting models.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to remain calm in a fast-paced environment and prioritize effectively.
Sr. Analyst
Same as above but with 3 years+ experience in investment operations with an E&F, family office, pension, or other multi-asset portfolio.
Preferred Skills/Experience:
Experience with BNY NEXEN, Backstop Solutions, and MSCI Private I (Burgiss).
Working knowledge and experience with Excel VBA and APIs.
Knowledge of financial controls and investment accounting.
Experience preparing and reviewing reports/presentations for senior personnel.
Ability to communicate complex financial concepts both orally and in writing.
Interest in/willingness to pursue CIPM and/or CTP designation(s).
Application Process
For full consideration, applications should be accompanied by a letter of interest, a resume, and three professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately.
Benefits and Compensation
Compensation for the position is budgeted for $75,000 to $140,000.
The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits and much more. Additionally, Tennessee residents do not pay a state income tax. For more information on the University of Tennessee’s benefits, visit https://hr.tennessee.edu/benefits/
Investment Operations:
Perform daily cash management functions, including cash sweep/transfers, reconciliations, and settlements with custodian and other external counterparties.
Prepare detailed cash forecasts, investment trade and rebalancing plans, and other reports necessary to facilitate effective portfolio management.
Track operational fund balances and maintain bank account structures to maximize liquidity, interest earnings, and operation flexibility.
Maintain daily, live cash forecast that includes all known cash flows across both public and private assets.
Ensure capital calls, wire transfers, and investment manager funding/redemptions are executed in a timely, error-free manner
Complete documentation for investment subscriptions, trades, custodian account opening/closure, regulatory matters, and know-your-customer and AML inquiries.
Track all liquidity terms and provisions across all portfolio holdings, including share class/tranche information and trading requirements.
Identify, analyze, and communicate any discrepancies or questions arising from normal operational workflow and recommend solutions to the investment team and/or external counterparties.
Verify investment managers’ fees, custodian fees, and performance fees.
Lead/manage investment-operations projects and other ad hoc requests.
Track and reconcile unfunded commitments for all draw-down investment vehicles.
Monitor, troubleshoot, and settle all future cash flows for redeemed positions, updating cash forecasts accordingly.
Oversee and manage all corporate actions to completion and troubleshoot any failed transactions/trades across the portfolio holdings.
Oversee execution of investments, including review of contracts and coordination of subscription documents with the University’s Office of General Counsel.
Collect and maintain up-to-date records of valuation, performance, exposure, and attribution reporting provided by investment managers.
Independently address service problems or shortfalls with custodian and identify potential areas of improvement.
Review and coordinate ongoing payment of invoices to all endowment service providers.
Maintain investment document library of all legal documents related to investment positions.
Ensure the reliability, security, and scalability of all technology platforms and systems.
Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry best practices to continuously improve the endowment’s technology infrastructure and oversee relationships with external technology vendors.
Performance and Benchmarking:
Assist with the Investment Office’s performance-reporting requirements by providing accurate and timely performance reports for various third parties.
Oversee performance measurement and verification, including managers, composites, custodian records, and benchmark analysis.
Data Management:
Manage data input into CRM system (Backstop) and other analytical platforms.
Perform data-integrity reviews of the above systems to identify and fix possible data-entry errors or omissions.