Careers

Job Type: Full-Time
Wage/Salary: Dependent on experience
Location(s): Chicago, IL

Summary

The Research Analyst role at First Trust Alternative Investment Research (“FT AIR”) is focused on supporting all aspects of the investment due diligence efforts with respect to the firm’s hedge fund, private equity, venture capital, real estate, private credit, and liquid alternatives investments. The Research Analyst will be involved in all aspects of the firm’s investment process including sourcing, diligence, and monitoring and will be responsible for overseeing a subset of the firm’s fund and direct investments. The Research Analyst will engage in detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of a range of alternative investments and is responsible for conveying their findings effectively to the firm’s broader investment team as well as other audiences. The Research Analyst will additionally be responsible for assisting in the workflow management across the team. This role requires analytical and technical skills as well as verbal and written communication skills. The Research Analyst role sits within the twelve-person investment research team of FT AIR.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Perform qualitative and quantitative assessments of alternative investment managers and strategies
• Manage and function as a main point of contact for the investment team with prospective and existing investment managers
• Assist in the management and improvement of the day-to-day team workflows and processes
• Attend industry conferences and oversee intermediary relationships to source new fund and direct investments
• Aid in the development of junior analysts on the team through formal and informal meetings
• Lead and participate in calls and meetings with existing and prospective alternative asset managers
• Lead the effort in the creation of broader investment committee recommendations
• Compile and distribute formal written notes related to existing and potential investment meetings
• Perform ad hoc statistical analyses of fund risk exposures
• Manage various ad hoc research projects related to new product development

Qualifications:

•  2-5 years of relevant work experience in alternative investments, investment banking, asset management, or related field
• Pre-existing understanding of hedge fund, private equity, private credit, and real estate strategies
• Interest in or progress toward the CFA designation a plus
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to support and work closely with other team members
• Effective communicator, both written and verbal
• Strong grasp of statistics used in financial analysis
• A demonstrated high level of analytical/quantitative skill
• Passion for the alternative asset management industry
• Ability to manage simultaneous projects, often with time constraints
• Self-motivated and highly curious
• A willingness to travel both domestically and internationally up to 25% of the time

Technical/Systems Skills:

• Highly proficient in: Microsoft Excel, Power Point, and Word
• Experience with: Bloomberg, Preqin, Pitchbook, Morningstar a plus

First Trust Capital Management (“FTCM”) is a privately-owned alternative investment research and asset management firm that advises investment advisors, family offices, and high net worth individuals. FTCM was created on the belief that an independent firm was the best way to ensure our clients were served with their greatest interests in mind – both in terms of customized alternative investment solutions and a streamlined operational experience when investing in private and liquid alternatives.

FTCM houses a specialized business unit called FT Alternative Investment Research. This dedicated investment research team operates as a supportive unit to our advisor clients as well as a resource for a select group of institutional clients and family offices. The sole purpose of this dedicated team is to find investment solutions to enhance client portfolios. In 2021, FT AIR:

• Participated in over 350 portfolio manager meetings
• Performed initial review of 500 investment strategies
• Participated in over 25 capital introduction events
• Attended 10 top-tier investment conferences

Investment due diligence covers all asset classes and strategies, wherein the Research Team maintains a proprietary database of portfolio managers and all related correspondence. Importantly, the Research Team does not perform database screens to identify prospective portfolio managers. The vast majority of currently sourced funds and strategies have come through our extensive network and reach within the investment community as opposed to any screening process. Prior to making any allocations, the Research Team sets the expectation with the fund manager and their team that we require a certain level of transparency and access. We perform ongoing due diligence on our approved managers to ensure that are adhering to their style, process and investment mandate.

Job Type: Full-Time
Wage/Salary: Dependent on experience
Location(s): Chicago, IL

Summary

At First Trust Capital Management we offer a curated spectrum of alternative investments across private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, real estate, and private credit. The Investment and Performance Analyst will be actively involved in First Trust Capital Management’s business development initiatives with an emphasis on investment, attribution, and data analysis rooted in a fundamental understanding of investment opportunities. The role will interface across business units as well as externally with portfolio managers, business development representatives, and other investment professionals.

The ideal candidate will have a broad knowledge of investment offerings in both traditional asset classes and alternative investments, have a working knowledge of investment structures such as ‘40-act mutual funds, interval funds, tender offer funds, private funds, and direct investments. Most importantly, the ideal candidate must have the ambition to work in a fast paced environment at a rapidly growing firm.

Responsibilities

• Master and refine data analysis tools available to systemize how FTCS answers complex questions (both quantitively and qualitatively) on a regular cadence
• Balance the completion of assigned reoccurring responsibilities, while meeting ad-hoc project request deliverables
• Maintain a key focus on process management, output codification, and quality control
• Conduct attribution, exposure, and other analyses to assess investment performance and provide actionable insights across public and private offerings
• Manage performance and attribution analysis efficiently to complete ad-hoc data requests from outside sales team
• Develop expertise on all current and future FTCS investment products and lines of business
• Assist in providing unified sales messaging through providing regular data points and marketing support to the distribution team on portfolio positioning, asset class themes, and key selling points
• Support development of product launch strategies and all aspects of generating ongoing product marketing collateral
• Participate in meetings with internal and external stakeholders to share fund expertise and speak to the merits of investments and value proposition
• Assist marketing and business development with other duties and special projects as needed
• Maintain accurate data with and manage third-party vendor relationships as needed

Requirements

• Wide knowledge of quantitative and qualitative concepts pertaining to all aspects of the broad investable universe
• A desire to support the sales team and to help an already fast-growing business unit continue to expand without sacrificing quality or data integrity
• Basic knowledge of asset management distribution model and channels
• Ability to prioritize tasks, work on multiple assignments, and manage ambiguity
• Aptitude for problem solving, ideal candidate must be resourceful and able to work both independently and as part of a team
• Strong writing, communication, and presentation skills
• Must be proficient in Microsoft applications (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
• Advanced experience or progress towards learning (e.g., VBA, Macros) in Excel preferred
• A keen understanding of utilizing systems to assist in performing portfolio attribution (Bloomberg, Morningstar, Lightkeeper)
• Comfort and familiarity with large data sets, relational databases, reporting and query tools
• Basic knowledge or a proficiency with SQL/Cognos or a programming language is a plus
• Working knowledge of CRM programs (HubSpot, Salesforce) is a plus
• Pursuit or progress towards a CFA, CAIA, CIPM and/or CIMA strongly preferred
• 2+ years of relevant work experience, salary commensurate with experience

Job Type: Full-Time
Wage/Salary: Dependent on experience
Location(s): Chicago, IL

Summary

A successful candidate will be expected to contribute in the following ways:

• Work with the third-party administrator (“TPA”) on a daily basis to ensure a.) the books and records of the funds are maintained completely and accurately b.) financial reporting is carried out on a timely basis in accordance with US GAAP; and c.) investor reporting is completed timely and accurately.
• Perform cash management activities such as sending wires for investment company purchases and fund expenses, confirming wire instructions, requesting draws and paydowns on the funds’ lines of credits, and reconciling capital calls.
• Assist in preparation of financial statement audits and regulatory compliance reporting.
• Review investor K-1s and other tax reporting and filings.
• Complete preparation and analytical review of weekly and monthly fund performance and investor reporting.
• Support investment and client service personnel on ad-hoc requests.
• Assist in special projects as requested.

Education & Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting/Finance
• Post-graduate work: CPA
• 2-3 years of experience working for financials services or top-tier accounting firm, with specialization in investment partnerships, hedge fund of funds, mutual funds or private equity.
• Excellent verbal, written, analytical, and organizational skills.
• High computer proficiency including MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), Adobe, CRMs, task management systems, portfolio management systems, etc.
• Solid understanding of investment strategies across equities, fixed income, hedge funds, private equity, and real estate.
• Exposure to financial reporting, auditing and tax.
• Ability to work autonomously. Reliable, sees things through to completion.
• Team Player: Able to work with guidance from multiple professionals, prioritize workflow, and deliver on expectations.
• Multi-tasking, time management skills, and being able to juggle various projects is very important.