Associate Director - Investments

Company:

Mercer

Description:

We are seeking a talented individual to join our Investments team at Mercer, a Marsh Business. This role will be based in Gurgaon. This is a hybrid role that has a requirement of working at least three days a week in the office.

Associate Director - Investments

You will be part of the Investments group that provides a broad range of investment consulting and advisory services, working closely with investment consultants across multiple geographies. The role will lead a team supporting analysis and research at every stage of the investment decision, risk management, and investment monitoring process, covering institutional investing across data collection and analysis, investment strategy research, performance reporting, financial modelling, asset class research, and related consulting functions. The incumbent should understand global capital markets and have working knowledge of various asset classes and investment strategies.

In this role, you will lead a team of analysts and consultants, working closely with onshore Investment Consultants to ensure high-quality research and delivery across their client engagements. Your ability to manage and develop a team, oversee complex investment data and analysis, and communicate outcomes to stakeholders will be critical to the success of the team and the clients it serves. This is a people leadership role, accountable for the output, development, and delivery quality of a team, not solely for individual analytical work.

We will count on you for:

• Leading and managing a team of investment consulting analysts, overseeing workload distribution, quality of output, and day-to-day delivery across consulting workstreams.
• Overseeing the preparation of portfolio evaluation reports for institutional clients (DC, DB, Endowment and Foundation, Healthcare, etc.) on a monthly/quarterly basis, ensuring quality and consistency across the team's output.
• Guiding the team's assessment of fund and investment strategy performance, and reviewing recommendations linking performance to market and economic developments.
• Overseeing manager search and selection recommendations across asset classes - equity, fixed income, multi-asset, real estate, and ESG - ensuring rigor in the team's assessment approach.
• Managing relationships with investment and money managers, custodians, and other stakeholders to support the team's data and reporting needs.
• Leading project management, work allocation, and real-time capacity management across the team, including peer review structures and quality control.
• Owning process training, onboarding, and development of team members, building depth and capability across the team over time.
• Acting as the primary point of contact for service delivery matters with stakeholders, building relationships that support long-term engagement.
• Preparing and managing KPIs for the team, handling escalations, and reporting on delivery performance to senior stakeholders.
• Participating in defining strategic priorities for the business and translating them into team-level goals and execution plans.
• Leading efforts on people engagement, retention, and knowledge development initiatives for the team, and ensuring adherence to compliance policy and organizational standards.
• Identifying and driving process improvement initiatives, delivering results in line with business priorities.
• Supporting hiring, performance management, and career development conversations for team members, in partnership with senior leadership.

What you need to have: 

• Proficient understanding of Wealth Management, Investment Management industry, and asset classes (equity, fixed income, and alternatives).
• Relevant bachelor's or master's degree in finance or economics, with demonstrated academic achievement.
• Minimum experience of at least 10 years in the financial services industry, including prior experience leading or mentoring a team.
• Prior experience in asset management or financial services, preferably across multiple asset classes and investment disciplines.
• Ability to understand the link between data, client needs, and its application to the bigger picture, and to guide a team in developing that judgment.
• Proven organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and oversee a team's competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of influencing diverse audiences, including senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to manage, develop, and motivate a diverse team.
• High level of self-motivation, ownership, initiative, and exceptional attention to detail, coupled with the ability to instill the same in a team.
• Strong logical and analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Working knowledge of MS Office and third-party tools such as Bloomberg, Morningstar, and Lipper.
• Progress towards or completion of professional certification such as CFA, CAIA, or CIPM.
• 10 years' experience in the wealth management/investment industry overall.

What makes you stand out?

• A track record of building and developing high-performing teams, with visible outcomes in team retention and capability growth.
• Ability to understand the link between data, client needs, and its application to the bigger picture.
• Excellent client and stakeholder management skills.
• Positive attitude and ability to adapt in an ever-changing environment.
• Strong multi-tasking skills, particularly across team management and delivery oversight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Marsh (NYSE: MRSH) is a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit marsh.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Marsh is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age, background, caste, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, gender reassignment, marital status, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, sexual orientation or expression, skin color, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Marsh is committed to hybrid work, which includes the flexibility of working remotely and the collaboration, connections and professional development benefits of working together in the office. All Marsh colleagues are expected to be in their local office or working onsite with clients at least three days per week. Office-based teams will identify at least one “anchor day” per week on which their full team will be together in person.