Director, Capital Markets Risk (Fixed Income)

Why join us?

Are you looking to join a dynamic pension plan that embodies the strong values of its 600,000 members and is an industry leading global investor? If so, we would love to tell you our story.

At OMERS we put our people first and are proud to embrace the diversity of thought and leadership that comes from having locations in Toronto, London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and other major cities across North America and Europe. Our culture is truly one of a kind. We get stuff done, and have fun doing it! We take great pride in contributing to the communities where we live with an ever-constant eye to the global investment markets.

Reporting to the Vice President, Capital Markets Risk, you will play a leading role and undertake analysis to measure, assess and provide risk insights into OCM’s ~$40B credit portfolios (both public credit and private credit) and government bond portfolios. This role represents a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to work closely with the portfolio managers, Total Portfolio Management function (TPM) and the broader investment risk team to evaluate risks inherent in different fixed income portfolios and deliver independent risk oversight, risk advice, and provide insightful risk analysis to assist with portfolio construction and portfolio risk management.

Individuals that will thrive in this role have a genuine interest in capital markets, experienced with credit and government bond investment strategies and risk management practice, and an ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative information into intelligence that can be used for generating insights for effective risk management.

We believe that time together in the office is important for OMERS and Oxford, the strength of our employees, and the work we do for our pension members. Our flexible hybrid work guideline requires teams to come to the office a minimum of 4 days per week.

As a member of this team, you will be responsible for

• Function as the lead risk manager overseeing OCM’s credit (public credit, private credit, structured credit, external credit) and government bond (nominal bond, inflation bond and absolute return rates) portfolios
• Develop strong relationships and work collaboratively with portfolio managers, both as an independent risk fiduciary and a value-add partner
• Provide an in-depth knowledge and understanding of individual credit and government bond investment strategies and their investment risk characteristics, as well as OMERS’ aggregate fixed income risk across all fixed income portfolios
• Ongoing monitor of credit and bond portfolios’ exposure, asset mix, liquidity, leverage and risk profile; conduct monthly and quarterly portfolio reviews focusing on assessing the drivers of portfolio performance, contributions to risk, identifying significant changes to portfolio risk, and opining on strategy implementation and investment behavior
• Support investment decision making from a risk perspective through providing independent, constructive insights of portfolio risk taking, portfolio construction, performance/risk attribution, portfolio vulnerability analysis, pre-trade transaction risk assessment, credit rating review, portfolio risk deep-dive, what-if analysis, stress testing and scenario analysis
• In partnership with the Risk Analytic team, enhance credit and rates quantitative risk modeling and develop/enhance new risk analytics capability
• Ongoing collaboration and engagement with the broader OMERS Risk team to support the overall development of a leading risk management program; mentor and develop junior team talents
  
  

To succeed in this role, you have

• Over 10 years of professional experience in risk management, portfolio management or investment research roles from a global institutional asset manager, with at least 5 year experience in fixed income and especially credit markets
• Strong knowledge of broad credit markets, credit investments and credit risk management for buy-side credit portfolio management required
• Private credit and/or government bond risk or portfolio management experience is a strong plus
• Proficient knowledge and analytical rigor in terms of risk models, risk sensitivities and the best practice for risk aggregation in a portfolio context is an advantage
• An advanced degree in Engineering, Science, Finance, or other relevant discipline, and/or a professional designation (e.g. CFA, FRM, PRM)
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership and oral/written communication skills. Ability to communicate, influence and engage with senior level portfolio managers on risk discussions
• Able to take ownership and provide leadership of thought, execution and implementation; self-starter who functions well both independently and with a team, while fostering a collegial and creative team culture
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable within the boundaries of the risk framework and understand the risk/return profiles of a business
  
  

Our story

Founded in 1962, OMERS is one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans, with $128.6 CAD billion in net assets as of December 31, 2023. OMERS is a jointly-sponsored pension plan, with more than 1,000 participating employers ranging from large cities to local agencies, and over half a million active, deferred and retired members. OMERS members include union and non-union employees of municipalities, school boards, local boards, transit systems, electrical utilities, emergency services and children’s aid societies across Ontario. Contributions to the Plan are funded equally by members and employers. OMERS teams work in Toronto, London, New York, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Singapore, Sydney and other major cities across North America and Europe – serving members and employers and originating and managing a diversified portfolio of high-quality investments in public markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate.

OMERS is committed to having a workforce that reflects the communities in which we live and work. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process. At OMERS inclusion and diversity means belonging. How we create a sense of belonging is through our employees and our vast network of Employee Resource Groups. Whether you are passionate about gender, pride, or visible minorities, we have groups that are focused on making a difference in all of our lives.