Symmetry: Head of Institutional Investments

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Job Description

The Head of Institutional Investments is accountable for the investment leadership, portfolio construction and investment outcomes of Symmetry's institutional multi-managed solutions. The role leads the institutional portfolio management capability and acts as the senior investment representative of Symmetry to institutional clients, trustees, asset consultants and strategic partners.

This role brings together Symmetry's specialist capabilities in strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager research, responsible investing, private markets and portfolio management and translates these inputs into well-constructed, implementable and appropriately governed institutional portfolios.

The role works closely with Product and Distribution while retaining clear investment accountability for institutional multi-manager portfolio decisions and outcomes.

Working in close partnership with Product, Investment servicing and Distribution teams, the Head of Institutional Investments carries a dual mandate of investment excellence and commercial growth. In addition to sole accountability for investment outcomes, the Head of Institutional Investments shares accountability for originating and winning new institutional business and for retaining and growing existing institutional assets under management, while at all times safeguarding investment integrity, fiduciary duty and governance.

Key Responsibilities:

Institutional Investment Leadership and Accountability:

• Provide investment leadership and clear accountability for Symmetry's institutional multi-managed portfolio range.
• Own the investment positioning and investment outcomes of the institutional solutions, within approved mandates and governance frameworks.
• Ensure the investment philosophy and process are consistently and rigorously applied to institutional portfolios and remain appropriate for evolving client needs and market conditions.
• Contribute to the strategic development of Symmetry's institutional investment proposition and its competitiveness in the South African institutional market.

Portfolio Construction and Management:

• Lead portfolio construction across institutional multi-manager solutions, including the combination of asset classes, investment strategies and underlying managers.
• Translate strategic and tactical asset allocation research and views into portfolio positioning appropriate to each portfolio's objectives, risk budget and constraints.
• Assess portfolio-level risks, diversification, liquidity, implementation considerations and unintended exposures, and take appropriate action where required.
• Ensure effective risk management ensuring that risks are intentional, diversified, monitored, and aligned with strategic objectives
• Oversee portfolio implementation, rebalancing and material portfolio changes to ensure investment decisions are executed efficiently and in line with approved mandates.

Manager Selection and Portfolio Integration:

• Work closely with the Manager Research capability to translate manager research, due diligence and approved-manager views into portfolio decisions.
• Be accountable for portfolio-level decisions on manager selection, combination, sizing and replacement through the appropriate investment governance processes.
• Use the full investment opportunity set, including active and passive, local and global, traditional and alternative strategies, where appropriate to client objectives.
• Monitor the contribution of underlying managers and strategies to portfolio outcomes and initiate changes where the investment case or portfolio role no longer remains appropriate.

Investment Performance, Risk and Governance:

• Maintain clear accountability for institutional portfolio performance and risk outcomes against stated investment objectives and benchmarks.
• Lead or participate in relevant investment governance forums and ensure material investment decisions are appropriately evidenced, challenged, documented and implemented.
• Ensure portfolios are managed in accordance with client mandates, regulatory requirements, fiduciary obligations and Symmetry's governance standards.
• Identify portfolios, strategies or underlying managers requiring intervention and ensure timely and appropriate corrective action.

Institutional Client and Market Leadership:

• Act as a senior investment representative of Symmetry with institutional clients, boards of trustees, asset consultants and other key market stakeholders.
• Present and defend investment philosophy, portfolio construction, positioning, performance and manager decisions with credibility and clarity.
• Provide senior investment leadership in client report-backs, consultant engagements, tenders, pitches and other strategically important institutional engagements.
• Build confidence in Symmetry's institutional investment capability through high-quality communication, thought leadership and consistent investment accountability.

Institutional Growth and Proposition Development:

• Partner with Product, Distribution and Investment Consulting to develop institutional solutions that respond to client needs while maintaining investment integrity.
• Provide investment leadership for new-business opportunities and the development or evolution of institutional propositions, including bespoke and multi-managed solutions.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the institutional proposition across global investments, passive implementation, alternatives and other developing investment capabilities.

New Business Origination, Retention and Commercial Partnership (with Growth and Retention):

• Partner with Product, Distribution and Investment Servicing & Consulting to originate and win institutional new business, actively working the pipeline and acting as investment lead on strategic pursuits against agreed new-business targets.
• Build and sustain relationships with asset consultants, and centres of influence to generate deal flow and secure consultant ratings and help shape the go-to-market strategy and value proposition.

• Share accountability with Product, Distribution and Investment Servicing for retaining and growing existing clients and assets, defending mandates at risk and pursuing cross-sell and share-of-wallet opportunities across the book.
• Share accountability for agreed commercial outcomes, including net flows, new and retained assets and revenue growth, through a joint operating model that preserves the independence of the Head of Institutional Investments investment judgement.
• Ensure that commercial and retention targets never override investment judgement, mandate discipline, fiduciary duty or governance.

 

Team Leadership and Development:

• Lead and develop the institutional portfolio management capability, creating clear ownership and accountability for investment decisions and outcomes.
• Build a high-performance investment culture characterised by intellectual rigor, constructive challenge, collaboration, client focus and strong fiduciary standards.
• Develop investment talent and succession capability and contribute to strengthening the diversity and depth of Symmetry's investment leadership.

 

These responsibilities provide an overview of the role and are not exhaustive.

Qualification, Skills and Experience

• A relevant postgraduate qualification in Investments, Finance, Economics, Actuarial Science, Mathematics or a related discipline.
• A recognised professional investment qualification such as CFA, CAIA, actuarial qualification or CA(SA) is strongly preferred.
• At least 15 years of relevant investment experience, with substantial experience in institutional investment management, multi-management, investment consulting or portfolio solutions.
• Demonstrated responsibility for constructing and managing multi-asset and/or multi-manager portfolios and for the resulting investment decisions and outcomes.
• Deep understanding of manager research, manager selection and portfolio integration across domestic and global asset classes.
• Strong knowledge of the South African institutional and retirement-fund investment environment, including relevant regulatory and fiduciary requirements.

• Demonstrated senior client-facing experience with boards of trustees, asset consultants and sophisticated institutional clients.
• Experience leading senior investment professionals and operating within formal investment governance structures.
• Experience across traditional and alternative investments, including the use of active and passive implementation approaches.
• Must meet all applicable regulatory, fit-and-proper and governance requirements associated with the role.
• Demonstrated track record of winning and originating institutional mandates, not only managing them.
• Experience leading RFPs, tenders and consultant engagements, and working alongside distribution/sales.
• An established network among South African asset consultants, trustees and institutional gatekeepers.

 

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Skills

Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Business Requirements Analysis, Change Management, Client Management, Current State Assessment, Customer Service, Customer Value Management, Executing Plans, Legal Practices, Oral Communications, Policies & Procedures, Presenting Solutions, Prioritization

Competencies

Balances Stakeholders

Builds Effective Teams

Communicates Effectively

Drives Vision and Purpose

Financial Acumen

Instills Trust

Manages Complexity

Optimizes Work Processes

Education

NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

30 October 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

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