Associate Consultant, Portfolio Solutions

About Northern Trust:

Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.

Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Uses specific knowledge of a discipline to achieve goals through own work. Has specific knowledge or expertise typically gained through formal education or equivalent experience. Uses expertise to provide guidance. Requires conceptual knowledge of theories, practices, and procedures within a job discipline. Performs routine assignments using existing procedures. Receives instruction, guidance and direction from more senior level roles.

Under general supervision, the Associate Consultant will be responsible for investment data management that will provide clients with the holistic data sets they need to fulfill their various stakeholder requirements. The Associate Consultant will assist in researching solutions for data challenges for institutional clients.

• Acts as point of initial entry for all investment data. Includes entry of (but not limited to):
• Investment transactions (typically statement-based for alternative assets; file-based for public markets)
• Investment valuations (typically statement-based for alternative assets; file-based for public markets)
• Manager Estimates
• Plan Income / Expense Items
• Plan Contributions / Spending Withdrawals
• Underlying Manager Exposure Data
• Benchmark Data
• Responsible for preparing all investment reconciliations. Includes reconciliation of cash, positions, performance, transactions, alternative investment metrics (unfunded commitment, etc.).
• Responsible for initial and/or secondary review of NAV, allocation and underlying client performance for alternative investments.
• Participates in ongoing process improvements based on specialized skills, knowledge, and experience.

• Knowledge of the investment industry, including markets and instruments.
• Basic investment concepts knowledge: IRR, time-weighted return, NAVs, accruals, etc.
• Alternative asset class knowledge: hedge funds, private equity, non-marketable securities, marketable securities, etc.
• Advanced understanding of Microsoft Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), with particular emphasis on Excel Advanced Excel skills (Excel Pivot Tables, Charts, V-lookup, etc.).
• Analytical skills
• Understanding of instances when performance issues need to be escalated to a supervisor.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and perform effectively under deadlines.
• Commitment to project success as it may require working unconventional hours during critical project phase.

• Functional /industry knowledge of and experience with complex asset allocators such as endowments, foundations, family offices, institutional asset managers, pension funds or sovereign wealth funds.
• Understanding of alternative investment custodians, administrators, and service providers.
• Work experience in one of the following:
  Alternative Asset Operations, Performance Measurement, Investment Accounting.
• Technical skills / systems knowledge (Investment Administration & Portfolio Analytics Platforms).
• Experience using VBA, Python or other programming language to format large data sets.
• Orientation towards operational process improvement.
• Client servicing experience.
• Ability to work closely and collaborate with internal stakeholders.

• A College or University degree, preferably in Finance, Accounting, Mathematics, Economics or a related field.
• Interest in pursuing a higher degree or certification such as: CFA, CAIA, CIPM, CPA, MBA.
• Minimum 1 year of industry experience.
• A genuine desire and capability to work in a fast-paced, professional, inclusive environment which requires teamwork, well-honed problem-solving skills,…