Director of Research and Portfolio Strategy

Vicus Capital | State College, Pennsylvania

Lead investment research. Shape portfolio strategy. Make a difference in the lives of our clients.

Vicus Capital is seeking a senior investment professional to lead our research initiatives and help shape portfolio strategy across our firm. This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who wants a meaningful voice in asset allocation, market views, manager selection, and model portfolio construction — without the layers, bureaucracy, and distance from decision-making that often come with larger financial institutions.

Based in State College, Pennsylvania, Vicus Capital is an independent Registered Investment Advisor with more than $3 billion in AUM. We build innovative investment strategies via model portfolios and customized solutions for clients of independent financial advisors nationwide. Our investment work is rigorous, practical, and ultimately focused on helping advisors deliver better outcomes for their clients.

This role is ideal for an experienced investment professional from an RIA, asset manager, investment consulting firm, OCIO platform, or wealth management organization who is ready to step into a broader leadership seat.

For the right candidate, this is an opportunity to leave the pace and complexity of a major financial market while continuing to do serious investment work in a close-knit, fast-growing, and highly collaborative firm.

The Head of Research & Portfolio Strategy will lead the firm’s investment research agenda and serve as Chair of the Investment Committee. This person will be responsible for driving research and decision-making through macroeconomic analysis, market and asset‑class views, manager selection, and model portfolio strategy via tactical and strategic allocations.

You will lead a small team of analysts, partner closely with other members of the investment team, and work with firm leadership to translate approved investment views into practical portfolio solutions across Vicus Capital’s model portfolios and investment strategies.

This is not a purely theoretical research role. We are looking for someone who can develop thoughtful investment views, defend them in committee, communicate them clearly, and help ensure they are implemented effectively across client portfolios.

You will set and drive the research agenda for the firm, including:

• Macroeconomic and capital markets research
• Strategic and tactical asset allocation views
• Style, sector, geography, duration, credit, and factor-level analysis
• Research supporting overweight and underweight recommendations across model portfolios
• Manager due diligence and selection across ETFs, mutual funds, SMAs, Private Alts, etc.

You should be comfortable developing and defending views on questions such as:

• Growth vs. value
• Large cap vs. small cap
• Domestic vs. international equity
• Sector‑specific allocations
• Duration and Credit weightings
• Risk‑on vs. risk‑off positioning

As Chair of the Investment Committee, you will be responsible for helping the committee operate with discipline, rigor, and accountability. We are looking for someone who can lead without ego, challenge without politics, and build consensus without diluting investment conviction.

Responsibilities will include:

• Setting monthly Investment Committee agendas
• Framing key decisions for discussion and approval
• Encouraging constructive debate and challenge
• Ensuring recommendations are supported by research and analysis
• Documenting approved views and portfolio decisions
• Helping translate committee decisions into implementable portfolio changes

You will manage and develop a small, focused team of analysts.

Responsibilities will include:

• Setting research priorities
• Assigning and reviewing analytical work
• Coaching analysts on investment thinking, writing, and presentation skills
• Improving the quality, consistency, and repeatability of the research process
• Helping build a high‑accountability, high‑trust investment culture

Because Vicus Capital serves financial advisors nationwide, the ability to communicate investment…