Senior Analyst - WMS Manager Research

ameriprise; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ameriprise Financial seeks a seasoned investment researcher to lead due diligence for Liquid Alternatives across mutual funds, SMAs, and ETFs. You will oversee manager coverage, assess investment philosophy, process, people, performance, risk, and operational capabilities, and recommend manager actions to committees.

You will interact with external managers, present recommendations, and act as a subject matter expert on Liquid Alternatives within the organization, supporting cross-functional

Qualifications

• 5+ years in investment research or related roles.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Investments, or related field.
• Experience evaluating investment products and managers using qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Proficiency with FactSet, Morningstar Direct, Bloomberg or similar tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including presenting to senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage a research coverage universe independently.
• Active FINRA Series 7 license or ability to obtain within 120 days.

Responsibilities

• Lead research, due diligence, and selection for Liquid Alternative funds, SMAs, and ETFs.
• Serve as primary research owner for Liquid Alternatives, covering managers and opportunities.
• Analyze investment managers on philosophy, process, people, performance, risk, and operations.
• Perform ongoing due diligence and engage with portfolio management teams.
• Prepare investment research reports and manager scorecards for committees.
• Deliver recommendations on additions, retention, watches, and removals from lists.
• Communicate insights to investment committees, leadership, advisors, and partners.
• Build relationships with external managers and strategic partners.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on Liquid Alternatives and industry developments.
• Support advisor education, marketing reviews, product development, and cross-functional projects.

Skills

Investment research

Due diligence

Quantitative analysis

Qualitative analysis

Communications

Financial markets

Finance knowledge

FINRA Series 7

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Investments

Tools

FactSet

Morningstar Direct

Bloomberg

Job description

About Our Company

We're a diversified financial services leader with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management, administration and advisement as of year-end 2024. Our team of 22,000 people across 19 countries, serves more than 3.5 million individual, small business and institutional clients. We are a longstanding leader in financial planning and advice, a global asset manager and an insurer. Our unwavering focus on our clients and strong financial foundation connects each of our unique businesses - Ameriprise Financial, Columbia Threadneedle Investments and RiverSource Insurance and Annuities. Here, we foster meaningful careers, invest in the future, and make a difference for clients, institutions and communities around the world.

Job Description

In this role, you will be responsible for leading manager research, selection, and ongoing due diligence for Liquid Alternative investment strategies across mutual funds, separately managed accounts (SMAs), and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). You will also serve as the primary research lead for the Liquid Alternatives asset class, overseeing manager coverage, conducting investment and operational due diligence, monitoring performance and risk, and delivering recommendations regarding manager selection, approval, retention, watch status, and removal.

Additionally, you will be responsible for interacting directly with external investment managers, producing high-quality research and investment recommendations, communicating findings to internal stakeholders and investment committees, and serving as a subject matter expert on Liquid Alternatives across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead manager research, due diligence, and selection activities for Liquid Alternative mutual funds, separately managed accounts, and exchange-traded funds.
• Serve as the primary research owner for the Liquid Alternatives asset class, maintaining coverage of assigned managers and identifying new investment opportunities.
• Conduct comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of investment managers, including investment philosophy, process, people, performance, portfolio construction, risk management, and operational capabilities.
• Monitor covered strategies through ongoing due diligence, performance evaluation, risk assessment, and regular engagement with portfolio management teams.
• Prepare and maintain investment research reports, manager scorecards, and research updates for internal stakeholders and investment committees.
• Deliver investment recommendations regarding manager additions, retention, watch status, and removals from approved and recommended lists.
• Communicate investment insights and recommendations effectively to investment committees, senior leadership, financial advisors, and internal partners.
• Build and manage productive relationships with external asset managers and strategic partners.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on Liquid Alternative investment strategies, portfolio applications, and industry developments.
• Support advisor education, wholesaling initiatives, product development efforts, marketing material reviews, and cross-functional projects as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in investment research, manager due diligence, investment consulting, asset allocation, or other related investment roles.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Investments, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Experience evaluating investment products and managers using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with investment research platforms such as FactSet, Morningstar Direct, Bloomberg, or similar tools.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present investment recommendations to senior stakeholders and investment committees.
• Ability to independently manage a research coverage universe and prioritize competing responsibilities.
• Active FINRA Series 7 license or the ability to obtain within 120 days.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge of Liquid Alternative investment strategies, including hedge fund replication, long/short equity, market neutral, managed futures, global macro, multi-strategy, credit, and alternative income approaches.
• Experience conducting manager selection and ongoing manager oversight.
• Experience presenting investment recommendations to investment committees or senior leadership.
• Strong understanding of portfolio construction, risk management, and performance attribution.
• Experience interacting directly with third-party asset managers and institutional investment firms.
• High degree of intellectual curiosity, ownership, and attention to detail.
• CFA and/or CAIA designation, or progress toward completion.

Visa Sponsorship

Applicants must have a valid work authorization that does not now, or in the future, require visa sponsorship for employment in the United States (e.g., H-1B, F-1 CP