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Deadline to Apply: September 5th, 2022
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
The Investment Operations Specialist will perform essential organizational, analytical, and administrative functions.
The Investment Operations Specialist will handle investment transactions, maintain the investment portfolio database, and generate several reports relied on by the Investment, Finance, and Legal departments. The Investment Operations Specialist will support the private equity, hedge fund, and public market teams and is expected to be familiar with the accounting and characteristics of those asset classes.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Principal duties and responsibilities, including but not limited to:
Investment Documents
- Monitor and organize statements and notifications from external investment managers.
Capital Calls and Cash Flows
- Track communications and ensure financial transactions occur in a timely manner.
- Manage cash-on-hand by monitoring cash balances and prepare short-term cash forecast reports.
Stock Distributions and Broker Relationships
- Liaise with external broker/dealers to initiate the sale or transfer of distributed securities.
- Determine fund allocations (cost basis, gain, interest/dividend income, return of recallable capital).
- Ensure brokers execute orders correctly and achieve best possible executions.
Data Collection and Database Maintenance
- Maintain the investment portfolio database. Enter all financial information for existing partnership such as capital calls, cash and stock distributions, quarterly market values, holdings, exposures, attribution, and other fund and firm details for private investments, hedge funds, and public equity investment partnerships.
- Reconcile valuations with the Office of Financial Services and the Master Custodian.
- Liaise with third party vendors on data-related issues, such as, discrepancies, reporting, and onboarding new systems.
Reporting and Analysis
- Collect partnership data and calculate Excess Business Holdings (EBH).
- Prepare broker analysis reports.
- Prepare top holding reports for various private portfolios
- Assists the Analytics team in development and maintenance of internal analytics capabilities
Special Projects and Initiatives
- Collaborates with members of Investment, Finance, and Legal teams on projects aimed to improve operations, workflow, reporting, and data management.
- Assists in generating written material for internal meetings.
QUALIFICATIONS
Subject Matter:
Basic knowledge of the securities industry, including:
- Various types of securities
- Exchanges, markets, pricing, and transaction costs
- Underwriting and initial public offerings
- The role of FINRA and essential regulatory rules
Working knowledge of Private Equity fundamentals, such as:
- Private equity fund structures and alternative investment vehicles
- Essential terms of Limited Partnership Agreements
- Essential characteristics of fee structures
Basic understanding of relevant tax rules, such as:
- Excess Business Holdings
- Unrelated Business Taxable Income
Technical Skills:
- Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Office apps, especially Excel
- Experience as โpower userโ of a portfolio management software, such as, Solovis, Caissa, Backstop, Dynamo, Cogency, Parilux, Allvue, etc.
- Experience with financial data systems, such as, Burgiss Private Informant, Bloomberg Professional, FactSet, etc.
Professional Skills:
- Impeccable ethics
- Strong attention to detail, data quality, and high degree of accuracy
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, demonstrating clarity, tact, and professionalism; Ability to explain complex, difficult, or sensitive information.
- Ability to solve complex problems by taking a new perspective on existing solutions; exercises judgment based on the analysis of multiple sources of information
- Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and lead projects
- Willingness to learn new proficiencies
- Proactive and capable of working independently with minimal supervision
- Organized and methodical
Education and Training:
- An undergraduate degree is required. Accounting degree preferred but a variety of disciplines (e.g., Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Accounting, Actuarial Science, Natural Sciences) will be considered.
- Progress towards the CFA, CAIA, CIPM, CPA licenses/designations will be viewed favorably
- Prior Series-7 a plus
Experience:
Three to five years in an investment operations role working with private equity funds (buy-out or venture capital).
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
This position is primarily a sedentary role. However, the person in this position may need to occasionally move about inside the office to liaise with internal staff, access files, office machinery and a copy machine/printer.
SALARY: Ford Foundation is committed to practicing salary transparency. The minimum salary for this position is $130,00
Alignment to Culture and Values
Commitment to the Foundationโs mission and core values of equity, openness, collaboration, trust, accountability and urgency
Personal qualities of humility, capacity for self-reflection, and a sense of humor
Discretion and ability to handle confidential issues
Action-orientated and entrepreneurial self-starter who can work well independently and in teams
Benefits
Hybrid Workplace and Flexible Work Arrangement policies
Medical and dental benefits for employee and immediate family on first day of work
Retirement savings account with matching company contributions of up to 13%
Three weeksโ paid vacation in first year of work; four weeks in subsequent years
Tuition Reimbursement
Office closed the week between Christmas and New Yearโs Day
Professional development initiatives for growth
Generous parental leave (maternal and paternal) during new childโs first year (born into family or adopted)
Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at The Ford Foundation, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. The Ford Foundation does not discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals.