Relationship Management Lead, Affiliated Investment Managers - Manager Oversight Team

Relationship Manager, Investment Management
MassMutual Investment Management, Strategy and Governance
Full-Time
Springfield, MA or Boston, MA
The Opportunity
MassMutual ("MM") Investment Management ("IM") is seeking an experienced investment operations & relationship management professional to foster growth & collaboration and evolve our oversight and engagement models with MassMutual's affiliated investment management business units and the external asset managers we place capital with for MassMutual's General Investment Account (the "GIA"). This individual will report to the Head of Manager Oversight and will lead cross-functional efforts & interactions between our internal stakeholders and affiliated asset management units to improve investment group interactions and further the integration of operating models while ensuring operational risks are made transparent, documented, monitored and effectively mitigated. This role will contribute to the Manager Oversight team's asset manager oversight program and governance framework for affiliates, 3rd-party investment managers and private & alternative investment platforms originating assets and managing portfolios & strategies for the GIA.
This person will act as the primary contact for MassMutual, preparing materials & updates, organizing & leading relationship meetings, project or function-specific check-ins & updates and business strategy/planning sessions. At times the individual may represent (or support other functions & teams) in leading negotiations on critical servicing terms & operational requirements referenced in IMA's, SLA's or similar documents. This person will work with internal teams and their peers at the manager, to craft meaningful KPI's/KRI's and introduce & evolve management reporting on the overall health of relationship, operational risks & controls and updates on key projects or transformation efforts.
The Relationship Lead will need to identify, document, communicate, and memorialize challenges and opportunities, improve processes, build strong relationships, and provide transparency into the overall health of these relationships. They will support the execution of policies, procedures and programs that support IM's mission, vision, and strategy in a role that will frequently interact with and provide updates to senior MassMutual & affiliated manager's Investment, Finance, Risk and Technology function leaders and c-level representatives.
The Team
The Manager Oversight team is part of IM's Strategy and Governance organization which reports into MassMutual's CIO. The team is responsible for overseeing IM's asset manager relationships and functions that include: manager operational due diligence, investment mandate onboarding & lifecycle management and investment performance.
Adjacent teams reporting to the head of IM Strategy and Governance are responsible for IM's business strategy and planning, vendor oversight, investment compliance and investment reporting for MassMutual's Board & Investment Committee.
Impact/Key Responsibilities
In this role, you will be responsible for forming and maintaining strong relationships with MassMutual's investment managers. You will learn critical connection points, high-level processes and procedures, general investment ecosystems and the key people & resources that support business functions across our firm. You will work collaboratively but persistently with these business partners to understand the challenges and opportunities they face, and work with subject matter experts to document, prioritize, and drive associated process and data improvement efforts to completion.
The ideal candidate will have fundamental & technical skills developed from experience leading new investment & business development activities, investment products or platforms, middle office or an administration, accounting or finance function for a large asset manager or investment organization. The candidate must understand how asset management firms & institutional investors/capital allocators operate & integrate, how they are governed, how risks & controls managed and how technology/data is integrated, ingested and utilized to support investment decision-making and financial reporting for a regulated entity. Intellectual curiosity & high aptitude for learning about new & complex investments, structures & arrangements is a must; MM GIA multi-asset exposure includes many different public, private & alternative asset classes.
In this role you will have the unique opportunity to:

• Collaborate with investment & key function leads on projects, work efforts, and BAU activities that require support from our investment managers and working together to prioritize and navigate barriers or interdependencies related to our requests
• Advance relationships with key business stakeholders to deepen partnerships and find mutually beneficial efficiencies
• Develop and maintain an intake model for a master inventory of opportunities within these relationships
• Prepare agendas and facilitate weekly relationship meetings
• Work with business partners to document, track, and socialize inputs to monitor KPIs and agreed upon objectives which will help create transparency into the health of IM's investment manager relationships
• Partner with IM's investment managers to understand their business, challenges, and constraints, and use this information to influence the approach we take to solving problems and improving our interactions
• Work with teams to document, communicate and keep an updated list of cross-functional SLAs
• Maintain awareness of MM's strategic goals and understand how they impact the prioritization of work efforts
• Represent MassMutual's interest in engagements with our asset managers

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (STEM, Economics or Accounting focus preferred)
• 10+ years of related business experience in financial services, banking or the insurance industry in roles responsible for:
  • investment accounting/administration,
  • financial reporting/audit,
  • client service/relationship management,
  • investment operational risk management/due diligence,
  • or similar & related functions
• 3+ years working for an institutional asset manager or in an asset owner's (capital allocator's) investment office

Ideal Qualifications

• MBA, MSc Finance (or related higher degree)
• Understanding of the financial markets, capital formation and asset manager-client relationships
• Experience reviewing & interpreting investment agreements, servicing contracts & fee schedules
• Can work independently and remain focused in driving teams & projects to milestones while navigating ambiguity around less critical issues & items
• Is growth-minded, willing to learn new things, and is adaptable to an evolving environment
• Can identify and raise opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency
• Proven ability to establish and maintain strong relationships with peers and key partners throughout the organization
• Comfortable working collaboratively across the organization and external managers in a complex, fast-paced, dynamic, and continually evolving business environment
• High degree of integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality with business & organizational information
• Demonstrated ability to understand how tasks and milestones connect across related department objectives
• Experience developing materials & presenting updates on efforts to senior leadership & stakeholders
• Outstanding verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Exhibit high emotional intelligence
• Investment management administration or middle office experience (hedge fund or private asset manager, a plus)
• Skilled negotiator
• Experience working for/with an insurance co or ALM-LDI investment program(s)
• Proficient in designing controls & documenting risks for an investment organization
• Experience supporting strategic initiatives, investment transformation and internal & external audit engagements
• Knowledge of investment ops risk frameworks and financial controls audit/assurance standards (best-practices)

What to expect as part of MassMutual and the team

• Regular meetings with Manager Oversight and Strategy and Planning teams & sr. staff
• Focused one-on-one meetings with your manager
• Access to mentorship opportunities
• Networking opportunities including access to Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, African American, women, LGBTQ, veteran, and disability-focused Business Resource Groups
• Access to learning content on Degreed and other informational platforms
• Your ethics and integrity will be valued by a company with a strong and stable ethical business with industry leading pay and benefits

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MassMutual is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Individual with Disability/Protected Veteran. We welcome all persons to apply. Note: Veterans are welcome to apply, regardless of their discharge status.
If you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us and share the specifics of the assistance you need.
Salary Range: $113,100.00-$148,400.00