With the stock market closing in on record highs and the mortgage backed securities market improving as we move into the spring, this can trigger new career opportunities as the demand for investor relations and middle office/operations professionals in the financial services industry increases. In fact, recruiters in The Execu|Search Group’s Financial Services division are already starting to see an increase in demand for these roles from our clients—a growth of 37% year over year, and an even more promising increase of 17% since this past January alone.

Investor Relations Roles
Due to the current state of the stock market, the demand for a number of professionals needed in the investor relations space is increasing. With the increased caution among investors in recent years, Asset Managers and Hedge Funds are looking to hire individuals to support their marketing efforts in attracting the surplus of money that has been going directly to the bank.

The two types of investor relations roles that are in particularly high demand at the moment are:

• Back Office Investor Relations—these individuals are responsible for handling documentation, subscriptions, redemptions, as well as simple paperwork/client service.
• Analytical Investor Relations—these individuals are responsible for fund performance, portfolio analysis, as well as acting as a liaison between the sales/marketing team and the investors. These Investor Relations professionals should fully understand fund portfolios and strategy in order to successfully assist buy-side firms in their marketing efforts.

Middle Office/Operations Roles
The mortgage-backed security market is back on the upswing as interest rates near historic lows, and increasing numbers of individuals are deciding to take advantage of refinancing mortgages. With that said, private equity funds, mutual funds, and hedge funds are seeking middle office/operations professionals who have experience in bank debt, loans, credit, and/or mortgage-backed securities.

The Bottom Line
Making a career shift within the financial services industry can be rewarding—especially when moving into high demand areas such as investor relations and middle office/operations. Along with the opportunity of gaining on-the-job training with in-demand products, our Financial Services recruiters are also seeing salary increases of 10-15% among the roles we’re placing with our clients.