Investment Risk Manager

At Vontobel, we are committed to actively shaping our future. We strive to engage and promote talent of varying age and gender, with a diverse range of experience, from various backgrounds.
We create and pursue investment opportunities that get our clients ahead. As a global investment manager, we believe in high conviction asset management and investment solutions. With portfolio management teams in New York, London and Zurich, Vontobel Asset Management is a specialized investment manager with a multi-boutique approach and a track record of strong and consistent growth. We focus on Equities, Fixed Income, Multi Asset Class, and Alternative Investing, actively managing over CHF 100bn of assets on behalf of institutional and intermediary clients globally.
Our Investment Risk Team measures, assesses and challenges all investment-related risks (e.g. market, credit and counterparty, liquidity, ESG) in our actively managed investment portfolios and monitors implementation of mitigation measures. The team also plays an active role to support and shape the Risk Infrastructure landscape.
In this important role you will focus on independent risk analysis, assessment and when needed escalation relating to actively managed investment products across all boutiques. The function’s stakeholders are the firm’s senior management and investment teams.
The role will be based in Zurich.

What would your role be?

• Identify, assess, measure, monitor, mitigate and report on market, liquidity, credit, counterparty and sustainability risks across multiple asset classes and investment structures.
• Provide an independent view of investment risk profiles to investment teams, deploying quantitative tools such factor risk decomposition, scenario simulations and other stress tests.
• Agree appropriate investment risk measures to be monitored and reviewed as appropriate, and escalate issues where required.
• Organise and manage formal risk reviews with investment teams.
• Contribute to interactions with internal and external stakeholders, e.g. clients, auditors, in the capacity of subject matter expert on investment risk management.
• Be a contributor to the different Governance Bodies, such as Investment Performance Committee and other executive committees.
• Collaborate as required with other Risk functions within Vontobel, including Operational Risk, Investment Control, Compliance and Management Company risk teams.
• Support the Head of Investment Risk in developing and maintaining an adequate risk management framework and infrastructure that maximise efficiency whilst ensuring completeness and effectiveness. Also ensuring that best practice risk governance is in place and followed and fostering a positive risk culture across the firm.

What are we looking for?

• Industry experience: at least 5 years’ experience in an investment risk management or portfolio management role, preferably in an asset management firm.
• Quantitative and/or quantitative finance related education: a first degree in a strongly quantitative subject, such as engineering, physics or applied mathematics or an education in economics or finance. A CFA, FRM or other industry qualification would be an advantage.
• Asset class and financial instrument knowledge: a strong base in at least one of fixed-income (rates and credit) and equities asset classes, with a good understanding of FX and multi-asset investing, and an all-round understanding of risks and pricing of derivative instruments.
• Quantitative and programming skills: experience of deploying databases and programming languages to manage, analyse and interpret data. (e.g. SQL, Python, R, Matlab)
• Specific subject knowledge: multi-factor market risk modelling, liquidity risk modelling and concepts of counterparty risk.
• First-hand experience of risk systems (e.g. MSCI BarraOne, MSCI RiskMetrics, Bloomberg Enterprise)
• Regulatory knowledge: experience of the Swiss and Luxembourg regulatory framework for investment managers (UCITS, AIFMD etc) is an advantage.
• A desire to solve problems, taking the initiative to obtain the required information where necessary, innovating where appropriate and following issues through to resolution or hand-over to suitable responsible parties.
• A process-oriented mindset, who can design, review, manage and document risk related processes involving internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work closely within the Zürich-based Risk team, as well as with colleagues in other teams and locations.
• Ability to work independently and be effective in supporting a collaborative effort.
• Languages: fluent written and spoken communication in English, with German in addition being an advantage.

You are

• Entrepreneurially-spirited in your approach to your work, acting proactively wherever you recognise the need to do so, backed by the “can do” attitude required to see such initiatives through to completion, as well as the willingness to take full responsibility whether you are successful or not.
• A team member with strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication skills.

What do we offer?

• Top Zurich location with collaboration spaces (including rooftop terraces) and free lunch.
• Friendly, diverse team in an open-office space with dancing walls.
• All the latest technology to help you excel and advance.
• Agile environment in how we think, the way we work and our trust for each other.
• Flat hierarchy with collaboration at all levels.
• Campus feeling and a collaborative spirit.

We are looking for talented people, not just a CV that ticks all the boxes. Even if you do not have absolutely everything we have asked for, if this role sounds like a good fit for you, we encourage you to apply.

At Vontobel, you are building better futures for our clients and society, as well as for yourself. By 2030, we want to be known as one of the leading and most trusted global investment firms. We have 2,300+ engaged professionals, based in 27 locations globally and headquartered in Zurich.

We are both majority family-owned and publicly listed. Our capacity for long-term focus, on topics such as sustainability, is underpinned by the security of the family’s 100-year commitment. Driven by an ownership mindset, you can unlock your potential and translate insights into opportunities. We are hiring talented individuals who are determined to deliver in a changing world and who come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Do you want to be Vontobel?

Thank you for applying to Vontobel. We will carefully review your application and will respond to you in a timely manner.

At Vontobel, we are an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability or gender identity.

We value the many voices within our teams and are committed to creating an environment where everyone who wants to be part of our performance culture can be themselves. It is based on mutual respect and zero tolerance for any form of discrimination.

If you have any questions you can contact us through our contact form.