Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Investment Strategist

💰 $ - $

🎯 Role Definition

The Investment Strategist is responsible for defining and communicating asset allocation, portfolio construction, and market outlooks that drive investment decisions across institutional or private client portfolios. This role synthesizes macroeconomic research, sector and security-level analysis, quantitative signals and risk frameworks to deliver actionable strategies, thought leadership, and investment solutions. The Investment Strategist partners with portfolio managers, product teams, client advisors, and risk/compliance to translate research into implementable portfolios and client-ready materials.

Primary SEO/LLM keywords: investment strategist, asset allocation, portfolio construction, macroeconomic research, risk management, alpha generation, investment policy, ESG integration, performance attribution, multi-asset strategy.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Investment Analyst / Research Analyst (equities, fixed income, macro)
  • Quantitative Analyst / Data Scientist with asset management experience
  • Portfolio Manager or PM Associate from multi-asset or multi-strategy background

Advancement To:

  • Head of Investment Strategy / Chief Investment Officer (CIO)
  • Director of Asset Allocation or Global Macro
  • Head of Multi-Asset Solutions / Head of Research

Lateral Moves:

  • Product Strategist / Head of Solutions
  • Investment Consultant / Client Portfolio Strategist
  • Head of ESG Integration / Responsible Investment Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and maintain a forward-looking macroeconomic and market outlook that informs the firm's asset allocation recommendations, investment themes, and tactical positioning across equities, fixed income, currencies, commodities, and alternatives.
  • Design and implement strategic and tactical asset allocation frameworks that optimize risk-adjusted returns, incorporate liquidity constraints, and align with client risk profiles and investment policy statements.
  • Construct and propose model portfolios and investment solutions (multi-asset, target date, income, liability-driven, etc.), including clear implementation guidance, rebalancing rules, and transition plans.
  • Perform security- and sector-level research to translate macro and thematic views into actionable trade ideas and portfolio tilts, working closely with PMs and sector analysts to ensure trade viability and execution.
  • Quantitatively analyze historical performance drivers and develop performance attribution models that explain alpha, beta, and risk exposures at portfolio and strategy levels.
  • Develop and maintain risk models and scenario analyses (stress tests, tail-risk, factor exposures) to quantify downside scenarios and explain trade-offs between return and risk for proposed strategies.
  • Prepare and present high-quality investment viewpoints, quarterly strategy papers, whitepapers, and client-facing materials that clearly articulate rationale, time horizon, and implementation steps for recommended positions.
  • Lead and coordinate cross-functional investment committees and tactical strategy forums to reach consensus on allocation changes and to document investment decisions and rationale.
  • Build, validate, and maintain proprietary quantitative models, factor screens, and signal sets (momentum, value, carry, rate, yield curve, credit spreads) to support the generation of systematic and discretionary investment ideas.
  • Monitor real-time market and liquidity conditions, identify dislocations and opportunities, and recommend tactical reallocations or hedges (FX, options, futures) to protect or enhance portfolio value.
  • Integrate ESG, climate risk, and sustainability metrics into investment frameworks and strategy recommendations, ensuring solutions meet client mandates and regulatory requirements.
  • Work with trading desks to ensure timely, cost-efficient execution of strategy implementations, optimize transaction costs, and document slippage and execution quality.
  • Collaborate with product development and distribution teams to design new investment products (mutual funds, ETFs, SMA strategies, structured products) aligned to strategic themes and market demand.
  • Translate complex quantitative analysis into concise, client-ready presentations for institutional investors, wealth clients, and intermediaries, tailoring messaging to audience sophistication and mandate objectives.
  • Serve as a senior advisor to relationship managers and consultants on asset allocation recommendations, portfolio construction decisions, and governance issues for institutional mandates and high-net-worth clients.
  • Maintain and improve documented investment process, governance, and compliance controls, partnering with legal and compliance to ensure all strategy communications meet regulatory standards.
  • Run post-trade and ex-post analyses on implemented strategy changes, measuring attribution, realized volatility, and alignment to expected outcomes; iterate models and guidance based on lessons learned.
  • Develop forward-looking themes and research on secular trends (technology, demographics, inflation, monetary policy, deglobalization) and quantify their long-term implications for strategic allocations and sector exposures.
  • Mentor junior strategists and analysts, oversee their research projects, and ensure quality control, reproducibility, and robust documentation of models and data sources.
  • Maintain professional relationships with external research providers, prime brokers, economists, and sell-side strategists to augment internal research and to triangulate market signals and contrarian views.
  • Implement governance around model risk, data lineage, and version control for quantitative strategies, collaborating with data engineering and model risk teams to ensure reproducibility and audit trails.
  • Lead scenario planning and portfolio optimization exercises for customized client mandates, incorporating liabilities, cashflow needs, tax considerations, and regulatory constraints.
  • Track regulatory developments (prudential rules, fiduciary standards, reporting changes) and advise on adjustments to strategy, product disclosures, or portfolio construction practices as needed.
  • Continuously scan new data sources, alternative datasets, and advanced analytics (machine learning, NLP sentiment, alternative credit metrics) to improve idea generation and forecasting accuracy.
  • Contribute to marketing and thought leadership through blogs, podcasts, press briefings, and public webinars to raise the firm's profile and to articulate the value proposition of the investment strategy team.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc client requests for custom scenario analyses, bespoke asset allocation reports, and investment committee materials.
  • Provide input to the technology and data teams on required analytics, dashboards, and data feeds to operationalize strategy signals at scale.
  • Assist in the due diligence and selection of external managers, funds, and strategic partners used to implement parts of the investment solution.
  • Participate in sales training sessions and provide tools, templates, and talking points for relationship managers and client-facing teams.
  • Maintain a centralized knowledge base of research, model assumptions, and historical presentations to ensure consistency across client engagements.
  • Coordinate with accounting and operations to ensure accurate reporting of model portfolio exposures, fees, and reconciliation of holdings.
  • Help define KPIs for strategy performance and team objectives, tracking progress against business goals and adapting priorities as market conditions evolve.
  • Support regulatory and audit requests by preparing documentation on portfolio construction decisions, model inputs, and governance practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep expertise in macroeconomic analysis, financial markets, and multi-asset class valuation frameworks (equities, IG/HI credit, sovereign debt, duration, FX, commodities).
  • Advanced portfolio construction and optimization skills: mean-variance optimization, risk-parity, liability-driven investment (LDI) design, and Monte Carlo simulation.
  • Strong performance attribution and factor analysis capabilities: ability to decompose returns into factor, sector, security selection, and timing contributions.
  • Quantitative modeling proficiency: building and validating predictive models, scenario analysis, stress testing; familiarity with linear models, time-series, and factor regression.
  • Proficiency with data analysis and scripting languages (Python, R, MATLAB) for back-testing and research automation.
  • Experience using financial terminals and datasets: Bloomberg, FactSet, Refinitiv, MSCI, Morningstar, and familiarity with market data APIs.
  • Practical knowledge of derivatives and hedging instruments (options, swaps, futures, forwards) and their use in risk management and tactical implementation.
  • Hands-on experience with risk systems and portfolio management tools (Barra, Axioma, BlackRock Aladdin, Charles River, Bloomberg PORT).
  • Strong Excel modeling skills, including VBA for automation and complex scenario modeling.
  • Familiarity with ESG and sustainable investing frameworks and relevant data providers (Sustainalytics, MSCI ESG, Carbon footprinting).
  • Understanding of regulatory and fiduciary requirements for institutional and retail investment products (UCITS, ERISA, MiFID II, PRIIPs where applicable).
  • Experience with alternative data sources and modern data workflows (SQL, data lakes, basic cloud familiarity — AWS/GCP/Azure).
  • Proven ability to design investment products (ETFs, mutual funds, segregated accounts) and create implementation playbooks.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic thinker with the ability to translate macro and quantitative analysis into clear investment recommendations and product ideas.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to C-suite, investment committees, and external clients.
  • Strong stakeholder influence and collaboration skills: ability to synthesize input from PMs, traders, compliance, and distribution.
  • High intellectual curiosity and continuous learning mindset—keeps abreast of market structure changes, new research, and technology.
  • Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and discipline in model documentation, version control, and audit-ready reporting.
  • Decisive under ambiguity: able to make timely recommendations when markets move quickly while documenting rationale and contingencies.
  • Commercial awareness and client orientation: understands business needs, commercial drivers, and how strategies translate to client outcomes.
  • Leadership and mentorship ability: develops junior team members, delegates effectively, and cultivates a collaborative research culture.
  • Ethical judgment and integrity in research, with strong adherence to regulatory and fiduciary standards.
  • Resilience and adaptability: works effectively under stress and pivots research priorities as market regimes shift.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree (MSc, MA) in Finance, Financial Engineering, Economics, Quantitative Finance or MBA.
  • Professional certifications highly preferred: CFA Charterholder, CAIA, FRM, or equivalent.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Finance
  • Economics
  • Applied Mathematics / Statistics
  • Financial Engineering / Quantitative Finance
  • Computer Science / Data Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–12 years of relevant experience in asset management, multi-asset solutions, institutional consulting, or buy-side strategy roles.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years leading or co-owning investment strategy, asset allocation, or product solution design with demonstrable impact on investment outcomes.
  • Proven track record of published research, successful product launches, or measurable alpha/risk-adjusted performance improvements.
  • Experience working with institutional clients (pension funds, endowments) or HNW/private bank clients and familiarity with fiduciary governance frameworks.
Explore More Careers