Investment Analyst Job Description Template

The investment analyst does the primary research behind the fund’s positions. That means building the model, understanding the business well enough to know what the market is missing and writing the case clearly enough that a portfolio manager can act on it. Coverage is usually a sector or a set of themes, and the analyst is expected to know those names better than anyone on the sell side. It is a role where the work is judged on outcomes rather than effort.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and maintain financial models for companies within your coverage
• Develop investment theses and quantify the upside and downside of each
• Conduct primary research through channel checks, industry contacts and expert calls
• Track quarterly results, guidance and management commentary across coverage
• Write research notes that set out the thesis, the catalysts and the risks
• Monitor existing positions and flag when the original thesis is breaking
• Analyze industry data, competitor filings and regulatory developments
• Present ideas to portfolio managers and defend them under questioning
• Maintain a watch list of names worth owning at a different price
• Support the wider team on cross sector questions and thematic work

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting or a related field

Required Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of investment research experience on the buy side or sell side
• Strong financial modeling and accounting skills, including three statement models
• Ability to build a differentiated view rather than summarize consensus
• Comfort with primary research and speaking to industry participants
• Clear, concise written communication
• Proficiency with Excel, and with FactSet, Bloomberg or CapIQ
• Intellectual honesty about what you do not know
• Ability to work at pace through earnings season

Preferred Qualifications

• CFA charter or progress toward it
• Python or SQL for working with larger data sets