Trading Associate

About Zuckerman Investment Group

Zuckerman Investment Group is a family owned and independent wealth management firm based in Chicago, IL. Established in 2005 by its founders Daniel Zuckerman and Sherwin Zuckerman, today the firm has grown to oversee $1.8 billion in AUM, spanning over 300 families and individuals across multiple generations. The firm best serves the unique needs of multi-generational families, business owners, business executives and young professionals.

Zuckerman Investment Group offers a holistic spectrum of services, including comprehensive wealth management, proprietary asset management, and family legacy planning. The firm is fully engaged with clients in respect to their needs and desires around capital preservation, cash flow requirements, risk tolerance, efficient wealth transfer, philanthropy initiatives, and legacy.

We are a results-driven firm with high achieving, motivated employees who value opportunities to take on complex problems, interesting projects, and share innovative ideas. We believe in cultivating relationships both internally and externally, and we are looking for someone to join our team who is committed to developing strong connections in a truly collaborative environment. 

Job Description

Zuckerman Investment Group is looking for a Trading Associate to join our team. This position is a unique opportunity to participate in the expansion of an established wealth management firm and offers great growth potential. You will gain valuable experience and knowledge as you execute across several aspects of the investment and wealth management business with the opportunity to take ownership of, and further develop, this important function within the firm and make increasingly strategic contributions over time.  

JOB FUNCTION RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Execute, with the guidance of the portfolio manager, all aspects of security trading processes, including security setup, order creation, third party trading communication, allocations and trade reconciliation 

• Support the portfolio management process and decision making, including data collection, reporting, analysis, individual account management, position sizing and ad hoc special projects 

• Work to continually improve the firm’s reporting, portfolio management, trading, allocation and reconciliation capabilities and processes 

• Build productive working relationships, both internally with senior leadership, portfolio managers and advisors and externally with brokers, trading partners and custodians 

• Ensure data integrity throughout the portfolio management and trading processes and complete compliance with the firm’s policies and procedures 

• Assist with due diligence on existing and prospective security holdings, including investigative field research, reading transcripts and financial documents, data collection and analysis and financial modeling 

• Prepare materials for client meetings to support the generation of financial recommendations, including data collection and analysis, researching regulatory, tax and estate planning policy, financial modeling and pictorially and verbally communicating counsel 

• Prepare and maintain sales and marketing materials and communications, including regular, recurring financial market and economic overviews, commentaries, and non-recurring special projects regarding current and timely financial and economic events 

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: 

• Unbreachable ethical standards and personal integrity 

• Highly organized, extremely detail-oriented, and able to multi-task with time-sensitive items 

• Comfortable working within, and continually improving, technology-driven and -enabled systems and processes 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Microsoft Excel 

• Professional experience trading securities preferred, but not required 

• Experience with SS&C Advent’s APX and Moxy preferred, but not required 

• Experience with Orion, RedBlack preferred, but not required 

• Experience with Bloomberg and FactSet preferred, but not required 

• Experience with SQL Server preferred, but not required 

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor's Degree  
• GPA of 3.5 or above preferred

• Maintain CFA® designation preferred 

• Interest in pursuing the CFA® professional designation  

SALARY AND BENEFITS: 

The base pay range for this position is $75,000 - $115,000 annually. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as education, experience, and skills. 

Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation. We provide industry-competitive salaries and significant incentive plan opportunities, a generous profit sharing 401(k) retirement plan, health insurance, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability programs, a hybrid work environment and paid-time-off programs and opportunities for growth within the firm.  This role is also eligible for bonus, subject to company policy.  

Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience.  

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.