Vice President, Client CIO – DC Investment Solutions, EMEA

About this role

Introduction to Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions

The Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions (MASS) team is the investment group at the heart of BlackRock's portfolio construction, asset allocation, and active management ecosystem. MASS draws on the full toolkit of the firm’s index, factor, and alpha-seeking investment capabilities to deliver investment outcomes and ground-breaking alpha insights. MASS constructs active asset allocation strategies and whole portfolio solutions across a wide spectrum of commingled funds, separate accounts, model portfolios, and outsourcing solutions in the wealth and institutional channels. 

MASS is looking for a motivated individual to join our DC Investment Solutions team in EMEA. This team designs and manages tailored whole portfolio solutions for Defined Contribution (“DC”) pension schemes, oriented around client-specific outcome objectives. This includes leading on all aspects of portfolio construction and asset allocation to solve our DC pension clients’ investment challenges.  

Role Responsibilities

• You will be part of the EMEA DC Pensions Solutions team responsible for the design, implementation, and ongoing management of whole portfolio solutions for existing and prospective DC pensions clients to meet their unique objectives and constraints. 

• Primary investment team interface working directly with clients and client relationship managers to understand each client’s objectives and constraints. Keep up to date with industry news, events, research, and regulations and ensure these are reflected in solution design.  

• Perform analyses, give opinions, and generate new ideas to support investment decision making across all stages of the investment process. Includes strategic asset allocation, tactical asset allocation, management style selection/blending/sizing, manager selection, risk budgeting, implementation, performance measurement/attribution, and risk management.  

• Collaborate with a range of internal partner functions to deliver the best possible client investment outcomes, including portfolio construction researchers, implementation specialists, manager researchers, risk managers, and asset class specialist investment teams. 

• Drive the continuous evolution of the investment process by constantly seeking performance improvements, challenging the status quo, and proactively bringing new ideas.  

• Actively participate in cross-team research initiatives to generate and explore new investment ideas, in areas including lifecycle investing, responsible investment, retirement income solutions and private markets. Run projects with multiple team members and priorities to see ideas through to completion and implementation in client portfolios.  

• Support our commercial growth targets by supplying investment content to RFP responses, pitch materials, marketing materials and other external communications. 

Skills & Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years’ proven experience, ideally including direct work with DC pension schemes.  Multi-asset or whole-portfolio solutions experience at an asset manager, investment consultant, or DC pension provider is preferred.

• Solid understanding of financial markets and multi-asset investing. Ideally some experience in one or more of the following areas: Lifecycle investing, responsible investment, retirement income solutions, private markets.

• CFA, FIA and/or CAIA encouraged but not required. 

• Consistent track record of academic achievement, work ethic, and leadership.

• A genuine inclination for quantitative analysis and the ability to work through sophisticated problems and challenges to provide innovative insights. 

• Technology‑curious, with experience using data, analytics and AI tools to improve the efficiency and quality of the investment process.

• Excellent communication skills, able to communicate optimally with a range of internal and external partners, and able to explain complex topics to non-technical individuals in writing as well as verbally.

• Curious self-starter passionate about execution with results-oriented work ethic and professional disposition. 

• Strong teammate who takes a collaborative and cooperative approach to tasks, experienced working with multiple partners to deliver on projects on time and to a high standard, but can work independently. 

• Organized and thorough, able to prioritise and multi-task quickly efficiently, adapting to new situations in a fast-paced environment.

• Being a strong fiduciary by ensuring the highest level of integrity and professionalism in every aspect of performance. 

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.