Director of Investments

The Company

Get the world-class education and Christian foundation you’re looking for at Liberty University. Since 1971, Liberty has had a singular vision of developing Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting the world for Christ.

Our founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., dreamed of a university filled with men and women who would change the world for Christ. He envisioned a world filled with doctors, lawyers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and professionals from all walks of life who loved God and were the best at what they’d been called to be. He invited thousands of people to join him in this dream — and today we invite you to be part of that vision.

Located in Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 15 colleges and schools and offers programs in fields such as education, counseling, religion, law, aviation, cinematic arts, business, and more. Part of the ASUN Conference, Liberty fields 20 NCAA Division I athletic teams and 40+ Club Sports teams, offering you an exceptional college sports experience.

Liberty graduates are sought after by prestigious companies for their integrity, personal discipline, and versatility. They are confident and competent, ready to make a lasting impact on their profession and their community.

Key Pointers:

At fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, Liberty reported an unrestricted quasi-endowment of $2.1 billion. For fiscal years ending June 30, 2021, and 2022 Liberty contributed a total of $400m to the unrestricted quasi-endowment

The Opportunity

Purpose of the Position

Reporting to the Chief Investment Officer (“CIO”), the Director of Investments position will work collaboratively with two other senior investment members in building out Liberty’s in-house investment capabilities for its $2+ billion endowment assets. This position is expected to play a key role in supporting Liberty’s new private capital program and be involved in all aspects of endowment management including asset allocation implementation, active manager due diligence and selection, portfolio reporting for various stakeholders, and special projects. The creation of this position represents the continued growth of an in-house investment function for Liberty University.

In addition to required private equity experience, the ideal candidate is an individual who is intellectually inquisitive with strong analytical and interpersonal skills, a team player who enjoys collaboration and healthy debate, and is excited about and aligned with Liberty’s Christian mission and values. This position is expected to travel frequently to conduct onsite diligence, attend industry conferences/annual meetings and develop new relationships.

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Investments is expected to support LU’s new private capital program and to perform other tasks as assigned. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct industry and sector research to help the investment team form investment thesis
• Work closely with Sr. Director in sourcing and screening for private capital strategies (i.e., private equity, private credit, real assets etc.), including developing market/strategy mapping, tracking manager fund-raise cycle, and developing/updating forward calendar
• Support Sr. Director in managing due diligence process including preparing for manager calls and onsite visit, conducting reference calls, evaluating managers based on investment strategy, process, organization, portfolio positions, competitive landscape, legal terms, and track record etc.
• Work closely with Investment Analyst in downloading and storing data room documents and performing analysis such as team change, peer benchmarking, portfolio operating matrix etc.
• Draft investment diligence report and I.C. memo to support the selection or termination of an investment manager for reasons articulated clearly in oral and written analyses.
• Work effectively with university counsel on legal issues. Coordinate LPA reviews with external counsel and draft LPA comments.
• Work closely with custodian bank and operations team in monitoring capital calls/distributions
• Support the monitoring process for existing private investments including reviewing quarterly letters, manager correspondence and attending annual meetings, proactively managing the external relationships
• Support other asset classes as needed
• Develop and refresh industry networks and peer relationships by attending industry conferences and networking events representing LU
• Provide subject matter expertise to the CIO and investment team in administering the long-term investment policy, strategic objectives, portfolio guidelines, and manager selection required for successful portfolio performance.
• Contribute to ad-hoc projects related to improving investment process, portfolio monitoring and operations. Assist in selecting and onboarding portfolio management software systems and document management systems
• Assist in the formal process of portfolio transition and prepare board-level progress or exception reports when required.
• Interface effectively with Trustees and key university staff members, communicating such interactions with the CIO and/or CFO.
• Work effectively with financial auditors, legislative and regulatory agencies, and others to fulfill information requests.
• Work closely with the CIO/CFO to review, evaluate, recommend and modify strategic asset allocations, as well as tactical adjustments to the portfolio within the approved IPS.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Investment Staff assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS

• CFA and/ or MBA or equivalent graduate degree expected
• At least 7 years of relevant experience with strong background in private equity, from a family office, endowment & foundations, or similar organization allocating capital to external investment managers.
• Ability to leverage critical thinking, independent judgement and experience to constructively contribute to investment decisions across the portfolio
• Clear investment philosophy, intellectually inquisitive and honest, with the ability to interview people and triage different sources of information effectively to form educated conviction
• Ability to incorporate rigorous qualitative and quantitative analyses in the evaluation of investment strategies, investment processes, and investment performance
• Strong communication skills and the ability to present perspectives and recommendations, both verbally and in writing, in a clear and logical manner
• Self-motivated and directed, possessing an ability to motivate others
• The highest level of integrity, honesty, and sense of fiduciary duty
• Ability to articulate and defend the unique Christian educational mission and vision of Liberty University and its subsidiaries to a wide variety of individuals and groups.
• Individual must not be in default on any federal student or parent loan
• Individual must not be convicted of, or pled nolo contendere or guilty to, a crime involving the acquisition, use, or expenditure of federal, state, or local government funds, -or- be administratively or judicially determined to have committed fraud or any other material violation of law involving federal, state, or local government funds (CFR 668.14(b)(18)(i))

ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTIONOF THE JOB

• Communication and Comprehension
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing to convey clear, well-articulated information.
• Ability to communicate in a professional and Christ-like manner, resolving issues with an attitude of courtesy and respect.
• Possess public communication skills that allow professional representation of Liberty University to a variety of business and community customers and associates.
• Display self-motivation and multi-tasking skills.
• Possess excellent listening and discerning skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent computer skills.

PROBLEM SOLVING

• Intuitively able to reason, analyze information and events, and apply judgment in order to solve problems of both a routine and complex nature

This job description is designed to provide an employee with a basic understanding of the essential functions, duties, and responsibilities entailed in the performance of his or her job with Liberty University (LU). It is not intended to be all-inclusive. This description does not constitute an employment contract, either expressed or implied. Employment with Liberty University is at-will and may be terminated by either the employee or LU with or without advance notice for any reason or for no reason at all. Only the President and Chancellor is authorized to make changes to any LU policy. Job functions and responsibilities are subject to change at the discretion of management. Efforts will be made to provide advanced notice of such changes whenever possible.

Education

CFA/MBA or equivalent graduate degree expected

Compensation (optional)

Base salary

Media links

https://www.liberty.edu/

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