Opportunity Overview:
The Director of Alternatives Strategy will influence the recommended product strategy for the Edward Jones Advice & Guidance (A&G) Department. Using prior experience in leading or conducting alternatives research or product strategy (ideally, in retail product channels), the Director will liaise with A&G teams and other areas such as (High Net Worth, Products, Wealth Management Consultation, et al.) integral to the business strategy for alternatives adoption, and will work to prioritize types of new alternatives that would optimally be available for Edward Jones Financial Advisors and Clients, first through the firm's High Net Worth offering, and later through a broader set of branch teams for certain clients meeting criteria.


The Director will optimize potential areas of focus based on practical business considerations, client marketplace dynamics, industry trends in alternative offerings and organizational constraints and dynamics when formulating recommendations on paths forward. The Director may have a background in alternatives due diligence research, including at the strategy level and holistic client portfolio construction level, but this is not strictly necessary. However, the Director should be able to advise on, influence and lead key components of alternative investment buildout projects with multiple stakeholders at large organizations.

This role is not currently contemplated to have direct reports now or in the near term, but that could evolve or change depending on the organization's appetite for a more rapid expansion into alts in the coming years.

What you'll do: Develop and champion a strategic path forward on alternative investments, intersecting product strategy and investment research initiatives. Work with stakeholders from department teams (Investment Manager Research, Portfolio Solutions Team, Asset Allocation Team, Investment Risk Group, Portfolio Optimization Group, Client Needs Research, Investment Strategy, and others), as well as stakeholders from outside the department, to advocate buy-in with the strategy developed, and gain commitments and alignment for business planning purposes. Contribute to Alternatives working group discussions within Investment Manager Research, helping to aid analyst perspective with a broader view of recommendations against the alternatives landscape overall, by category and by competitor marketplace view. Provide practical perspective and considerations for asset allocation work, in an environment where alternative asset class category integration is evolving.Key liaison between A&G Investment teams and the High Net Worth (HNW) Segment. Function as SME helping the Generations team (i.e., Edward Jones private wealth team) integrate department advice and guidance through dedicated concierge teams that are assigned to our Generations HNW clientele.Help clients, branch teams, and the industry better understand Edward Jones' Alternative Investing capabilities, thought leadership, and advice through digital and verbal communications, white papers, and attending and presenting at industry events.Ensure compliance with relevant guidelines, laws, regulations, and industry standards governing investment research, focusing on the unique considerations of delivering alternatives to various segments of retail clients at a national broker-dealer at scale. Communicate strategy updates, investment performance evaluations and industry trends, breaking down complex information to communicate effectively with key stakeholders including firm management, investment committees, financial advisors, and clients. Lead development of ideas and strategic vision for content in thought leadership material focused on delivering insights obtained from the panoptic view of the fund management industry.Lead other cross-functional key department, division and firm bodies of work to successfully achieve strategically important initiatives.