Chief Investment Officer

Korn Ferry; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 350,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Korn Ferry Group in Los Angeles seeks a Chief Investment Officer to manage a multi-billion dollar portfolio, lead a team of ten investment professionals and report to the General Manager.

The CIO will shape investment policy, oversee asset allocation across equities, fixed income, private markets, and derivatives, and act as the Board's principal advisor and external liaison.

Qualifications

• CFA certification and eight years of full-time investment leadership experience in directing investments or investment policy for a large retirement system or similar asset base (≈$10B).
• Master’s degree in finance, business administration, economics, or related field with ten years of direct investment leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s degree with twelve years of direct investment leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership to the Investment Division and staff.
• Lead policy & standards updates to reflect industry best practices and performance metrics.
• Formulate long-term investment philosophies, strategies and asset allocation.
• Oversee high-performing programs across asset classes including equities, private markets, hedge funds.
• Serve as primary investment spokesperson to the Board, City Council, media, and investment community.
• Ensure compliance with laws, regulatory standards, and board policies.
• Partner with GM on budgeting, staffing, and enterprise planning.
• Develop staff capabilities and lead succession planning.
• Identify and mitigate investment and operational risks through due diligence and performance monitoring.
• Liaise with external managers, consultants, custodians to ensure contractual obligations.
• Advise Board and GM on legislation impact and global economic conditions.

Skills

Strategic Investment Thinking

Executive Communication & Board Adviso

Institutional Asset Management

Leadership & Staff Development

Policy Formulation

Data-Driven Performance Monitoring

Risk Management & Compliance

Regulatory Interpretation

Education

CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)

CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst)

Master’s degree (Finance / MBA / Economics)

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

The Chief Investment Officer (CIO) is responsible for managing $28 billion investment portfolio, serving as the investment expert and advisor to the Board, and reporting directly to the General Manager (GM). The CIO develops investment strategies, recommends investment goals, and ensures implementation of Board-adopted policies and programs.

The CIO oversees the portfolio in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and objectives, while managing a team of ten investment professionals and three administrative support staff responsible for implementing a diverse range of asset classes and strategies, including equities, fixed income, private markets, hedge funds, money market instruments, overlays, and derivatives.

Additionally, this role monitors external investment managers and consultants for compliance with contractual obligations. The CIO reports findings and recommendations to the Board on key investment matters, such as asset allocation, program structure for defined benefit plans, selection and oversight of managers, consultants, custodians, and contractors, and both short- and long-term investment strategies. The CIO also oversees the Limited Term Retirement Plan investment options, regularly evaluates and enhances policies, processes, standards, and performance metrics to incorporate industry best practices, and prepares periodic reports.

Key Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership and direction to the Investment Division and professional staff in

Lead the continuous re-evaluation of policies, processes, and standards to incorporate evolving industry best practices and modern performance metrics.

Formulate and implement long-term investment philosophies, strategies, and asset allocation

recommendations aligned with fiduciary goals.

Oversee the delivery of high-performing investment programs across diverse asset classes, including equities, private markets, and hedge funds.

Serve as the primary investment spokesperson and expert advisor for our client company before the Board, City Council, the media, and the global investment community.

Ensure all investment activities and external contracts adhere to applicable laws, regulatory

standards, and Board-adopted policies.

Partner with the GM and executive team on Investment Office budgeting, staffing resources, and enterprise-wide planning.

Develop and enhance the capabilities of investment staff, evaluate performance, and lead succession planning for key personnel.

Identify and mitigate investment and operational risks by ensuring rigorous due diligence and performance monitoring of the investment program.

Serve as the principal liaison for external investment managers, consultants, and custodians, ensuring they meet their contractual obligations.

Advise the Board and GM on the impact of potential legislation and global economic conditions

on the retirement system’s assets.

Perform other executive-level duties related to investments as requested by the GM or the Board.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

Professional certification as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and eight years of full-time paid professional experience in directing investments or investment policy for a retirement system or corporate pension fund, endowment, foundation or investment organization with assets of approximately ten billion dollars or more; OR

A Master’s degree in finance, business administration, public administration, economics, or related field, and ten years of full-time paid professional experience in directing investments or investment policy for a retirement system or corporate pension fund, endowment, foundation or investment organization with assets of approximately ten billion dollars or more; OR

A Bachelor’s degree from a recognized four-year college or university, and twelve years of full-time paid professional experience in directing investments or investment policy for a retirement system or corporate pension fund, endowment, foundation, or investment organization with assets of approximately ten billion dollars or more.

Desired Experience and Professional Qualifications

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) professional designation.

Extensive experience directing investments or investment policy for a public retirement system, corporate pension fund, or major investment organization.

Proven track record in overseeing and directly managing large-scale institutional portfolios with assets

of approximately ten billion dollars or more.

Specialized expertise in a diverse range of asset classes and strategies, including equities, private markets, hedge funds, and fixed income.

Strong knowledge of laws, regulatory standards, and fiduciary responsibilities governing the investment of public pension system assets.

Demonstrated ability to lead a division of professional investment staff and manage complex relationships with external managers, consultants, and custodians.

The Candidate

Skills and Competencies

Strategic Investment Thinking: Ability to formulate, develop, and recommend long-term investment philosophies and strategies to enhance returns and achieve organizational performance targets.

Executive Communication & Board Advisory: Skilled in serving as the primary expert advisor to the

Board and acting as a professional spokesperson to the media, legislature, and investment community.

Institutional Asset Management Acumen: Expertise in overseeing a complex multi-billion-dollar portfolio across diverse asset classes, including private markets and hedge funds, while managing the Investment Office budget.

Leadership & Staff Development: Proven ability to direct professional investment staff, mentor team members, and manage succession planning to maintain a high-performing division. Directs and manages a team of ten investment professionals and three administrative support staff.

Policy Formulation & Best Practice Integration: Experienced in creating and continuously re-evaluating Investment Policy Statements to incorporate evolving industry best practices and standards.

Data-Driven Performance Monitoring: Leveraging due diligence, performance metrics, and global economic analysis to evaluate external managers and inform asset allocation decisions.

Risk Management & Compliance Oversight: Ensures adherence to contractual obligations and regulatory standards while developing strategies to mitigate investment and organizational risk.

Regulatory & Legislative Interpretation: Skinned in applying laws and codes to investment activities and advising leadership on the potential impact of new legislation.