[Hiring] Head of Investment Strategy @Sammons Financial Group

Role Description

Design and build a cohesive framework for setting the investment strategies that drive company results. Set up framework for Strategic Asset Allocation that optimizes portfolio returns while ensuring stability across various regulatory regimes. Responsible for investment assumptions, scenario analysis, and hedging programs. Collaborate with Corporate Accounting, Asset Liability Management, business units, and Risk to ensure superior financial performance and capital efficiency. Lead a team of specialists focused on delivering these results. This role will be subject to an SEC compliance program, which can include monitoring personal securities transactions, restrictions on outside business activities, as well other oversight and restrictions.

• Envision and build the Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) framework to optimize risk-adjusted returns given liability constraints and corporate objectives, including target and limit setting.
• Lead product and asset hedging programs including setting targets, reporting results, assessing current programs, and executing on improvements.
• Develop and recommend investment and hedging assumptions, including expected return, reinvestment and default assumptions.
• Create clear, insightful risk reports to provide insights to the Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO), and other executives regarding portfolio exposure and potential capital volatility.
• Lead the analysis and explanation of results for both deterministic and stochastic asset projections, ensuring proper governance, peer review, and technical documentation including ORS-CISSA-CFT-Liquidity Stress Testing.
• Apply expert knowledge of regulatory capital requirements under US Royal Bank of Canada (National Association of Insurance Commissioners - NAIC), Bermuda (Bermuda Monetary Authority), and Rating Agency (Standard & Poor – S&P, Fitch and AM Best) regimes to inform investment decisions and capital allocation.
• Collaborate across departments, specifically with Corporate Accounting, Business Units, and Risk teams, to ensure consistency in modeling approaches and a unified understanding of risk and reward.
• Manage and lead a multi-disciplinary team of strategy and risk professionals, prioritizing work in accordance with broader department and company objectives.
• Lead, coach, and mentor members of the investment staff, providing continual coaching and feedback regarding progress, strengths and areas for development. Utilize corporate programs to reinforce employee performance and development.
• Drive and reinforce commitment to internal controls processes such as those under Model Audit Rule and Record Information Management.
• Commitment to embrace Sammons Financial Group Companies shared values (Accountability, Connection, Openness, Respect and Integrity).
• As stated within the Company Attendance and Punctuality policy, regular attendance is required and expected in order to meet the business service levels and workflow demands.
• Participate in other initiatives and/or projects as necessary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Mathematics, Actuarial Science or related field (Preferred)
• Minimum 15 years' in the insurance investment management, preferably in Strategic Asset Allocation or Asset-Liability Management roles (Required)
• Experience and expertise across public and private fixed income products, including the drivers of risk and reward (Preferred)
• Experience leading and developing high-performing professional teams (Required)
• Superior understanding of life insurance products, including inherent risks
• Deep technical knowledge of pertinent capital models, including US Royal Bank of Canada, Bermuda Solvency Capital Requirement (BSCR), and rating agency models
• Ability to identify and direct the analysis of complex financial problems and provide strategic recommendations to executive audiences
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present highly technical investment information to non-technical audiences
• Highly organized with the demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple high-stakes projects and adapt to shifting market priorities
• Commitment to embrace shared values
• CFA designation and/or FSA (Preferred)

Requirements

• Due to the financial nature and level of accountability of this position, a credit and criminal background check is required.
• This role will be subject to a SEC compliance program, which can include monitoring personal securities transactions, restrictions on outside business activities, as well as other oversight and restrictions.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health coverage for you and your family, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA & FSA options, and term life insurance.
• Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive program tied to clear goals and individual and/or company success.
• Invest in your future with our 100% company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), plus automatic enrollment in our 401(k).
• Work–life balance that means something: Friday afternoons off year-round, generous paid time off, and paid holidays.
• Commit to your growth with paid development time, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities across industry, individual, and leadership programs.
• Make an impact beyond the workplace through volunteer time off, and our company nonprofit matching gift program, supporting the causes that matter most to you.
• An ownership culture that inspires; join a connected, values-driven workplace where employees take accountability, support one another, and are empowered to do their best work—together shaping our future shared success.