Principal - Trader

Position Overview

Apollo Asset-Backed Finance (“ABF”) is a $100+ billion AUM strategy within Apollo’s Credit platform which spans a diverse set of product types (including residential mortgages, commercial mortgages, consumer finance,  commercial and trade finance, equipment and transportation, hard assets, royalties, and other structured debt assets), investment formats (including securitized products, whole loans, ABLs, bespoke financings, and structured equity), and risk-return profiles on behalf of Apollo-managed funds, managed accounts, and affiliated balance sheets.  ABF also works in close collaboration with Apollo’s financial services private equity and capital solutions teams on the management of and deployment opportunities arising from Apollo’s origination platform ecosystem.  

The Role

ABF is currently seeking a Principal to join its investment team to focus on trading and credit analysis of commercial mortgage-backed securities. The job is located in either the Woodland Hills, CA or El Segundo, CA  office.  Relevant sub-sectors to include Conduit, Agency CMBS, CRE-CLO, SASB, NNN and other commercial mortgage financing products. Duties will include managing street relationships, trading large volumes in secondary markets, building market share, and developing trade ideas through a risk-conscious lens.  The individual will report the head of the desk.

Primary Responsibilities 

• Provide trade ideas, sourcing, and screening of potential investment opportunities
• Monitoring all secondary flow and buying the bonds with the highest relative value
• Internal investment committee presentations for large new trade ideas
• Develop relationships with internal portfolio managers and know internal demand
• Regularly meet with market participants to have the most up to date information for each sector
• Discuss the credit quality of each deal within Conduit, Agency CMBS, CRE-CLO, SASB, NNN
• Help marketing/investor relations team create presentations for investors such as portfolio updates or new mandate proposals
• Maintain a variety of market intelligence databases
• Assist with team reporting and reviews of existing positions and portfolios

Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years of relevant experience; prior experience in a CMBS trading desk (buy-side or sell side).  Experience trading of below AAA securities preferred.
• Knowledge of CRE credit in loans
• Bachelor’s degree from a top-tier university with a record of academic achievement (ideally in a field requiring quantitative or technical aptitude such as economics, finance, math, etc.)
• MBA, MFE, and/or progress towards a CFA designation is desirable but not required
• Demonstrated analytical, quantitative, problem-solving, and financial modelling skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• Capable of developing independent opinions and defending own views
• Working knowledge of relevant legal matters involving the structuring and operation of structured finance transactions
• Mastery of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) and Bloomberg are required; proficiency in Intex, Basic VBA and SQL is desirable but not required
• The ideal candidate will be professional, proactive, well-organized, flexible, dependable, and able to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment with a close attention to detail

About Apollo

Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset management and retirement services platform with a track record of investment excellence.   In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients with excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three core investment strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity.  For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth.  Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions.  Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes.

Our Purpose & Core Values

Our clients rely on our investment acumen to help secure their future.  We must never lose our focus and determination to be the best investors and most trusted partners on their behalf.  Accordingly, we strive to be:

• The lead