Associate Portfolio Manager - Fixed Income

Australian Retirement Trust; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

14% superannuation

Hybrid work model

Training & development

Job summary

Australian Retirement Trust seeks an Associate Portfolio Manager - Fixed Income to apply credit expertise across sovereign and other exposures while supporting externally managed portfolios. You will contribute to independent credit views and assist in delivering strong outcomes for members.

Based in Brisbane or Sydney, this permanent role offers exposure to domestic and international markets with governance and collaboration across portfolio teams, and a balanced mix of in-person and

Qualifications

• Hands-on credit assessment experience.
• Fundamental credit analysis and independent opinions.
• Strong communication of complex credit risks.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute externally managed fixed income strategies.
• Analyse sovereign and counterparty credit exposures.
• Communicate independent credit recommendations for investment decisions.
• Monitor counterparty risks from OTC derivatives and cash markets.

Skills

Credit analysis

Financial modelling

Fixed income

Communication

Data analysis

Education

Finance degree

Economics degree

Tools

Investment systems

AI-enabled tools

MS Office

Job description

Take the next step in your investment career with Australian Retirement Trust. As our Associate Portfolio Manager - Fixed Income, you'll apply your credit analysis expertise across sovereign, counterparty and credit investment exposures while supporting externally managed portfolios. Working as part of a high-performing team, you'll assess investment opportunities, form independent credit views and help deliver strong outcomes for 2.4 million members.

Description

We're all about helping our members make the most of their money. And while they go after their goals, you can too. As a Associate Portfolio Manager - Fixed Income, you'll support the delivery and ongoing evolution of our externally managed fixed income portfolio. Working within our Defensive and Liquid Assets and Portfolio Intelligence team, you'll bring a strong credit lens to investment decision-making, applying fundamental credit analysis across a broad range of issuers, counterparties and investment opportunities.

We're seeking someone with hands-on credit assessment experience who can independently analyse and assess credit risk. You may have developed your experience within a buy-side investment team, credit research team, ratings agency, bank credit function or similar environment where you were directly responsible for forming and defending credit opinions.

You'll undertake fundamental credit analysis of state government issuers, assess balance sheet exposures arising from OTC derivatives and cash market activities, contribute to the evaluation of structured credit opportunities and provide independent credit expertise in the assessment of current and prospective investment managers.

You'll help ensure investment strategies align with our members' best financial interests through rigorous analysis, strong governance and effective stakeholder engagement. This role offers exposure to complex investment portfolios, external managers and a broad range of investment activities across domestic and international markets.

This role is a permanent opportunity and is based in Brisbane or Sydney.

Responsibilities

Day to day, you'll:

• Contribute to the development and execution of externally managed fixed income investment strategies.
• Conduct fundamental credit analysis of state government issuers and other sovereign-related exposures.
• Form and communicate independent credit recommendations to support investment decision-making.
• Support the assessment and ongoing monitoring of counterparty credit exposures arising from OTC derivatives, repo, securities lending and cash market activities.
• Analyse balance sheet strength, liquidity, leverage and credit fundamentals across a range of issuers and counterparties.
• Assess credit opportunities and risks across sovereign, financial, corporate and structured credit markets.
• Act as a subject matter expert on credit risk for portfolio managers and internal stakeholders.
• Deliver research, analysis and insights to support portfolio construction and investment decision making.
• Apply credit expertise to the due diligence, selection and ongoing monitoring of external credit managers
• Monitor manager performance, mandate compliance and portfolio risk exposures.
• Prepare investment papers, presentations and reporting materials for stakeholders and governance forums.
• Assist with mandate onboarding, manager transitions and operational due diligence activities.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external investment partners.
• Research industry developments, credit themes and emerging investment opportunities.
• Support governance, compliance and risk management activities across the investment function.
• Participate in strategic projects and initiatives that enhance investment outcomes and capabilities.

Qualifications

It goes without saying you'll be a great communicator with top notch interpersonal skills. We'll also expect you to pick up problems and come up with quick, creative ways to solve them. It's quite likely you tick some of the following boxes too:

• You hold tertiary qualifications in finance, investments, commerce, economics or a related discipline.
• Your experience includes conducting fundamental credit analysis and forming independent credit opinions.
• You'll have assessed issuer or counterparty creditworthiness through analysis of financial statements, balance sheets, liquidity profiles, leverage metrics, cash flow generation and other relevant credit factors.
• You're experienced in credit research, fixed income investing, credit portfolio management, banking, ratings, asset management or a related investment environment.
• You possess a strong understanding of fixed income and credit markets.
• Your ability to communicate complex credit risks and investment recommendations clearly and effectively is well developed.
• You'll bring strong analytical and research capabilities, including financial modelling skills and the ability to leverage data, technology and AI-enabled tools to support investment analysis and decision-making.
• You're an excellent written communicator with experience preparing high-quality reports, presentations and investment recommendations.
• You demonstrate strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Your approach balances technology-enabled insights with sound professional judgement and critical thinking.

You may also have:

• Experience analysing sovereign or semi-government credit.
• A background includes assessing counterparty risk associated with OTC derivatives, repo, securities lending or financing transactions.
• Experience analysing structured credit, securitised products or asset-backed securities.
• Experienced in evaluating external investment managers and conducting investment due diligence.
• Demonstrate proficiency with investment systems, data analysis tools, AI-assisted research platforms and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience includes adopting emerging technologies and AI tools to improve research efficiency, insight generation and investment processes while maintaining appropriate governance and oversight.

About us

Our 2.4 million members trust us to take care of around $375 billion in retirement savings. And we help them take charge of their finances and face the future with confidence. Our inclusive culture means you'll be valued and heard in a respectful workplace. We've created an environment where you can be yourself and do amazing work. It's that simple.

Everyone is welcome to apply. We value diverse thinking, cultures, perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities. Awaken your career at Australian Retirement Trust and Applications close COB Friday, 16 October 2026.

We don't want to leave you with a monstrous wait. So, you'll hear from us after the closing date to find out whether you've made it through to the next round or not. Being fair and up-front is important to us - and recruitment is no different.

Why join us?

• You'll get 14% super as standard, to help your future come alive.
• Build a career to be proud of through excellent training and development opportunities.
• Balance your work between in-person days at our purpose-built hubs and working from home.
• In the office, enjoy end of trip facilities, a yoga and multi-faith room, parent and carer rooms, quiet rooms, BrewHub coffee facilities, and collaborative team spaces.

We use technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), to support parts of our recruitment process - such as reviewing applications, supporting screening interviews, reference checking, and matching skills to roles. All final hiring decisions are made by people.

By applying, you agree to the use of these technologies as part of the recruitment process.