Vice President / Director - Executive Advisory & Research

Position: Vice President / Director

Location: New York, New York (On-site 5 Days/week)

Reports to: Senior Managing Director (Executive Advisory & Research Division)

About Wafra:

Wafra Inc. (“Wafra”) is a leading global investment firm currently managing approximately $28 billion in assets and commitments across a variety of asset strategies. Behind our investment strategies are talented professionals, principally in New York, who bring expertise and experience to deliver strategic, focused solutions. Wafra seeks to provide long-term investment return solutions that span not just years, but generations.

Department/Position Summary:

The Executive Advisory & Research (“EAR”) team is a unit within Wafra that is responsible for providing strategic insights and solutions for Wafra’s clients, leadership, and investment teams through its consulting, research, and bespoke portfolio solution services. EAR is seeking a Vice President or Director for immediate hire who will work alongside and report directly to the head of EAR and who will focus primarily on the team’s research offering, while also supporting other initiatives, especially EAR’s consulting services.

Research & Strategy

We play a critical role in helping Wafra’s senior leadership define and drive strategic, operational, and organizational improvements across Wafra. We operate like an internal consulting group working on a range of critical projects and issues. We support firm strategy and development, conduct market research, and surface market insights to promote Wafra’s long-term growth and to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. We also support Wafra’s investment teams by conducting in-depth analysis of potential investment opportunities and macroeconomic analysis. Our findings are typically expressed via white papers and research memos, primarily for internal stakeholders, as well as Wafra’s clients. In collaboration with our partners across the firm, we develop capabilities that strategically differentiate Wafra and deliver outsized results for the firm’s clients. We are at the forefront of Wafra’s fast-moving strategic priorities, addressing operational challenges and enabling innovation.

Investment Consulting

We think and act like asset owners to develop bold, actionable insights. We partner with sovereign and pension funds, including our parent institution, to address the unique needs of large institutional investors. Together, we craft solutions that optimize investment programs and support everything from program design to capabilities building. Acting first and foremost as thought partners to our clients, we create value by applying practitioner insight and analytical rigor to formulate and deliver solutions that have tangible impact on our clients’ portfolios. Using core capabilities ― strategy, analytics, and communication ― we empower our clients to succeed in the present and build for the future.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Head of EAR to prioritize and define successful outcomes for in-bound research requests from Wafra’s senior leadership, investment teams, and clients.
• Lead end-to-end production of white papers, research memos, and strategy recommendations primarily in PowerPoint and, to a lesser extent, Word, including conducting industry research, analyzing key trends, and providing insights and recommendations.
• Provide direction and support to junior EAR team members who assist with the production of white papers, research memos, and strategy recommendations.
• Present findings to senior Wafra management, internal investment teams, clients, and other stakeholders.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus
• 5-10 years of experience with a consulting or research firm (with relevant or adjacent sector coverage, such as investment management or FIG), asset manager, investment bank, pension, endowment, or sovereign wealth fund
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite required, especially PowerPoint
• Excellent organizational, presentation, and communication skills
• Strong problem-assessment and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a small team environment
• Experience managing multiple work streams simultaneously
• Intellectual curiosity

Benefits/Compensation:

The anticipated base salary for this role is $150,000-$230,000. The compensation range for this role is specific to New York City and actual base salary will be determined by several components including but not limited to an individual’s experience, skill set and qualifications. Wafra is committed to the wellbeing of all employees and the hired candidate will be offered our comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to retirement benefits, health insurance, life insurance, paid holidays and time off and various wellness benefits.