As a Client Manager, you'll build strong relationships with our clients to gain an in-depth understanding of their requirements, aiming to become a trusted long-term partner and adviser. At Baillie Gifford, we put the interests of clients ahead of our own. Clients that include well-known companies, governments, local authorities, charities, and financial institutions.

When it comes to client service, we are looking for individuals who are curious, analytical, engaging, resilient and adaptable. These attributes alongside effective listening and communication are key. Join our team and you’ll become the hub of communications between a diverse, global client base and departments across the firm. It’s your role to simplify the complex, build relationships internally and externally, problem solve and work well with others.

Baillie Gifford is an investment management firm that has remained an independent private partnership for over 100 years. We are single minded about our clients’ requirements and careful stewards of their capital. As long-term investors, our investment philosophy is focused on growth and upside. Our investment teams practice rigorous fundamental analysis and proprietary research, which allows us to capture global opportunities over periods of five years or more. As a Client Manager, you’ll be staying abreast of trends and ideas, to keep up to date with our investment strategies.

This two-year programme offers you the chance to transfer your existing skills while learning new ones. Our aim is to develop the next generation of highly talented client contacts with a clear understanding of how Baillie Gifford differentiates itself in the investment industry. We will support you to build an understanding of fund management, its role in society and to talk confidently about our firm – our investment strategies, processes, and culture. In addition, you will learn who our clients are, their expectations and how to anticipate their future needs.

We’ll provide you with the support and training to pass the Investment Management Certificate and beyond that either CISI Level 6 Fund Management module or CFA Level 1. You’ll be given a mentor to help guide your development, plus there’s a variety of on-going training sessions, such as mock client meetings, practice pitches and presentations on the firm. As you learn, you’ll start to assume responsibility for supporting clients and to participate in client meetings, with the occasional requirement to travel.

Upon completion of the foundational learning, you will have three six-month placements in our client contact teams. During these placements you’ll gain exposure to a variety of clients, fund strategies and ways of working. In addition, you will have secondments within our operational areas and investment teams.

Attending formal courses isn’t just something that happens during the first stage of your career. We’ll encourage you to continue to develop, whether that’s attending a structured training course, signing up to a webinar or spending time in another team. If you have the ambition and talent, you could work towards becoming a director, or even a partner in the firm.

Life at Baillie Gifford is about working hard, not working long hours. We want you to enjoy a healthy work/life balance as you progress in your career. This means you can enjoy our active social scene, including sporting clubs and activities, and family events.  

We also believe in treating our employees well, and that includes financially. You’ll receive an excellent, fixed starting salary that’s competitive with our peers plus a benefits package that includes an annual bonus, generous pension, life assurance, discounted private healthcare and 34 days’ holiday.

All these factors contribute to our unique culture, but there’s another key characteristic – we’re an independent business. Baillie Gifford is wholly owned by 51 partners who work in the firm. The decision-makers could be sitting in your team and answering your queries. We’re a business where people matter, and you could be our investment.

Find out more about Life at Baillie Gifford.

There’s no one type of person we’re looking for to become a Client Manager. From parents returning to work to professional rugby players, we see potential in a wide range of candidates. Financial services experience isn’t necessary, but there are three key attributes that will help you to flourish here:

Personable
Relationships – that’s what this role is all about. You’re a people person who can build rapport easily with both clients and colleagues alike. It’s more than just being friendly; you have the skills to build credibility and gain trust throughout your role. You thrive on teamwork and relish the opportunity to collaborate with internal teams to achieve client goals. You know how to make clients feel in safe hands. You pride yourself on your ability to listen and fully understand client requirements, whilst also communicating solutions effectively.

Flexible
We’re open-minded about who we employ, and the same goes for our approach to client service. You’re flexible and understand that every client is different. You can adapt and think beyond the obvious solutions, and have the versatility to change your approach. Flexibility will also serve you well on the programme, as you find new ways of using existing skills.

Curious
Curious about our world and excited by the thought of continually learning, you are fascinated by the ever-evolving nature of our investments and clients’ requirements. You’re looking for a culture that’s open to new ideas and always searching for better ways to do things. At Baillie Gifford we’re motivated by our aim to deliver client service excellence and expect our Client Managers to be the same.

At Baillie Gifford we take diversity and inclusion seriously and believe that everyone should have the opportunity to develop and maximise their potential. We have been working hard to create a truly inclusive culture for all our employees and clients but we recognise that there is more to do.

We have a dedicated Diversity and Inclusion Group made up of senior managers and partners. The group guides diversity and inclusion activity based around the four key areas of our vision:

• Integrity- At Baillie Gifford we position ourselves visibly in the debate around diversity and strive to lead by example.
• Learning- We want to learn from thoughtful and diverse minds: from our colleagues and networks, to our clients, the companies we invest in and the thought-leaders we work with.
• Accountability- Everyone at Baillie Gifford has a part to play in the creation of an inclusive culture.
• Inclusion- We must create a culture and sustain a culture in which each of our colleagues feel they can speak up, be heard and reach their full potential.

Our Diversity and Inclusion Group work closely with our employee-led networks. The networks are key to driving important D&I initiatives forward as well as providing support and guidance to colleagues. Our networks are partner sponsored and open for any of our employees to join.

We support colleagues throughout their time with us, as their careers develop and their personal circumstances change. In 2019 we introduced our family-friendly Equal Parental Leave policy that offers 52 weeks’ leave regardless of gender or length of service. This comes with full pay for the first 26 weeks and then half pay for the next 13 weeks. We also support employees through mentoring and coaching opportunities, comprehensive training and leadership development programmes.

If you would like to find out more about diversity and inclusion at Baillie Gifford, read in-depth articles and interviews with our employees, find out more about our Diversity and Inclusion Book festival, or view our diversity and inclusion magazine.

Edinburgh is not only a wonderful place to work, but also an incredible place to live, big enough to hold everything you need, but small enough that everything is easy to access. You can walk around the centre in an hour, we have a 24/7 public transport system, and an airport connecting you to the rest of the world.

As the definitive Festival City, there are incredible events throughout the year, and an abundance of galleries, museums and music venues, all set amid one of Europe’s most historic cities, in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, and countless other iconic monuments.

World-class sports facilities and venues, like the Commonwealth Pool, Murrayfield, and the Ratho climbing arena, make Edinburgh the ideal place for an active lifestyle, and the same goes for the nearby beaches, hills and treasured National Parks. However, if shopping is more your thing, you’ll find top High Street stores along Princes Street, as well as a range of independent stores in areas like Stockbridge and Bruntsfield.

No matter how long you stay here, you simply can’t help being awestruck every time you explore. And we should know, we’ve been lucky enough to call Edinburgh home for over 100 years.

Whatever your background, if you are great at building relationships, then you could become a Client Manager at Baillie Gifford. Financial services experience isn’t necessary, just a curiosity about the world and a real passion for learning. If this sounds like you, then an exciting new career awaits.

2022 applications have now closed.