Director, Institutional Sales

Location: New York

Job Title

Department

Client Facing-North America-USA

Overview of Department

Baillie Gifford’s business depends on providing our clients with excellent long term investment performance and first class client service. The Clients Department is responsible for liaising with our existing clients and developing relationships to attract potential new clients. Specifically, our Client Contacts seek to build excellent relationships by understanding their client's specific needs. In order to do this, Client contacts need to develop a detailed investment and portfolio knowledge and be proactive and responsive, which allows our investors to focus on investing.

The Clients Department functions as a number of small teams working together to provide our clients with the highest possible level of customer service.

Purpose of Role

The Client Relationship Director will be responsible for developing and deepening client relationships across the North America institutional market on behalf of the firm’s full suite of leading investment capabilities spanning Emerging Market, Domestic, International, and Global Public and Private Companies. Their territory focus will include portions of the West and/or Midwest regions.

The role will represent Baillie Gifford's investment capabilities and broader proposition with credibility and judgement, ensuring consultants have a deep and current understanding of the firm and our strategies.

Working closely with colleagues across our global Consultant Relations team, Investments and the wider Clients Department, this role will identify and develop opportunities and bring high-quality market intelligence back into the firm. This role will also contribute to the development of the US Institutional Sales strategy.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic business plan for expanding Baillie Gifford’s public and private companies strategies across the U.S. institutional channel with a focus on the West and Midwest regions
• Exhibit an intense and tenacious level of activity to source new leads and deepen existing client relationships
• Identify, secure, and close new institutional relationships and mandates across the firm’s public and private companies suite.
• Capture and deliver investor feedback internally to inform new product development ideas.
• Selectively attend conferences and industry events to increase prospective meetings and amplify the Baillie Gifford brand in the U.S. institutional channel.
• Partner closely with colleagues across sales, consultant relations, investor relations, and investments, sharing ideas, best practices, and relationships in order to maximize individual and team success.
• Serve as a culture carrier, trusted colleague, and informal mentor.
• Maintain and expand investment knowledge, through self-driven research as well as portfolio discussions within the team
• Ensure high level of collaboration through internal engagement with other departments.
• Make a valuable contribution to knowledge sharing within the firm.
• Actively participate in internal product groups, projects and/or development of staff as appropriate
• Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Undergraduate Degree preferred

Experience and knowledge

• 10+ years of experience selling to sophisticated institutional investors across client types (Corporate and Public Pensions, Endowments, Foundations, Family Offices and Insurers)
• Must have existing relationships with Institutional clients within the West and/or Mid region(s)
• Strong investment knowledge and the ability to discuss investment strategies, portfolios and market developments with sophisticated audiences
• Sound commercial judgement and track record of identifying, developing or influencing new business opportunities
• Possess a creative and disciplined approach to cultivating and deepening new and existing relationships
• The ability to gather market intelligence and use it appropriately to strengthen internal priorities, positioning and decision-making.

Experience influencing and collaborating across teams

• Strong presentation and communication skills, including the ability to represent the firm confidently with senior audiences.
• Evidence of contributing to team development, strategic initiatives, product work or knowledge sharing.
• FINRA 7 and 63 licenses required (must be taken within 6 months)