INVESTMENT OFFICER - Quantitative Analytics

Mission Statement

Delivering expert pension service to Illinois public educators, helping them achieve their promised retirement security.

The Investments Team

The Investments team at TRS plays a critical role in advancing the System's mission by managing and monitoring more than $86.4 billion in assets in a highly specialized, performance-driven environment.

Comprised of more than 30 investment professionals and continuing to grow, the team is responsible for evaluating and selecting external investment managers across the portfolio. Investments span a broad range of strategies, including public equities, fixed income, real assets, hedge funds, and private markets. The team's investment process is rigorous and highly analytical, grounded in deep qualitative and quantitative due diligence.  Investment professionals engage directly with existing and prospective managers to assess performance, risk, and portfolio fit. The Investments team operates with high expectations for talent, accountability, and collaboration, where the strength of the team directly drives long-term outcomes for the System and its members.

Job Summary

The Investment Officer is a mid-senior level investment professional in the Investments Department. Under the direction of the Deputy CIO, the Quantitative Analytics Officer will collaborate with the investments team and play a pivotal role in implementing the quantitative investment analysis strategy for the ~$86 billion investment portfolio of the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois. This position is responsible for coding, developing, and implementing quantitative models seeking to optimize the System’s risk-adjusted returns, and providing quantitative analysis that supports the strategic investment decisions across all asset classes.

The Officer will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and contribute to the overall investment analysis strategy to ensure TRS’ long-term financial sustainability and growth.

Essential Functions

• Quantitative Analysis: Develop and implement quantitative models to analyze asset classes, optimize portfolio construction, and evaluate market opportunities and risks. Apply quantitative techniques to back-test investment ideas and provide ex-ante investment analysis to align portfolios with expected risk-return profiles.
• Risk Management: Work with investment leadership and the Director of Risk to recommend and implement risk management controls and contribute to risk budgeting across portfolios, ensuring compliance with TRS’ investment policies and procedures.
• Data Analytics and Reporting: Deliver analytics to monitor System investment performance, identify trends, and inform investment decisions. Present quantitative findings and recommendations to the Chief Investment Officer, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, internal investment oversight committees, and the TRS Board of Trustees as needed.
• Collaboration: Work closely with investment leadership, the Director of Risk, investment operations, internal investment teams, investment managers, consultants, and other stakeholders to gather data and insights needed for quantitative modeling and risk assessments.
• Technology and Innovation: Identify, develop, and integrate new data sources, technologies, and methodologies to improve the accuracy and efficiency of TRS’s quantitative models.
• Communication: Effectively communicate complex quantitative concepts and model outputs to stakeholders, including investment staff, the TRS Board of Trustees and investment leadership, in clear and concise terms.

Minimum Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, physics, or a related field is required.

Experience

• Minimum 6 years’ experience with quantitative modeling or quantitative investment portfolio management

Skills

• Advanced proficiency in statistical modeling, data analysis, and programming (Python, R, MATLAB, SQL, etc.).
• Experience with machine learning, multi-variate regression and similar data analysis techniques
• Experience with reporting and data visualization tools such as Tableau or PowerBI
• Ability to translate complex quantitative findings into practical investment solutions and strategies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to work well both independently and within a team environment
• Excellent organizational skills, strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent project management skills and ability to build positive working relationships and collaborate in cross-functional teams
• A curious mind, passion, and motivation to learn new skills, tools, and techniques necessary to tackle investment challenges