Investment Research Specialist (Equity)

Company:

Mercer

Description:

We are seeking a talented individual to join our global manager research team at Mercer. This role will be based in Hong Kong. This is a hybrid role that has a requirement of working at least three days a week in the office.

As a part of the global manager research team, the candidate will play an important role in researching and rating equity strategies, to be used by Mercer’s global client base. Based in Hong Kong, the position will have a high profile in the Asia market and globally within Mercer. Working with other Equity Team members around the globe, the candidate will focus predominantly on the coverage of China and Asia regional equity products, and servicing of global clients and our fiduciary business.

The Investment Research Specialist will evaluate equity investment strategies following a global process to identify those which are believed to be most capable of generating value for investors. The candidate will also be responsible for understanding market trends and relevant practices so as to effectively gauge the relative skill and capabilities of investment managers in the region.

We will count on you to:

• Primarily focusing on Asia and China equity strategies, conduct in-depth research, prepare clear, concise reports that support research ratings, and present findings to internal committees and clients.
• Perform due diligence on investment management firms and their investment strategies through qualitative and quantitative analysis. This includes interviews with key decision makers, review of manager’s materials, performance analysis with peer group comparisons, and analysis of portfolio style characteristics to assess consistency with the investment manager’s stated approach.
• Spend time one-on-one with the investment management firms to explore and interpret the information they have provided and walk through examples of how they evaluate potential investments.
• Perform desktop searches to validate information the investment managers have provided to Mercer.
• Articulate Mercer’s manager research process and investment views to clients and external stakeholders, representing Mercer within the investment management community.
• Support broader Equity Team activities as required including project work and a broad range of investment analysis / IP generation. Contribute general information about trends in the market and industry.

What you need to have:

• Computer literacy and solid academic background, such as a bachelor’s degree in finance, business, economics or other related discipline.
• CFA charterholder preferred.
• Proficient in English and Mandarin Chinese is a must; good to be fluent in Cantonese.
• 6+ years’ experience in the investment management or consulting industries.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to make decisions based on qualitative and quantitative data.
• Excellent report writing skills and the ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Confident in engaging with investment managers and challenging their strategies.
• Sound intellect, capable of understanding conceptually complex issues and explaining them in terms that others can understand.
• Ability to “read between the lines” to understand personnel issues within fund management organizations.
• A team player, with strong communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to build effective and collaborative working relationships.
• Ability to communicate views with confidence and to defend own point of view in debate.
• Comfortable working in an environment where written output is equally as important as verbal communication.
• Stable employment record showing growth in responsibility.

What makes you stand out:

• Experience in equity research or manager research within the investment industry.
• Ability to represent Mercer externally and build relationships within the investment community.
• Proven ability to work independently and as part of a global team.
• Enthusiasm for professional development and continuous learning.

Why join our team:

• We help you be your best through professional development opportunities, interesting work and supportive leaders.
• We foster a vibrant and inclusive culture where you can work with talented colleagues to create new solutions and have impact for colleagues, clients and communities.
• Our scale enables us to provide a range of career opportunities, as well as benefits and rewards to enhance your well-being.

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 creating a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age, background, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, 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.