Sr. Investment Operations Analyst / Associate

YMCA Retirement Fund; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

YMCA Retirement Fund is seeking an Investment Operations Analyst/Associate to support execution, monitoring, and continuous improvement of the Investment Office’s operational functions. You will assist with settlement, cash flow, performance reporting, and operational due diligence across open-ended and closed-ended funds.

The role offers a hybrid in-office/remote arrangement in New York and requires 4–6 years of related experience, with a Bachelor’s degree and CPA/CFA/CAIA as beneficial

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or related field.
• Progress toward or completion of CPA, CFA, or CAIA is a plus.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint; experience with Bloomberg, Tamale RMS, MSCI Private i, Power BI/Tableau.

Responsibilities

• Support execution and settlement of investment activity across open- and closed-ended funds.
• Assist with cash flow projections and liquidity analysis.
• Support monthly portfolio performance reporting and benchmarking.

Skills

Excel

PowerPoint

Bloomberg

Power BI

Education

Bachelor's degree

CPA

CFA

CAIA

Tools

MSCI Private i

Tamale RMS

Tableau

Northern Trust

Job description

Brief Description

Under the guidance of the Head of Investment Operations, the Investment Operations Analyst / Associate will support the execution and continuous improvement of the operational functions of the Investment Office, including but not limited to the following:

Investment Execution & Monitoring

• Support the execution and settlement of investment activity across both open- and closed-ended funds, including capital call fundings and distributions (closed-ended/drawdown vehicles), subscriptions and redemptions (open-ended vehicles), rebalancing, and direct trades (ETFs, index products, overlays, and stock distribution sales).


• Monitor investment terms and conditions across active investments, including key dates, fees, and term extensions, and help maintain the investment closing checklist.


• Assist with cash flow projections and the analysis of cash needs and liquidity.

Reporting

• Support monthly portfolio performance reporting at the investment, asset class, and total portfolio levels.


• Contribute to benchmarking, attribution, and exposure analysis to continually enhance the quality of reporting.


• Work with custodian, consultants, and Finance colleagues to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of reporting.


• Assist in the quarterly preparation of materials for Investment Committee and Board meetings.

Operational Due Diligence

• Coordinate and support the operational due diligence (ODD) process for prospective and existing investments, partnering with the Investment and Legal teams and the Fund's external ODD consultants.


• Manage the ODD workflow end-to-end - scheduling and tracking reviews, chasing outstanding items, and maintaining ODD records and status across the portfolio in the Fund's research management system, Tamale.


• Review ODD providers' deliverables on new and existing investments, synthesizing findings and flagging areas of particular concern for the Head of Investment Operations and the broader team.


• Support ongoing monitoring of ODD-related risks throughout the portfolio, tracking remediation of open items and escalating issues as appropriate.


• Help maintain and continuously improve ODD documentation, checklists, and process standards.

Document & Research Management

• Support the setup and onboarding of prospective investments in the Fund's research management system.


• Maintain investment documentation - including naming, categorization, and tagging - for investment and accounting use across research and portfolio management systems.


• Extract and validate relevant data from regular investment and manager reporting.


• Help maintain accurate internal and external contact lists (Investment staff, managers/GPs, service providers).

Vendor, Technology & Other

• Help maintain strong working relationships with third-party providers, including the custodian, data providers (Bloomberg, MSCI Private i), the Fund's RMS (Tamale), and other software vendors.


• Support the Investment team's use and adoption of new technology tools, and contribute to data, reporting, and analytics efforts as needed.


• Assist with ad-hoc projects, initiatives, and analyses as needed.

Requirements

• Experience: 4-6 years of relevant experience in an investment, endowment, asset management, or broader finance/operations function. Experience with the investment operations of both open-ended and closed ended funds is strongly preferred, as is experience across fund accounting/reconciliation, trading operations, performance reporting, investment compliance, or counterparty/vendor relationships. Operational due diligence experience is a plus. The role may be filled at the Analyst or Associate level depending on experience.


• Education: Strong academic credentials, including a Bachelor's degree, ideally in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field. Progress toward or completion of the CPA, CFA, or CAIA is a plus.


• Technical Skills: Fluency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Experience with Bloomberg, MSCI Private i, Tamale RMS, Power BI/Tableau, and Northern Trust is a plus, as is aptitude and willingness to learn new technologies, including AI tools.

KEY TRAITS

• Exceptional attention to detail and an uncompromising commitment to accuracy.


• Exceptional organizational and project-management skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.


• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize large amounts of information into actionable insights.


• Outstanding communication skills (written, verbal, and active listening) with the ability to clearly articulate ideas.


• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills across roles, levels, and styles, both internally and with external partners.


• Self-motivator with strong initiative and a continuous-improvement mindset; always seeking ways to improve systems and processes.


• Proactive problem solver and critical thinker able to see projects through to completion.


• Ability to leverage technology across multiple platforms to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.


• Desire and ability to work independently or collectively as needed to set goals, prioritize tasks, meet objectives, and meet deadlines in a dynamic, changing environment.


• Mission-driven, with the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and professional standards.

Summary

Join our dynamic Investment Team as we manage a $10 billion multi-asset-class institutional investment fund that significantly impacts the retirement futures of over 120,000 participants. As an integral member of the Investment Team, the Investment Operations Analyst / Associate will support the day-to-day operational functions that underpin the Fund's long-term, endowment-style investment strategy. Reporting to the Head of Investment Operations, and working under the broader guidance of the Chief Investment Officer, the Investment Operations Analyst / Associate will support the operations of both the portfolio and the Investment Office across the full range of the Fund's holdings - from open-ended vehicles (such as hedge funds, commingled funds, and separately managed accounts) to closed-ended, drawdown structures (such as private equity, venture capital, real estate, and natural resources). Given the Fund's lean team structure, this role provides broad exposure across virtually every aspect of investment operations, including investment execution and settlement, reconciliation, performance reporting, document and research management, operational due diligence, and audit and compliance. While this role will not focus on sourcing or making investments, the ideal candidate will be passionate about financial markets and the investment management industry. This role is ideal for a proactive, intellectually curious, and self-motivated professional who thrives in a collaborative environment and enjoys taking ownership of complex processes. A successful candidate will be a problem solver who can work independently, while also being a collegial team player comfortable managing multiple concurrent projects and coordinating a range of internal and external stakeholders - including colleagues across the Investment, Finance, and Legal teams, as well as the custodian, consultants, external managers, and other service providers - often simultaneously and against competing deadlines. This position offers a hybrid work model, requiring 3-4 days in the office most weeks, with occasional remote weeks, especially around holidays.