Research Associate

Sagard Overview

Sagard Holdings ("Sagard") is a multi-strategy alternative asset manager with professionals located in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Since 2016, Sagard has grown exponentially. Assets under management have expanded from US$500M to over US$27B, and Sagard's team of diverse professionals has grown from 50 to over 400 team members.

Sagard invests across four asset classes: Venture Capital, Private Equity, Private Credit, and Real Estate. Sagard Holdings was founded by Power Corporation of Canada as a complement to its global investment holdings and serves as one of its key strategic priorities with strong, long-term growth objectives.

Sagard's entrepreneurial DNA is palpable across our entire team and is a platform built by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. Sagard looks to generate attractive returns by matching investment opportunities with flexible capital solutions and pairing entrepreneurs with teams that have deep industry knowledge. Sagard develops long-term partnerships and empowers the growth of its investments through a unique global network of portfolio companies, limited partners, advisors, and other valued relationships. 

More at https://www.sagard.com/.

About Portage

Portage, the venture capital arm of multi-asset class alternative investment platform Sagard Holdings, is an early-stage investor dedicated to backing the next generation of innovative, global financial services companies working to benefit all consumers. With its longer-term commitments combined with its industry intelligence and operational expertise, Portage is the ideal partner for the bold and ambitious entrepreneur. Initially formed in 2016 as part of the Power Financial Corporation ecosystem in affiliation with Great-West Lifeco and IGM Financial Inc., Portage has since welcomed external investors to establish a leading, interconnected fintech ecosystem that successfully scales portfolio companies, shares key market insights, and leverages collective distribution power to drive financial services innovation across the globe. In addition to venture investing, Portage also seeks to help found global champions in financial services in partnership with fintech incubator Diagram Ventures. Portage today has a presence in Toronto, Montreal, San Francisco, New York, Europe, and Southeast Asia. For more information, please visit https://portageinvest.com/ .

Position Overview: 

We are currently looking for a highly analytical individual deeply passionate about fintech to join our team in Toronto as a Research Associate. This person will play a pivotal role in supporting our team to find and support transformative, breakthrough companies in financial services.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in investment operations by working with the business team and investment team to identify pain points and research potential solutions alongside our engineering team
• Conduct portfolio and fund analysis and monitoring through collecting, organizing, and analyzing data from our portfolio companies
• Work with other business functions at Portage (e.g., investor relations, finance, partnerships) on reporting, research, and limited partner requests
• Own key pieces of investment team reporting from beginning to end including our quarterly portfolio review
• Assist in research and presentation writing including analyzing data, visualizing data, and writing/designing decks
• Assist in external and internal facing content creation and insight generation by researching topics within fintech both quantitatively and qualitatively

Experience & Qualifications:

• At least 1-3 years of experience in research in investment banking, operations, data analytics, or management consulting
• Experience in the above within a top venture capital or growth equity firm is preferred
• A strong passion and / or interest in financial services and technology
• Self-starter – able to take initiative, prioritize, and run on their own with limited guidance
• Comfortable with ambiguity and in an entrepreneurial environment where things change constantly
• Organized with a high attention to detail
• Comfort in structuring quantitative analysis; not quantum physics, but you should love numbers (we all do!)
• Team player – happy to do whatever is required to support the team
• Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to synthesize and articulate thoughts about companies and markets concisely
• Bilingualism is a strong asset (French and English)

Sagard is an equal opportunity employer, which values diversity in the workplace. We are therefore happy to accommodate any individual. If you require accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the People & Culture team to make your needs known in advance.

We welcome all applications and wish to thank all candidates for their interest in applying for this position. However, only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.