Position Summary
The Head of Portfolio Allocation is a hybrid role, combining sophisticated understanding of asset allocation, investment and portfolio management, client relations, and the firm's product suite and capabilities across Carlyle and AlpInvest.
This is a centralized role reporting to the Head of Global Research & Investment Strategy and leveraging that team's resources and insights while working in tandem with some of the firm's senior‐most professionals, including investor relations, fund management, investment teams, and legal & compliance. The individual must understand and be able to work across all Carlyle asset classes and across Carlyle‐advised funds and products, Carlyle AlpInvest, NGP‐advised funds, and separately managed accounts for insurance companies, pension plans and family offices.
This role can be based in New York, NY or Washington, DC.
Primary Responsibilities
The Head of Portfolio Allocation will be responsible for fostering and developing transparent and iterative partnerships with a handful of the firm's most strategic relationships, leading portfolio construction and management of longer‐term / semi‐permanent discretionary and semi‐ discretionary pools of capital, and authoring Carlyle AlpInvest's economic and strategic research, including publications and client presentations. The individual must be able to manage regular client engagement (including giving presentations at conferences and individual client meetings and occasionally joining the IR team on roadshows to support fundraising and business development); predict and respond to client information / data needs; provide updates, insight, and drivers on portfolio performance; appropriately leverage firm resources to enhance client relationships; and make strategic asset allocation plans and specific investment recommendations encompassing all of the firm's investment capabilities and backed by sophisticated portfolio analysis, including performance projections, risk factors, regulatory implications, macroeconomic scenarios, and deployment assumptions, among other factors. Portfolio analysis and construction should align with client expectations and be optimized to meet those expectations and the respective mandate's objectives (e.g., j‐curve mitigation, consistent annual deployment, risk/return parameters, regional or industry focus) as applicable.
Requirements
- Advanced degree in finance, actuarial, economics, mathematics or related field preferred
- Professional certifications (e.g. FSA, CFA) ideal
- Asset allocation experience across alternative asset classes (fund and direct co‐ investment experience)
- Experience working with clients on strategic long‐term portfolio construction, including building model portfolios, proposing asset allocations and devising return targets and risk metrics
- Ability to fully understand risks, rewards, and merits of investment options offered by the firm and ability to strategically identify "white space opportunities" that are accretive to clients' objectives
- Direct co‐investment underwriting experience with ability to provide country and FX outlooks (multi‐asset class preferable)
- Direct secondary underwriting experience with ability to provide country and FX outlooks (multi‐asset class preferable)
- Significant client interaction and / or prior experience in an alternative asset product specialist role
- Ability to deliver communications on behalf of the firm which may be sensitive or strategic in nature
- Solid business sense and ability to negotiate managed account parameters with potential clients.
- A demonstrated history of idea generation, collaboration and execution in a matrixed organization. The candidate must be able to develop internal partnerships and work across platforms to consistently deliver Carlyle's best ideas in an efficient manner
- Strong data analytics and data science background and experience interpreting detailed cashflow models for complex alternative asset portfolios and leveraging proprietary systems and AI tools to drive dynamic portfolio insights
- Predicting and managing liquidity by analyzing deployment pacing, capital structures, exit timing, and portfolio company performance
- Risk management experience to understand risk/return trade‐offs across a portfolio and implications of each investment decision within the strategic accounts
- Assessing risks by portfolio company, asset class, vintage year or region, etc.
- Stress testing portfolios, forecasting risks, and optimizing allocation strategies using predictive analytics and advanced data techniques
- Conducting scenario analysis (e.g., impact of rising interest rates) and retrospective reviews to assess historical investment decisions
- Leveraging data-driven insights to make portfolio and investment recommendations based on client / investment team expectations and objectives
- Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to distill complex macroeconomic and investment concepts into clear, compelling publications, white papers, and client-facing materials to support Carlyle AlpInvest's economic and asset allocation research.
- Benchmarking experience, particularly as it relates to non‐public investments
- Experience delivering sophisticated, comprehensive reporting packages to fully convey the performance and risks of the investments
Benefits/Compensation
The compensation range for this role is specific to New York and Washington, DC and takes into account a wide range of factors including but not limited to the skill sets required/preferred; prior experience and training; licenses and/or certifications.
The anticipated base salary range for this role is $400,000.
In addition to the base salary, the hired professional will enjoy a comprehensive benefits package spanning retirement benefits, health insurance, life insurance and disability, paid time off, paid holidays, family planning benefits and various wellness programs. Additionally, the hired professional may also be eligible to participate in an annual discretionary incentive program, the award of which will be dependent on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.
Due to the high volume of candidates, please be advised that only candidates selected to interview will be contacted by Carlyle.
