We serve Utah public employees with retirement and insurance benefits in a partnership of trust with a commitment to value, innovation, and excellence.  URS has two divisions.  The Retirement Office administers pension benefits and retirement savings plans.  Public Employees Health Program (PEHP), a division of Utah Retirement Systems, is a nonprofit trust with the vital job of providing health benefits to Utah’s public employees and their families.  We serve only the public sector — the State of Utah, its counties, cities, school districts, and other public agencies. 

To learn more about the URS Investments Department click here: https://investments.urs.org

Temporary position not to exceed 29 hours per week for up to one (1) year or 40 hours per week for up to six (6) months.

POSITION SUMMARY

This is a temporary position working with URS’ investment staff to assist the department in gathering data for risk management systems and running and reconciling monthly risk reports. Assists staff in performing a variety of projects and tasks related to analyzing the risk of the investment portfolio. Interns will be encouraged and expected to become more familiar with the organization’s major asset classes (equities, fixed income, private equity, hedge funds, real assets).

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

1. Assists the Investment team with portfolio reporting requirements and ad hoc analysis. Gathers and organizes information from data vendors, managers, and prospective managers to update internal databases and 3^rd party risk systems.
2. Monitors trends in industry. May prepare research papers analyzing potential market movements and our exposure to various risk factors.
3. Assists in recommending improvements in gathering data and automating processes for constructing risk reports. May assist in building out the data, analyses, and infrastructure for new risk monitoring tools.
4. Reconciles the observed changes in risk exposures with changes in positions monthly.
5. Provides recommendations about portfolio construction based on risk analysis conducted.
6. Promotes internal cooperation among departmental staff and between outside advisers.
7. Maintains strict confidentiality.
8. Performs other related duties as required.

INTERN OBJECTIVES

1. Learn about institutional investment strategies and their risk/return profiles.
2. Utilize and become proficient in Excel and other technologies, including database and in-depth analysis.
3. Develop investment network.
4. Develop strong communication and analytical skills.

Education and Experience

High school graduate actively pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited university in the fields of investment management, business administration, accounting, financial management, business economics, statistics, mathematics, physics, or related field. Must have the ability to demonstrate prior experience with basic investment concepts and quantitative analysis either through applicable work experience or education.

Candidates pursuing the CFA, FRM, or PRM designation are preferred.

Programming experience (R, Python, etc.) is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

This list contains knowledge, skills, and abilities that are typically associated with the job. It is not all-inclusive and may vary from position to position:

Required technical skills include the working knowledge and ability of:

• Personal computer operations and various program applications including: Access, Excel, Word, SQL, and Visual Basic.
• Financial statistical techniques including multiple linear regression and value at risk.
• Investments and portfolio management practices and procedures such as: portfolio finance, investment methods and concepts, security valuation methods, IRR, NPV, capitalization techniques, sensitivity analysis, economic analysis, income statements, balance sheets, risk analysis, interpersonal communication skills, and working knowledge of investment performance measures.

Must have the ability to:

• Draft reports, documents and agreements.
• Make decisions and resolve conflicts.
• Communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Follow written and verbal instructions.
• Establish and develop effective working relationships with finance and consulting professionals, executives (public and private), department heads, and co‑workers.
• Prioritize work.
• Perform within deadlines.
• Work well in a team environment as well as independently.
• Multi-task by handling a variety of duties in a timely and efficient manner.
• Follow through with assignments.
• Deal effectively with stress caused by workload and time deadlines.

The incumbent must always demonstrate judgment, high integrity, and personal values consistent with the values of URS.

As a requirement of this position, the employee will submit to the URS Investment Compliance Officer a record of trade confirmations or monthly transaction summaries, as they become available, of all security transactions (excluding mutual funds), in any account under the employee’s control and direction, or under the control and direction of the employee’s spouse.

Work Environment

Incumbent performs in a typical office setting with appropriate climate controls. Tasks require a variety of physical activities which do not generally involve muscular strain, but do require activities related to walking, standing, stooping, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing and seeing. Common eye, hand, finger dexterity required to perform essential functions.