Octavius Finance
Quantitative Portfolio Manager – Equity Long/Short - Portfolio Construction & Risk
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Role Overview
We are working exclusively with a London-based buy-side firm looking to hire a senior portfolio construction and management specialist into a sophisticated equity long/short strategy.
This role requires someone who has previously owned and managed either an entire portfolio or a clearly defined part of one, with direct responsibility for P&L and the deployment of capital.
The successful candidate will work directly alongside the lead investor, taking meaningful ownership of how investment ideas are translated into a live portfolio. They will not be expected to generate their own stock ideas or run an independent sleeve. Instead, they will be accountable for ensuring that positioning, sizing, hedging, factor exposures, implementation and execution work together effectively.
The role sits at the intersection of investing, portfolio construction, risk and markets. It requires someone who understands not only what the portfolio owns, but why it is making or losing money, where unintended exposures are emerging and how the portfolio should evolve as market conditions change.
This is not a traditional risk-management position, nor is it a purely quantitative role. The client is looking for a genuine markets person with the judgement and experience to sit alongside a senior investor, challenge constructively and take day-to-day responsibility for portfolio implementation and behaviour.
Key Responsibilities
- Taking day-to-day ownership of portfolio construction and implementation across an equity long/short strategy
- Assuming responsibility for portfolio P&L, positioning and the deployment of capital
- Translating investment ideas and validated signals into appropriately sized live positions
- Managing portfolio- and security-level hedging, including sector baskets, factor overlays and options
- Monitoring and managing factor, sector, style and market exposures
- Identifying unintended or external risks within the portfolio
- Maintaining a detailed understanding of the drivers of portfolio performance and individual P&L
- Determining whether returns are being generated by the intended investment thesis or broader market exposures
- Working closely with the lead investor on gross and net exposure, concentration, liquidity and overall portfolio balance
- Overseeing market execution and the implementation of investment decisions
- Evaluating execution quality, transaction costs and liquidity
- Using data and quantitative analysis to improve portfolio decisions without becoming overly model-driven
- Acting as a trusted sounding board to the lead investor on positioning, risk and portfolio behaviour
- Helping improve the portfolio construction and hedging framework through evidence-led analysis
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Key Requirements
We are looking for candidates with:
- Previous responsibility for managing an entire portfolio or a defined part of one
- Direct accountability for P&L and capital deployment
- Significant experience within sophisticated equity long/short investing
- Deep practical knowledge of portfolio construction, baskets, hedging and factor management
- Strong options experience
- A strong understanding of market microstructure, execution and transaction-cost analysis
- The ability to diagnose why a portfolio is performing in a particular way
- A data-driven or quantamental mindset combined with strong investment judgement
- A genuine understanding of markets, rather than a purely quantitative or risk-management background
- The confidence to challenge senior investors constructively and support their views with evidence
- The ability to take ownership of portfolio implementation without needing to generate ideas or run an independent sleeve
- Strong commercial judgement and an investor-first mentality
- An energetic, engaged and highly collaborative personality
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Candidates are likely to have built their experience within a hedge fund, sophisticated asset manager, central risk book, family office or comparable investment environment. They should have spent meaningful time working directly with portfolio managers and live investment portfolios.
The opportunity should particularly appeal to someone who enjoys being close to the investment decision-making process, but whose edge lies in constructing, implementing and managing the portfolio around those decisions.
You will have significant exposure to the lead investor and considerable influence over how the strategy is implemented, positioned and ultimately scaled.
For the right individual, this offers the opportunity to become a central part of the investment team and play an important role in the long-term development of the strategy.
The position is based in London and requires full-time office attendance.
Please contact quanttrading@octaviusfinance.com for a confidential discussion.
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