Making a Difference
The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), founded in 1951, is a premier global investment organization responsible for managing the more than $162 billion of assets of the fully funded Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), the State Investment Fund and other state funds. Through SWIB’s effective and innovative investment management, WRS remains one of the only fully funded US public pensions. The WRS consistently ranks among the 10 largest public pension funds in the U.S. SWIB is recognized by the investment industry for our teamwork and innovation. SWIB pursues sophisticated global investment strategies across the asset and risk allocation spectrum. Providers across the investment ecosystem seek to partner with SWIB.
Serving more than 692,000 beneficiaries of the WRS, SWIB is a mission-driven organization focused on providing a strong financial future to those who committed their careers to public service. For public employees and the 1,607 Wisconsin employers who contribute on their behalf, we are a trusted partner. Our team innovates continuously to meet the challenges of an evolving investment landscape while growing and protecting the assets of the WRS.
SWIB provides a strong, steady economic pillar for the state of Wisconsin by growing the trust funds under its management, managing risk, and optimizing costs of the long term. We are a mission-driven organization and the participants we serve are our mission. By bringing a disciplined, prudent, and innovative approach to market opportunities, SWIB has been successful in generating required returns and maintaining the trust of the beneficiaries and stakeholders of the funds we oversee.
Home To Top Talent
Our high-performing staff is key to what makes us a premier investment manager. SWIB is committed to investing in talented professionals to implement our robust, sophisticated investment strategies and to keep the organization at the forefront of the investment industry. We encourage innovation and offer professional development opportunities to help staff sharpen and expand their skills. Approximately 61 percent of SWIB’s investment professionals are Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholders.
Job Description:
The Technology Team at SWIB supports, implements & develops industry-leading systems and platforms to support SWIB’s diverse and complex set of investment portfolios and strategies. The team at SWIB strives to be a trusted advisor and partner to the business that is valued as a critical contributor to SWIB’s continued growth and success. We effectively leverage technology to derive the maximum value from it and achieve SWIB’s business goals. We keep technology aligned with SWIB’s future direction and operate SWIB’s technology according to industry standards.
Position Overview:
The Investment Systems Engineer is responsible for leading the day-to-day technical work related to the business systems architecture supporting SWIB’s front and middle offices functionality for both public and private markets. This senior role will also be responsible for leading the construction and maintenance of the processes utilized by the Investment Systems Engineers and consultants. This role has deep investment industry knowledge allowing the incumbent to effectively analyze, design, model/prototype, test, and guide the implementation of systems utilized by SWIB. The role partners with Operations and other parts of Technology to ensure that SWIB’s systems are appropriately designed to meet business needs and be effectively supported over time.
Essential activities:
- Work with Technology Owners, Business Owners, and Operations to research and implement new solutions and identify the support needs of those solutions.
- Analyze Investment Management, Operations, and Technology teams’ needs, both internal and external of SWIB, to ensure business needs are continuously being met through the design, development, or deployment of software (whether through upgrades or new programs).
- Serve as the architect/designer for the investment management applications and systems SWIB utilizes, and how those applications, systems, and component pieces interact, including creating test plans, scenarios, and procedures for new software implemented.
- Identify gaps and risks in SWIB’s systems architecture, design, and projects. Make recommendations to business and Technology management about the best way to address or minimize these gaps and risks.
- Lead, facilitate, and coordinate the software or solution architecture and design (including, where applicable, the code needed) of solutions (e.g., applications and systems).
- Implement software testing, using either manual or automated programs and exploratory testing, and evaluate results, including documenting and reporting defects or problems with software and oversee future maintenance and upgrades.
- Serves as Subject matter expert on IT Business applications space to identify, troubleshoot and resolve production issues.
- Continue to mature and evolve knowledge of investment and asset management business practices, both from a textbook and a practical perspective
- Understand general and investment industry-specific technology trends and forecast future technology shifts.
- Research new investment management technologies to help drive SWIB’s business capabilities forward and maintain a high degree of awareness of common industry-specific trends, products, vendors, and services.
The ideal candidate:
- Bachelor’s Degree required with a preference focus within Information Systems, Computer Science or Finance.
- 2+ plus years of investment management industry experience.
- Have knowledge of one or more third party ABOR/IBOR applications such as Simcorp Dimension, Eagle STAR/PACE or equivalents with a focus on the use of such systems from a public and/or private markets perspective.
- Substantial knowledge of investment industry operational and functional capabilities.
- Substantial knowledge of investment industry strategies, processes, and technologies.
- Having hands on experience with Simcorp Dimension is an added advantage.
- Having work experience on agile methodology is an added advantage.
- Ability to objectively influence successful outcomes and work cross-functionally.
- Ability to document and communicate technical knowledge effectively.
- Ability to envision solutions, communicate those solutions and help form tangible outputs from those conceptual solutions.
- Communicating complex technology subjects in layman’s terms.
- Detailed familiarity with common investment practices and securities.
- Ability to design technology solutions to solve business problems.
- Ability to translate business requirements into technology specifications and design systems to meet the needs of the business.
SWIB Offers:
- Competitive total cash compensation, based on AON (formerly McLagan) industry benchmarks
- Comprehensive benefits package
- Educational and training opportunities
- Tuition reimbursement
- Challenging work in a professional environment
- Hybrid work environment
The position requires U.S. work authorization.
Pursuant to our Hybrid Remote Work Policy, all staff have the flexibility to work remotely, but are required to have a weekly presence in our offices, the frequency of which is dependent on their distance from office. Staff are not required to reside locally; however, we offer relocation reimbursement to the Dane County area per our policy.
All SWIB employees are subject to SWIB’s Ethics Policy and Personal Trade Approvals Policy. These policies include restrictions on outside business activities and employment and have limits on personal trading. You may request copies of these policies from SWIB’s talent acquisition team and any questions can be answered by SWIB’s compliance team.
