Investment Advice Associate

About the role

In your role as Investment Advice Associate you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to join the Investment Advice team, which is part of the Investment Strategy & Advice (ISA) department of USS Investment Management (USSIM) Limited:
USSIM is the wholly owned investment manager and primary advisor to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) – one of the largest private pension schemes in the UK, with approximately £75bn in assets (at 31 March 2023).

The ISA department is a central team, responsible for the construction and implementation of the investment strategy and providing Investment Advice to stakeholders across the DB and DC parts of the scheme.

The Investment Advice team is responsible for providing Investment Advice to USS. This is usually through either the Investment Committee or the Trustee Board. The team also engages with a range of external stakeholders on investment related topics.

The team provides Investment Advice on the scheme’s investment strategy (across the DB and DC parts of the scheme), on subjects including asset liability management, investment governance and other topics related to the actuarial valuation.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the ISA – Investment Strategy & Advice you will be responsible for:

• Supporting the production and delivery of Investment Advice to the relevant boards (e.g., Investment Committee, Trustee Board or USSIM Board).
• Ensuring the advice being produced by the team is of the highest quality, clear, unambiguous, written in plain English and in the best financial interests of the scheme, its members and employers.
• Maintaining scheme legal and governance related documentation.
• Understanding and contributing to the management of pension investment and risk challenges faced by the scheme.

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box, if you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will have:

• Experience in institutional investment (e.g., pensions or insurance)
• Interest in investment, pensions (Defined Benefit and/or Defined Contribution) and capital markets
• Good analytical skills, with the ability to extract insights from technical documents and/or quantitative analysis and translate into simple advice
• Keen to stay up to date with developments and legislation affecting the UK pensions industry
• Progress towards (or completed) investment, actuarial or pensions qualifications (e.g. CFA or FIA)

Why join us?

At USS, every individual contributes to building a secure financial future for our members and their families. We strive to create a work environment where everyone can thrive professionally while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

We're also committed to helping you build your career by providing opportunities for development.

We put a focus on recognising and supporting each individual's unique career path, driving this forward with the support of an engaged and proactive management team.

Here at USS, we want you to thrive in and out of work with a friendly team, flexible culture and excellent range of benefits!

How we will reward you

• Great starting salary
• Generous annual leave package
• Access to a high quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
• Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
• Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
• Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
• Employee Volunteer Day’s to support the communities where you work and live
• Cycle to Work Scheme
   

Our culture and values

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves.

Our purpose firmly states the importance of members, putting them ‘front and centre’ of what we do. This is embedded through our values:

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Excellence
   

About us

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was established in 1974 as the principal pension scheme for universities and higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for more than 528,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £75.5bn (at 31 March 2023). To find out more, please visit https://www.uss.co.uk
USSIM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to ensure our recruitment process is as flexible and inclusive as possible so we can attract diverse candidates and recruit the best talent. We want all candidates to perform at their best during the recruitment process, so if you need any reasonable adjustments or if there is anything we can do to help support you through your recruitment journey please let us know by contacting .