Posted On: August 20, 2014
Media-Related Job
Media Organization: N/A
Company Description
Due Diligence and RFP Writer (Title: Knowledge Management Associate)
Client Service and Marketing Department
Bridgewater Associates, LP
Bridgewater is the world’s largest hedge fund with approximately $160 billion in assets under management. Throughout its nearly 40-year history, Bridgewater has been recognized as a top-performing manager and an industry innovator. Bridgewater was one of the few firms to have positive performance during the 2008 credit crisis. In both 2010 and 2011, Bridgewater ranked as the largest and best-performing hedge fund manager in the world, and in both 2012 and 2013, Bridgewater was recognized for having earned its clients more than any other hedge fund in the history of the industry. Pensions and Investments also ranked Bridgewater as one of “The Best Places to Work in Money Management.”
In addition to generating great returns for investors, Bridgewater’s innovations have changed how investing is done in several ways including the separation of alpha and beta and the pioneering of Risk Parity. As global macro investors, the firm has also helped to shape modern economic theory and influence global policy makers. Due to the magnitude of its beneficial impact on the investment industry, Bridgewater has received over 40 “best of” industry awards and its founder Ray Dalio has received multiple life time achievement awards. In 2012, Time magazine judged Dalio to be one of the 100 most influential people in the world because of his influence on economic thinking.
Bridgewater's sole focus is asset management for the largest and most sophisticated institutional investors globally, including: corporate and public pension funds, university endowments, charitable foundations, supranational agencies, foreign governments, and central banks.
Bridgewater’s unique results are a product of its unique culture. The core aspects of the culture have been captured in a document entitled “Principles,” which is posted at www.bwater.com along with videos of employees describing what it’s like to work at Bridgewater. The website also contains examples of Bridgewater research and a sampling of press articles.
Client Service Overview:
Bridgewater manages approximately $160 billion, and institutional asset management is our only focus as a company. We only have approximately 300 clients, including the largest public pension funds, corporate pension funds, jointly-trusteed funds, university endowments, charitable foundations, and sovereign wealth funds globally. Partnering with our clients in a strategic way (being as impactful as possible in sharing both our active views of the global financial markets and our views on portfolio management issues more broadly) is a core competency.
This combination (having a small number of relationships with the largest and most sophisticated investors in the world, and for which Bridgewater is an important manager both in terms of our impact on the portfolio and on strategic issues more broadly) is very unique in the industry. And as you might imagine, given our average client size (approximately $500 million invested with Bridgewater), our clients’ initial and on-going due diligence efforts are extremely important – they have to be able to understand all aspects of Bridgewater, and be left with confidence that we are best-in-class.
As well, Bridgewater competes for the biggest mandates in the most competitive markets in the business, where the RFP is a critical part of that process.
Team Summary:
In order to win new business and maintain excellent relationships with our existing clients, Bridgewater responds to Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Due Diligence Questionnaires (DDQs), ad-hoc questions, and strategic communications about how we run our business – both verbally and in written form. Bridgewater is routinely recognized as being best in class in our communications in these areas, and as we look ahead to the next several years, we are making an investment in building out our team to set new standards in this area.
Our Knowledge Management (KM) Team is responsible for understanding the fundamental aspects of our business and operations and providing clients and prospects with transparency into how we maintain a rock-solid institution. Additionally, this team will increasingly become responsible for in-person due diligence visits and shaping the way investors stay informed on these matters. Finally, this group serves as the “hub” for creating our messaging around all the things happening at Bridgewater and informing/training our client facing staff (in conjunction with the department head).
Job Description
Position Summary
The role we are currently hiring for is a Knowledge Management Associate (“KMA”) that would primarily be responsible for:
1) Partnering with Client/Sales teams, subject matter experts (including research professionals), and the Client Service/Marketing Department Head to craft Bridgewater’s responses to the most important DDQ and RFP questions.
2) Writing large, multi-dimensional RFP’s and DDQs by coordinating engagement across the firm’s 16 departments.
3) Writing the answers to the most commonly asked client questions regarding all aspects of Bridgewater its portfolio management.
Position Requirements:
Fundamental abilities
• Ability to quickly understand and deconstruct complex concepts
• Ability to synthesize complex concepts, both verbally and written, in a clear, commonsense and concise manner
• Ability to coordinate numerous projects across multiple stakeholders with tight timelinesAbility and inclination to “take the bull by the horns” to a) improve the way we organize and communicate content, and b) learn a breadth of content about how Bridgewater operates
• Ability to have open, direct conversations about what you’re like, what’s working and what isn’t
• Strong work ethic and attention to details
• Innate curiosity, humility, confidence
Desired Experience:
• 1-3 years writing or editing investment content in a client service organization OR
• 1-3 years writing or editing investment related content for a financial publication, or similar medium OR
• 1-3 years writing or editing at a large publishing company OR
• 2-4 years writing or editing at a large university publication
Required Skills:
1. Strong writing skills – preferably top-tier undergraduate university text analysis, reading comprehension, and composition experience
2. Strong interpersonal skills
In addition, to succeed within our culture and work environment, individuals must demonstrate humility, innate curiosity, and openness to new ideas and approaches. Candidates must be driven, confident, and goal-oriented. All Bridgewater employees are expected to be honest, exceptionally direct, and eager to provide and receive feedback.
Bridgewater Associates, LP is an Affirmative Action – Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment at Bridgewater is subject to an extensive background check.
To Apply
Contact Ruben Harris at Ruben.Harris@bwater.com