Company Description
Job Description
We’re excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for an Investment Risk & Oversight Manager to join our Risk Team at AJ Bell. In this role, you’ll report directly to the Head of Risk and take the lead in providing independent oversight of our discretionary investment management activities, including the AJ Bell fund range and our Model Portfolio Service (MPS).
You'll lead the development of investment risk oversight as part of the second line of defence. This means you'll provide expert guidance and challenge on how the first line identifies, monitors, and reports on portfolio risks, including credit, market, and liquidity risks. Your background in investment management will help you assess how well strategies are performing and whether they align with their intended investment objectives.
This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
What are the key responsibilities?
- Provide independent oversight of the Group’s investment products and services, ensuring risks are appropriately identified and managed.
- Lead engagement with the first line investment team, participating in investment forums and offering expert challenge and insight.
- Review and assess all aspects of the investment process, including portfolio construction, model usage, investment selection, and supporting analytics.
- Engage with the Investments team to ensure timely escalation and resolution of mandate breaches or performance concerns.
- Oversee the risk review of new portfolios prior to launch, ensuring alignment with risk appetite and governance standards.
- Prepare and present second line investment risk reporting for governance forums and committees, ensuring clarity and impact.
- Stay informed on industry trends, regulatory developments, and emerging best practices in investment risk management.
- Provide oversight and challenge on the development of systems and tools used by the Investments team to support decision-making and/or supporting operational processes.
- Contribute to the evolution of the Group’s Risk Management Framework, with a focus on strengthening investment risk practices.
- Step in for the Head of Risk when required, representing the function and maintaining continuity of leadership.
What you'll have
We’re looking for a highly analytical investment professional with a strong understanding of the risks associated with collective investment vehicles across a broad range of asset classes. You’ll be a confident communicator, able to build constructive relationships with first-line investment teams and present risk insights clearly to stakeholders. You’ll help embed a strong risk culture, offering challenge where needed while enabling the business to remain agile and commercially focused.
Knowledge & Experience
- Experience in the asset management industry, decision-making responsibilities are a plus but not essential.
- Strong knowledge of financial instruments, investment strategies, and associated risk analytics (e.g. VaR, stress testing).
- A strong awareness of regulations e.g. UCITS / COLL and investment governance
- Familiarity with risk management tools and techniques.
- Educated to degree level, ideally in a quantitative discipline such as Finance, Mathematics, or Economics.
- Professional qualifications such as CFA or FRM advantageous.
Skills & Attributes
- Excellent report writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills.
- Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to understand and interrogate complex issues.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving mindset, able to challenge assumptions and explore issues from multiple angles.
- High attention to detail and commitment to quality.
- Tenacious and proactive, takes ownership and follows through on actions.
- Effective planning, organisation, and time management skills.
- Commercially aware, with a good understanding of the broader business landscape.
- Able to work independently and deliver objectives with minimal supervision.
Academic research indicates that some candidates can be reluctant to apply for vacancies unless they meet every individual criterion. If the job description sounds interesting, and you feel like you could be a good fit, then please don’t let this put you off applying!
About us:
AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK offering an award-winning range of solutions that caters for everyone, from professional financial advisers to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 620,000 customers using our award-winning platform propositions to manage assets totalling more than £96.1 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help even more people take control of their financial futures.
Having listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018, AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company.
Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol, we now have over 1,500 employees and have been named one of the UK's 'Best 100 Companies to Work For’ for six consecutive years and in 2024 named a Great Place to Work®.
Our perks and benefits
- Starting Salary up to £75,000
- Starting holiday entitlement of 27 days, increasing up to 31 days with length of service and a holiday buy and sell scheme
- A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 8% (Increasing with length of service)
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- Annual free share awards scheme
- Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme
- Health Cash Plan – provided by SimplyHealth
- Private healthcare scheme and dental plan
- Free gym membership
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Bike loan scheme
- Sick pay+ pledge
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave
- Loans for travel season tickets
- Death in service scheme
- Paid time off for volunteer work
- Charitable giving opportunities through salary sacrifice
- Calendar of social events, including annual Christmas party, summer party and much more
- Ongoing technical training
- Professional qualification support
- Talent development programmes
- Peer recognition scheme, with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off
- Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches
Hybrid working
At AJ Bell, our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. That's why we offer a hybrid working model, where you’ll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the office. For new team members, an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues.
AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole self to work.
