Risk Officer – Enterprise Risk Management & Investment Risk

The Opportunity:

Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices around the world, we serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Private Capital & Currency, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, we invest in what matters: our clients, our communities and our culture. We are proud of our employee-owned culture, built on collaboration and shared success, empowering our professionals to develop meaningful relationships, pursue growth opportunities and make a lasting impact for our clients and communities. Mesirow has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business multiple times and is one of Barron’s Top 100 RIA firms.

Mesirow is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Risk Officer to lead and enhance our firm's Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework while providing independent oversight of investment and portfolio risks across our institutional asset management and capital markets businesses.

This role will be responsible for identifying, assessing, monitoring, and reporting risks across the organization, including strategic, operational, regulatory, technology, cybersecurity, business continuity, and investment risks. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership, compliance, operations, technology, legal, and internal committees to strengthen the firm's overall risk culture and governance.

This position offers an opportunity to build upon an established risk framework while helping shape the firm's long-term risk strategy.

Key Responsibilities: 

Enterprise Risk Management

• Maintain and continuously improve the firm's Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework.
• Facilitate firm-wide risk assessments and maintain the enterprise risk register.
• Identify, evaluate, and monitor strategic, operational, financial, regulatory, technology, vendor, and reputational risks.
• Develop and monitor Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and risk appetite metrics.
• Prepare quarterly risk reports for executive management and the Board.
• Coordinate periodic risk assessments with business units across the firm.
• Monitor emerging risks and industry developments affecting the firm.
• Oversee the firm's incident management and risk event reporting process.
• Assist with regulatory examinations and due diligence requests relating to risk management.

Investment Risk Oversight 

• Provide independent oversight of investment risks across investment strategies.
• Monitor portfolio exposures, leverage, liquidity, counterparty, concentration, market, and currency risks.
• Develop and maintain investment risk reporting and dashboards.
• Review portfolio risk relative to client guidelines and investment mandates.
• Partner with portfolio managers to understand evolving investment risks while maintaining independent oversight.
• Perform stress testing and scenario analysis across investment portfolios.
• Evaluate new investment products, strategies, and trading activities from a risk perspective. 

Qualifications: 

Required 

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Risk Management, Business, Mathematics, or a related field.
• 5-10 years of experience in enterprise risk management, investment risk, operational risk, or a related field within asset management, banking, insurance, or financial services.
• Strong understanding of institutional asset management and investment products.
• Experience with Enterprise Risk Management frameworks.
• Knowledge of portfolio risk measurement techniques.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong project management and organizational abilities.
• Ability to influence stakeholders across multiple business functions.

Preferred 

• Master's degree (MBA, MS Finance, or related field).
• Professional certifications such as:
• FRM (Financial Risk Manager)
• CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
• PRM (Professional Risk Manager)
• CRM or equivalent risk management certification
• Experience with foreign exchange, derivatives, overlay strategies, or multi-asset portfolios.
• Experience implementing or administering Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) platforms

In accordance with the Illinois Pay Transparency Law, the anticipated hiring base salary for the role will be between $125,000 and $175,000 per year. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, also provides the opportunity for a bonus and the Mesirow benefit program.

EOE