Director Fixed Operations Jobs in Wisconsin (NOW HIRING)

About The Role:

Baird is seeking an experienced investment professional to serve as Manager of Equity & Fixed Income Research within our Private Wealth Management (PWM) Research team. The PWM Equity & Fixed Income Research team is responsible for consulting on over $125B in individual stocks across Baird's PWM system and providing investment guidance and support to Baird's Financial Advisors. This role plays a central part in leading equity research and portfolio management efforts, with additional oversight of fixed income activities within the PWM research platform.

This role is designed as a playercoach position, combining handson investment responsibility with team leadership, research prioritization, and advisor engagement. The Manager will directly act as comanager for two PWM Home Office Portfolios, collectively managing over $9B in client assets, and will also be responsible for overseeing two additional PWM Home Office Portfolios with nearly $2B in client assets. The role serves as a primary driver of daytoday research execution and portfolio decisionmaking, with significant accountability for research quality, portfolio positioning, and advisorfacing outputs. Hybrid flexibility is offered, though business needs may require managers to maintain a greater in-office presence than analysts.

The Impact You'll Make:

• Play a lead role in the portfolio management of two PWM equity portfolios, including security selection, monitoring, and positioning
• Lead, coach, and develop Associate through Senior Analyst-level talent, providing day-to-day direction, feedback, and mentorship
• Drive equity research execution, with an emphasis on bottom-up stock selection
• Partner with PWM Investment Strategist for portfolio-level insights, including macroeconomic views, sector views, and thematic insights
• Formulate and clearly communicate investment views, risks, and portfolio implications
• Provide oversight and guidance to fixed income research to ensure balanced, high-quality coverage
• Help to shape research priorities and allocate team resources based on market conditions and advisor needs
• Own the quality, accuracy, and integrity of research output and portfolio positioning
• Partner with analysts and PWM Market Strategy to deliver timely, insightful thought pieces across equities and fixed income
• Actively engage with Baird Financial Advisors through calls, presentations, written insights, and branch interactions to deliver research insights, portfolio guidance, and market perspective
• Drive awareness and adoption of four PWM Home Office Portfolios across the Baird branch network
• Serve as a key research contact and thought partner to advisors and internal stakeholders
• Contribute to platform innovation and operational efficiencies through the use of technology, including AI
• Establish clear expectations for research quality, communication, execution, and client service
• Manage hiring, onboarding, development, and performance management, with clear accountability for team execution and daytoday leadership
• Foster a collaborative, high performance team culture

What You'll Bring To Baird:

• Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, or related field; MBA or advanced degree a plus
• 10+ years of investment experience, with strong equity research and portfolio management background, including direct security selection experience
• CFA designation strongly preferred (or meaningful progress toward completion)
• SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 licenses (or ability to obtain within six months)
• Working knowledge of fixed income markets and portfolio implications
• Strong investment judgment, analytical rigor, and high attention to detail
• Experience mentoring or developing junior talent; formal people management experience preferred but not required
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex investment views for advisors; ability to interact with and influence all levels of the organization

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Baird is committed to diversity and provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, military service, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.