Investment Risk, Operational Risk & ESG Specialist

Barclay Simpson; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Barclay Simpson is supporting a high‑calibre investment manager in London to recruit an Investment Risk, Operational Risk & ESG Specialist. The role sits near investment teams, covering three core areas and translating risk, performance and ESG insights into practical business decisions.

The successful candidate will shape risk governance, contribute to analytics, and engage with investors and senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Experience across Investment Risk, Operational Risk and ESG in a buy-side context.
• Strong understanding of portfolio risk, performance attribution and risk governance.
• Ability to translate risk insights into business decisions.
• Experience with risk analytics tools (APT, Barra, Enfusion) is desirable.
• Comfort engaging with investors and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Analyse portfolio risk across public markets and equity‑oriented portfolios.
• Support risk, performance and portfolio construction analyses for investment teams.
• Produce attribution, exposure, concentration and liquidity analyses.
• Develop and maintain the firm’s risk and analytics framework.
• Contribute to ESG process design, governance and reporting.
• Engage with portfolio managers on risk implications.

Job description

Investment Risk, Operational Risk & ESG Specialist

We are working exclusively with a highly regarded investment management firm on a newly created opportunity spanning investment risk, operational risk and ESG. The firm has a long-standing reputation for fundamental investing, deep research and high-conviction portfolio management, and is currently evolving into a broader active investment platform across public and private market strategies.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to work close to investment teams in a role that combines portfolio risk, performance analysis, operational risk oversight and ESG integration. The position would suit an intellectually curious, technically strong individual who enjoys engaging with investors and senior stakeholders, and who can help translate risk, performance and ESG insight into practical business and investment decision-making.

Role Overview

The role will sit close to the investment teams and will have three core areas of responsibility: investment risk, operational risk and ESG. The successful candidate will help the business understand portfolio risk, fund performance, attribution and the risk implications of investment decisions, while also supporting the continued development of the firm’s operational risk and ESG frameworks.

This is not a narrow reporting role. The individual will be expected to provide insight, challenge and analytical support across the investment platform, helping to shape how risk, performance, operational resilience and ESG considerations are embedded into the business.

From an investment risk perspective, the role will involve portfolio risk analysis, performance attribution, portfolio construction support and engagement with portfolio managers on the risk implications of investment decisions. There will also be scope to contribute to the evolution of the firm’s analytics toolkit, including the assessment and implementation of third‑party risk and portfolio analytics systems.

Operational risk will be a meaningful part of the remit. The individual will support the continued development of operational risk processes, controls, governance and reporting across the investment platform. This will include helping the business identify, assess, monitor and manage operational risks, as well as contributing to a more institutionalised risk and control environment.

ESG will also form a key component of the role. The individual will support practical ESG process work, including research‑provider review, ESG governance, documentation and the continued integration of ESG considerations into the investment platform. The role will require someone who can engage credibly with investment teams on ESG matters in a way that is commercially aware, proportionate and aligned with the firm’s investment‑led culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse portfolio risk across a range of investment strategies, with a particular focus on public markets and equity‑oriented portfolios.
• Support portfolio managers and investment teams with risk, performance and portfolio construction analysis.
• Produce and interpret performance attribution, factor exposure, concentration, liquidity and scenario analysis.
• Help assess the risk implications of investment decisions and portfolio changes.
• Contribute to the development of the firm’s risk and portfolio analytics framework.
• Support the review and potential implementation of investment risk systems and analytical tools.
• Help develop, maintain and enhance the firm’s operational risk framework.
• Identify, assess, monitor and report operational risks across the investment platform.
• Support operational risk governance, control assessment, incident review and risk reporting processes.
• Assist with the continued development of operational resilience, controls and business risk management practices.
• Support ESG integration across the investment platform, including process design, documentation and governance.
• Assist with ESG research‑provider review and wider ESG oversight activity.
• Work with investment teams to ensure ESG considerations are applied in a practical and investment‑relevant way.
• Develop high‑quality reporting and insight for investment teams, senior management and governance forums.
• Build credibility with portfolio managers and senior stakeholders across investment risk, operational risk and ESG.

Candidate Profile

Candidates selected for interview will have demonstrable experience across both Operational Risk and Investment Risk in a buy side role.

The ideal candidate is likely to come from an investment risk, portfolio analytics, operational risk, ESG, investment oversight or broader buy‑side risk role. They should be technically strong, commercially aware and comfortable working directly with investors and senior stakeholders.

The successful individual does not need to be a narrow specialist in all three areas from day one, but they must have the intellectual range and appetite to operate across investment risk, operational risk and ESG. The key requirement is someone bright, credible and adaptable, with the ability to develop into a trusted partner to portfolio management teams and the wider business.

Exposure to equities or public markets would be particularly relevant, although candidates with broader asset management experience will also be considered. Experience with investment risk and portfolio analytics tools such as APT, Barra, Enfusion or similar platforms would be useful. Prior exposure to operational risk frameworks, control environments, ESG processes or investment governance would also be valuable.

The firm is looking for someone who can do more than produce standard reports. The successful candidate will be able to interpret data, explain risk clearly, challenge constructively and support the continued institutionalisation of the platform across risk, controls and ESG.

Desired Experience

• Experience in investment risk, operational risk, ESG, portfolio analytics, investment oversight or a related buy‑side risk function.
• Strong understanding of portfolio risk, factor exposures, performance attribution and investment analytics.
• Familiarity with operational risk frameworks, controls, governance, incident management or risk reporting.
• Understanding of ESG integration, ESG governance, research‑provider review or responsible investment processes.
• Public markets experience, ideally with exposure to equity strategies.
• Familiarity with third‑party risk or portfolio analytics systems such as APT, Barra, Enfusion or similar.
• Strong quantitative, analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to investment professionals and senior stakeholders.
• Comfortable operating in a standalone or relatively lean team environment.
• Ability to build relationships with portfolio managers and develop trust over time.
• Commercial awareness and judgement, with the ability to apply risk and ESG principles proportionately.

Opportunity

This is a standalone position rather than a role in a large, layered risk team. There are no immediate management responsibilities, but there is meaningful scope to build credibility with portfolio managers and senior stakeholders, and over time to own key relationships across investment risk, operational risk and ESG.

The attraction of the role is the chance to work directly with highly experienced investors across a broadening investment platform, while also helping to shape the firm’s approach to risk, controls, ESG and investment analytics. The business is in an interesting phase of development, with continued investment in its institutional infrastructure, product range and analytical capabilities.

For the right individual, this is an opportunity to take on a broad and influential mandate, combining investment risk, operational risk and ESG in a high‑calibre investment environment.

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An official job listing by Barclay Simpson: https://www.barclaysimpson.com/job/jl-44584/investment-risk-operational-risk-esg-specialist/