Department

Investment Venture Capital

About the Department

The Office of Investments is committed to protecting and growing the University of Chicago’s endowment assets to support UChicago’s mission of inquiry and academic excellence. Our office invests the University’s endowment while operating under the guidance of the University’s Board of Trustees Investment Committee. The University of Chicago’s endowment pool is one of the 20 largest private university endowments in the United States. We thrive on innovation and active sourcing of investment opportunities. We believe superior investment opportunities rarely find us, instead we seek them out.

Job Summary

The Investment Office is seeking a Portfolio Manager to become an active member of our investment team, a group of portfolio managers and analysts who value teamwork, intellectual curiosity, and collaboration. A successful candidate will have the opportunity to meet with leading investors from around the world, and their work will directly impact the financial foundation of the institution, ensuring continuation of the University of Chicago mission for current and future generations.

The Portfolio Manager will work independently to analyze and recommend investment managers and strategies that support the long-term investment objectives of the University, with extra attention given to the portfolio’s risk tolerance and liquidity needs. The Portfolio Manager will maintain expert standards in manager due diligence and ongoing monitoring of the University’s investments. They will prepare and deliver verbal and written presentations to the CIO and internal committees, and they will review and confirm the work completed by others. The position will work jointly with the Senior Portfolio Managers and Managing Director and will provide guidance to less experienced staff.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements a long-term global investment strategy and is primarily responsible for managing assigned investment portfolios.  
• Identifies compelling investment opportunities, completes due diligence, manages the review of legal documents, negotiates terms, and monitors results.  
• Monitors and manages relationships with existing external investment managers, researching broad investment trends, and evaluating and selecting new external managers.  
• Manages diversification of portfolio by asset class, partnerships, manager style, industry, vintage year, life cycle, and geography. Forecasts allocations based on investment activity and directs pace of future investing.  
• Prepares and delivers verbal and written presentations to the CIO and internal committees. Reviews and confirms the work completed by others. 
• Assists in building the team’s reputation for professional excellence and credibility both inside the University of Chicago and throughout the investment management community. 
• Works mostly independently to develop the Investment Policy Statement to achieve the University's goals. Collaborates with asset class specialists and risk management team to develop overall goals and strategy for the University investment funds. Tailors the strategy to the appropriate risk tolerance and liquidity needs for the University endowment and other investment funds.
• Uses a deep understanding of financial management to assess all asset classes and investments to provide a unique overall perspective across the staff's investment strategies.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

---

Preferred Qualifications 

Education:

• MBA or advanced degree in finance, economics, or related field.

Experience:

• Background investing globally is highly valued.  
• A proven investor with a minimum of 5-7 years of relevant experience working as a direct investor, or manager of managers in an institutional, family office or plan sponsor workplace.
• Constructing and executing investment and asset allocation strategies across a broad portfolio managed by a team.  
• Previous experience coaching and developing more junior professionals.  

Certifications: 

• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation or work towards a CFA

Preferred Competencies

• Superior analytical skills and a proven track record of incorporating quantitative and qualitative inputs; think strategically, analyze critically, and synthesize and effectively communicate complex strategies.
• A proven relationship builder with a strong network in the institutional investor community.  
• Constructively challenging, skillfully diplomatic, and respectfully debate.  
• Identify and manage risk within a portfolio. 
• A demonstrated leader with the confidence and professional credibility to cultivate relationships with both internal and external constituents, and to make effective oral presentations representing the University of Chicago in a highly professional manner. 
• Excellent judgement, high integrity and personal values consistent the values articulated by the University of Chicago’s leadership.
• An energetic, hardworking individual with a proven track record as a collaborator. 
• A high level of intellectual curiosity.  
• A team player who is easy to get along with and is comfortable working across teams.  
• An interest in supporting the work of a university endowment.

Working Conditions

• Office setting Monday-Thursday; remote an option on Friday. 
• Travel in the US and internationally.
• Travel in US and internationally, 20-60% of the time, which is dependent on the time of year, generally to attend annual meetings in the spring and fall. 

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

​
FLSA Status

Exempt

​
Pay Range

$187,000.00 - $231,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

In addition to the base pay posted above, this position may be eligible for incentive compensation of up to 70% of salary.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.