The Australian funds management sales and distribution market remains steady, with firms balancing
selective hiring against the ongoing need to grow client relationships and access new pools of capital.
Hiring conditions have remained largely the same across 2024/2025.
Key Trends:
Candidate Market: Candidates are highly selective. They value culture, competitive remuneration,
and many are seeking to move into private markets. Funds with multiple strategies are particularly
attractive, alongside a strong track record and scale in terms of FUM, when evaluating opportunities.
Investment Specialists: Demand is rising for commercially minded communicators who can bridge
product, investment teams, and distribution. Firms are looking for individuals who can articulate
investment strategies clearly to clients while supporting internal teams.
Private Wealth & Family Office Boom: There’s strong demand for BDMs and key account managers
with established private wealth and UHNW relationships, reflecting the increasing importance of
non-institutional channels.
Institutional Slowdown: Coverage is consolidating. Teams are leaner, fewer hires are being made,
and there’s a focus on senior, experienced professionals who can manage larger mandates
efficiently.
Private Markets Growth: Managers are building dedicated private wealth and family office channels
to diversify from institutional capital. There’s also a continued influx of global managers targeting
the Australian wealth market, creating opportunities for experienced talent.
Managed Accounts & Asset Consultants: There has been a notable rise in hiring across managed
accounts and asset consultants, particularly within sales teams.
In-Demand Profiles: The market favours hybrid sales/investment specialists, capital raisers with
family office networks, and professionals with expertise in private markets and alternatives.
Junior Hiring Uptick: Firms are increasingly hiring analysts and associates to support leaner
distribution teams and develop homegrown talent pipelines.
Hiring in Victoria: The market in Victoria remains highly competitive for talent. Firms are actively
hiring across sales and distribution teams, with salary levels increasing in response to demand and
scarcity of experienced candidates.
Our View:
Hiring is selective and competitive. Strong talent, particularly at the junior to mid-level, is scarce and
not moving freely, so firms need to take a flexible approach to backgrounds and experience. Top
candidates may not fit a traditional profile, meaning firms must be creative in their talent attraction
strategies. This may include hiring from adjacent sectors or different asset classes. Retention is equally
important as it becomes increasingly difficult to replace top talent.
Related Reads for You
Discover more articles that align with your interests and keep exploring.
