Manager Research Associate

Business Area: Investment Product Management

Place of Work: London

Contract Type: Permanent

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme means you will have numerous opportunities to learn and develop your career. Given our size you'll have real autonomy and influence as you collaborate closely with a wide-ranging team of experts.

About the role

In your role as Manager Research Associate, you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to help research, select and monitor asset managers, across public equity, fixed income and absolute return for the DB and DC sections of the Scheme.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the Investment Product Management team you will be responsible for:

Research:

• Contribute to the research of existing and potential external asset managers to help meet the Scheme’s long-term investment objectives.
• Analyse and review existing mandates to ensure ongoing fitness for purpose and produce regular monitoring reports.
• Work with internal asset class desks to ensure appropriate diversification of alpha sources and to maximise the benefits of the external manager programme.
• Contribute to review and oversight of internally managed strategies.
• Participate in early-stage research on new managers and strategy types that could play a role within the Scheme’s investment strategy in future.
• Establish and strengthen relationships with external managers.

Due diligence:

• Support the mandate search process, producing initial long- and short-lists of potential managers, working with internal and external stakeholders as necessary.
• Undertake qualitative and quantitative due diligence (DD) on prospective managers including an assessment of managers’ RI capabilities (covering both ESG integration and stewardship activity).

Implementation:

• To guide managers through the DD process, working closely with a broader team across Operations, Compliance, RI, Financial Risk, Investment Strategy & Advice, Legal, and Finance to help to ensure that the external mandates are implemented as intended.

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box, if you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will have:

• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills
• Strong communication skills (both written and oral)
• Ability to prioritise effectively and to manage multiple projects
• Experience in the investment industry, with some exposure to manager research and selection activity
• CFA-qualified or working towards CFA qualification (or similar)

At USS, every individual contributes to building a secure financial future for our members and their families. We strive to create a work environment where everyone can thrive professionally while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. We're also committed to helping you build your career by providing opportunities for development. We put a focus on recognising and supporting each individual's unique career path, driving this forward with the support of an engaged and proactive management team. Here at USS, we want you to thrive in and out of work with a friendly team, flexible culture and excellent range of benefits!

How we will reward you

• Great starting salary
• Generous annual leave package
• Access to a high quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
• Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
• Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
• Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
• Employee Volunteer Day’s to support the communities where you work and live
• Cycle to Work Scheme
  
  

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves. Our purpose firmly states the importance of members, putting them ‘front and centre’ of what we do. This is embedded through our values:

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Excellence
  
  

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was established in 1974 as the principal pension scheme for universities and other higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for almost 577,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest private defined benefit pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £76.8bn (at 31 March 2025). To find out more, please visit https://www.uss.co.uk

USSIM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to ensure our recruitment process is as flexible and inclusive as possible so we can attract diverse candidates and recruit the best talent. We want all candidates to perform at their best during the recruitment process, so if you need any reasonable adjustments or if there is anything we can do to help support you through your recruitment journey please let us know by contacting resourcing@uss.co.uk.