Senior Balance Sheet Strategist

CFA Institute; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 164,600 - 288,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k and pension

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

CFA Institute is seeking a Senior Balance Sheet Strategist in Chicago, IL. This role involves developing strategies to optimize the balance sheet across deposits and investments, partnering with Treasury functions, and supporting earnings growth.

The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in Treasury or related fields, along with strong analytical and financial modeling skills. A hybrid work model offers flexibility between the office and home.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in Treasury, ALM, Liquidity Risk, or related functions.
• Strong understanding of bank balance sheets and liquidity frameworks.
• Professional certifications such as CFA, FRM, or PRM are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an integrated balance sheet strategy.
• Support deposit monetization strategies including pricing optimization.
• Produce and present balance sheet analytics for senior management.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial modeling

Balance sheet management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Statistics, or Mathematics

MBA or Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Power BI

Job description

Senior Balance Sheet Strategist

The Senior Balance Sheet Strategist is responsible for leading the development and execution of strategies to optimize the bank’s balance sheet across deposits, investments, funding, and liquidity while operating within established interest rate risk, capital, and regulatory frameworks. This position is a senior level individual contributor role that partners closely with Treasury functions, including Asset Liability Management (ALM), Liquidity, Investment Portfolio, and Funding desk, as well as Capital Management, and Business Units (Asset Servicing, Wealth Management, and Asset Management) to drive earnings growth, balance sheet resilience, and capital efficiency. The Strategist will provide strategic leadership and deliver forward‑looking analytics and strategic insights to the Treasurer, senior management, ALCO, and governance committees, with a focus on Net Interest Income (NII), liquidity optimization, deposit monetization, and interest rate risk management.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an integrated balance sheet strategy across deposits, investments, funding, and capital, aligned with the firm’s risk appetite, regulatory requirements, and business objectives.
• Evaluate trade‑offs between earnings, liquidity, interest rate risk, and capital under multiple market environments and stress scenarios.
• Support balance sheet growth and optimization initiatives through data‑driven analysis and actionable strategic recommendations.
• Analyze Return on Equity (ROE), Risk‑Weighted Assets (RWA), liquidity consumption, and capital efficiency for balance sheet‑intensive activities.
• Partner with business lines to evaluate deposit flows, pricing, and liquidity value across client segments and products.
• Support deposit monetization strategies, including pricing optimization and balance sheet allocation decisions.
• Assess liquidity buffers and contingent funding considerations and incorporate impacts into financial outlooks and strategic plans.
• Support in the development of NII forecasts and sensitivity analysis, and assess impacts to interest rate risk metrics (e.g., NII shock, MVE).
• Evaluate hedging and investment strategies to manage interest rate risk while supporting earnings objectives.
• Ensure consistency across forecast assumptions, deposit betas, investment strategies, and approved balance sheet initiatives.
• Produce and present balance sheet and NII analytics for senior management, ALCO, and regulatory forums.
• Ensure transparency, documentation, and governance alignment in all strategic recommendations.
• Partner with Investment Portfolio, Liquidity, Capital Management, Technology, and Finance to improve balance sheet analytics, processes, and systems.
• Contribute to the ongoing enhancement of balance sheet models, data infrastructure, and reporting automation initiatives.
• Provide thought leadership on market trends, yield curve dynamics, and competitive positioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Statistics, Mathematics or a related quantitative field; MBA or Master’s degree preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CFA, FRM, or PRM are preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in Treasury, ALM, Liquidity Risk, Balance Sheet Management, or related functions within a bank or financial institution.
• Strong understanding of bank balance sheets, including deposits, securities portfolios, hedging strategies, wholesale funding, and liquidity frameworks.
• Experience supporting ALCO, senior management, and/or regulatory forums.
• Deep knowledge of balance sheet strategy, NII drivers, liquidity metrics, and interest rate risk.
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills with the ability to translate complex analysis into executive‑level insights.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to lead the development of senior management level presentations.
• Ability to operate effectively in a highly regulated environment with strong governance discipline.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills; experience with Power BI, ALM/QRM platforms and data tools strongly preferred.

Working Model

Hybrid – We have a balanced hybrid working model to ensure you get the flexibility you need. The successful candidate will spend their time between working in the office and working from home.

Salary Range

$164,600 - 288,000 USD

Benefits

Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well‑being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

Reasonable Accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [e-mail].