Msim Investment Management Agreements Specialist - Vice President

Company Profile

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (“MSIM”), together with its investment advisory affiliates, operates in 23 countries with $1.5 Tn in assets under management or supervision as of December 31, 2023. Morgan Stanley Investment Management strives to provide outstanding long-term investment performance, service and a comprehensive suite of Investment Management solutions to a diverse client base, which includes governments, institutions, corporations and individuals worldwide.

As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence and strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career - a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.

Department Profile

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) is one of the largest global asset management organizations of any full service securities firm, with 45 offices serving clients in 19 countries. MSIM’s professionals worldwide provide outstanding long-term investment performance. We offer clients a diverse array of equity, fixed income, liquidity and alternative investments, including merchant banking strategies.

Team Profile

This unique role sits within a business function of MSIM (the Office of the Chief Operating Officer). The responsibilities of the team includes IMA business management and documentation, derivatives business management and documentation and governance and conflicts management. Team-members will be responsible for documentation, negotiation and project-management matters, and will be the personnel in the first-line responsible for designing and implementing solutions to manage legal and other risks for supported business areas.

Primary Responsibilities

The role will have a primary focus on providing general business support of the segregated account business within the North American region and negotiation of Investment Management Agreements (IMAs) for the segregated account client base. The individual will be responsible for project managing the workload and maintaining/ developing relationships with key stakeholders (e.g. Client Relationship Management and Take-on teams, Legal & Compliance, Portfolio Management teams).

Whilst the primary focus of this individual will be on the North American region, given the global nature of the IM business and of this team, team members will also be expected to support other geographical regions (including Asia-Pacific and EMEA) as required. There will also be opportunities for this individual to work on wider initiatives and documentation aspects relating to other aspects of the MSIM business.

Skills required

This is a dynamic position with broad responsibilities, ideal for a motivated, self-starting professional willing to help define the shape of this new role, whilst diving straight into a busy workload. Given the drafting and negotiation aspects of the role, the ideal candidate would be a qualified lawyer.

Areas of expertise in a combination (but not necessarily all) of the following areas are desirable:

- sound understanding of the asset management industry and knowledge of the client base of an institutional asset manager;

- knowledge of Investment Management Agreements and ancillary agreements and other commercial contracts with clients, distributors, intermediaries or other agents within the asset management sector;

- a working knowledge of funds in general;

- a working knowledge or prior experience of derivative trading documentation (e.g. ISDA/ CSA, clearing agreements, futures documentation), repo and stock lending arrangements) is beneficial but not essential;

- affinity with financial services regulation (including understanding of current regulatory framework relating to asset management (e.g. MIFID2, Advisers Act)); and

- at least 4 years in a major law firm and/or in-house at a sell-side or buy-side financial institution.

Any candidate should possess the skills and qualities normally present in lawyers with at least 4 years’ experience with the above background. As this role sits within a business function, it is particularly suited for lawyers who are looking for a move into an exciting and evolving business role. The following qualities will be expected:

• Professional maturity, confidence, presence and initiative

• Good judgment and practical outlook; commercially-minded

• Solid drafting and negotiation skills

• Strong organizational skills

• Good written and oral communication skills

• Aptitude for risk and controls

• Strong ability to influence outcomes and stakeholders

Wage Transparency Statement

Expected base pay rates for the role will be $125,000 - $200,000 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. Consequently, our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees. It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).