Retirement Investment Officer - Compliance

Retirement Investment Officer

The Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) is the fiduciary responsible for administering the IPERS Trust Fund. IPERS members represent most of Iowa’s hard-working public sector employees, including educators, first responders, law enforcement and more. IPERS’ mission is to support its membership – Iowa’s public workforce – with the prudent management of the IPERS Trust Fund.

At the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS), we believe that every employee plays an integral role in our success. We take pride in maintaining our status as one of the nation’s most well-funded public retirement plans.

IPERS is seeking a highly motivated, experienced professional to join our private markets team as a Retirement Investment Officer. In this role, you will drive critical investment operations and perform high-level portfolio analysis. You will directly manage and evaluate private market assets to secure and optimize long-term financial returns for our members.

If you are a driven, forward-thinking leader looking to make a meaningful, lasting impact on the financial security of thousands of public servants, we want you on our team.

What You’ll Do

Our Investment Division seeks experienced institutional allocators with deep expertise in private market assets, including private equity, credit, and real assets. Candidates should possess advanced analytical skills, relevant designations such as CFA or CAIA, and strong communication abilities for boardroom presentations.

• Manage Portfolio Assets: Assist in overseeing IPERS’ $14B+ private markets portfolio across private credit, real assets, private equity, and co-investments.
• Sourced New Opportunities: Research emerging investment themes and identify high-potential primary investments and co-investments.
• Conduct Deep Analysis: Develop precise financial forecasts, execute cost-benefit analyses, and draft comprehensive investment memos and presentations.
• Evaluate Performance Metrics: Analyze private market returns, rigorously validate management fees, and maintain specialized investment software.
• Lead Deal Execution: Collaborate on deal underwriting, select investments, and negotiate strategic business terms.
• Represent the System: Monitor assigned investment accounts and actively participate on external Advisory Boards.
• Optimize Portfolio Strategy: Contribute directly to asset allocation, portfolio construction, risk management, and annual investment planning.
• Brief Executive Leadership: Prepare and present detailed, high-level portfolio performance updates directly to the IPERS Investment Board.

Additional information

Candidates are encouraged to include detailed information about their relevant experience in their application or submit a cover letter and resume in addition to their application.

Desirable Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this role possesses direct private market investment experience, strong analytical skills for evaluating complex alternative asset metrics, and excellent communication abilities. Furthermore, they are required to have a collaborative approach to low-hierarchy environments and hold advanced degrees or professional designations such as CFA or CAIA.

• Final candidates will be subject to a background check.
• Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday; some nights and weekends, occasional in-state and out-of-state travel.

A successful candidate will bring or have the ability and desire to learn:

• Allocating Across Private Markets: Hands-on experience or structural knowledge regarding alternative investments, specifically targeting private credit, real assets, private equity, and co-investments.
• Complex Financial Modeling: Advanced capabilities to forecast asset metrics, execute cost-benefit analyses, and validate performance fees.
• Institutional-Grade Data Analysis: Proficiency in maintaining specialized investment software and leveraging quantitative metrics to build actionable investment summaries.
• Strategic Deal Negotiation: Aptitude for reviewing and structuring complex business terms, making formal pitches, and monitoring institutional accounts.
• Low-Hierarchy Collaboration: Adaptability to work fluidly within a flat corporate environment, actively leading peer-driven due diligence and cross-team projects.
• Boardroom Communication: Skills to synthesize complicated financial data into polished presentations for high-level brief sessions with executive leadership and the Investment Board.
• Continuous Industry Education: Commitment to pursuing or maintaining elite professional credentials (such as CFA or CAIA) and advanced market research trends.