Investment Officer – Real Assets

Who We Are

The San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS) is dedicated to securing, protecting, and prudently investing the pension trust assets, administering mandated benefits programs, and providing promised benefits to the active and retired members of the City and County of San Francisco.

Established in 1889 as a fund for families and orphans of firefighters and police officers, today the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System serves more than 75,000 active, vested, and retired employees of the City and County of San Francisco and their survivors.

What We Do

The Investment Division serves as a resource to the Retirement Board in the development of investment policies and practices. In accordance with the annual investment plan, the investment team deploys capital with the objectives of enhancing the structure and diversity of the investment portfolio and sustaining long-term performance. Additionally, the Investment Division’s professional staff analyzes, develops, and recommends asset allocation mixes, manages investment portfolios, and monitors the activities and performance of external investment managers.

• Application Opening: July 01, 2024
• Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
• Salary: $129,974 to $165,958 annually
• Recruitment ID: RTF0143509-01155424

This job announcement may close at any time, but not before July 19, 2024. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Appointment Type

This permanent exempt position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service Examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.

What We’re Looking For

SFERS seeks an experienced investment professional for the position of Investment Officer (“IO”) for its Real Assets portfolio, which includes real estate, infrastructure, natural resources, and other specialty investments. Reporting to the Director or Associate Portfolio Manager (“APM”) of Real Assets, the Managing Director of Private Markets, and the CIO, the IO and the Real Assets team are responsible for the oversight and management of SFERS’ large and complex $5 billion Real Assets portfolio.

The IO serves as a key member of the team overseeing SFERS’ Real Assets portfolio. The IO will participate in the monitoring of existing investments, in the underwriting and execution of prospective investments, and in portfolio construction and analytics.

The IO conducts work with oversight from the Director or APM of Real Assets. The IO is responsible for the following and will keep the Director or APM informed on the relevant issues.  

Essential Duties:

• Manage the internal process for monitoring existing investments, including taking meeting notes, reviewing quarterly reports, and administering capital calls and distributions.
• Assist in the due diligence of existing and prospective investment managers, including compiling screening memos, written investment recommendations, and reports for review by and approval from senior staff.
• Assist with the review of key partnership documents and the execution of subscription agreements, amendments, consents, and other materials related to an existing or prospective investment.
• Assist in the monitoring of the Real Assets portfolio through quantitative and qualitative analysis, such as returns attribution.
• Organize and maintain investment records including subscription documents, side letters, offering memorandums, and other documents relating to existing and prospective investments.
• Coordinate with investment managers, service providers, and colleagues to ensure compliance with investment policies and accurate reporting of investments.
• Work closely with SFERS’ real assets consultants to achieve asset class goals and manage the portfolio in accordance with the Strategic Plan.
• Perform research on investment trends affecting global markets and engage in internal investment discussions.
• Receive direction from senior investment staff and complete assigned tasks accurately and timely.
• Provide administrative and operational support as necessary.
• Represent SFERS with distinction and class to external investment managers, investment consultants, and other stakeholders.

How to Qualify

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification. Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

Education:

Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in finance, economics, business administration, accounting, statistics, or similar field; AND

Experience:

Three (3) years of investment experience with an investment management firm, pension plan, university, endowment, foundation, corporation, family office, or consulting firm.

Substitution

• Possession of a graduate degree in Business Administration, Finance, Statistics, Investment Management, Economics or similar field, or possession of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, may be substituted for an undergraduate degree in a different field than described above.
• Two years of investment management experience at a position equivalent to an Investment Officer or higher with an investment management firm, pension plan, university, endowment, foundation, corporation, family office, consulting firm or other investment institution with at least $1 billion in assets, or seven years of such responsibility at a firm of any size, may substituted for an undergraduate degree in a different field than described above.

How to Stand Out

Desirable Qualifications:

The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.



• Knowledge and prior experience with alternatives, specifically real assets (real estate, infrastructure, and/or natural resources) and/or other private markets strategies.
• Experience in understanding complex investment strategies and concepts and investment market trends and developments.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills with a demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and PowerBI.
• Analytical, financial modeling, and data visualization skills.
• Strong writing and presentation skills with a genuine interest in the subject matter.
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to delivering the highest quality work.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and handle multiple, time-sensitive tasks.
• Highly self-motivated and hardworking with an ability to work and think independently as well as in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
• High level of professionalism and an ability to build networks and positive working relationships with key internal and external contacts.
• Willingness to travel globally up to 20% of the time.
• Possession of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.
• Sound judgment, integrity, and moral code.