VP, Index Research

About this role

Elevate your career by joining the world's largest asset manager! Would you thrive in an environment that fosters positive relationships and recognize outstanding performance? We know how important it is to feel valued every single day and be recognized for your contribution. At BlackRock, we strive to empower our employees and effectively engage your involvement in our success. With over $10 trillion of assets under management, we have an outstanding responsibility: our technology and services empower millions of investors to save for retirement, pay for college, buy a home and improve their financial well-being.

BlackRock Index Services (BIS) is responsible for the design, development, and administration of Multi-Asset, Fixed Income and Equity indices used by internal and external clients.

The Index Quant Engineering (IQE) team within BIS builds and maintains the quantitative models that support our best-of-breed indices. These indices take the core investment thesis behind many of BlackRock’s leading systematic investment strategies and package them into thoughtfully designed market indices.

Role Responsibilities

The IQE team is seeking a Vice President – Index Research to accelerate and scale our ability to deliver high quality indices while championing an exceptional 360-degree client experience that begins with an initial index product concept to post index-launch deliverables. This position requires a passion for the financial markets, an understanding of investment processes, and proven experience leveraging technology to drive data and analytic solutions.

The Technical Product Management role within IQE strives to bring organizational processes and standards across the index life cycle from index design and development to index implementation and support.

Index Design and Development

• Engage in active collaboration with BlackRock’s internal investment, research, and client-facing teams to meticulously elicit and synthesize stakeholder requirements, ensuring they are documented, tracked, and effectively translated into features for index design.
• Perform data analysis on input datasets to assess quality and inform index methodology design.
• Ensure timely delivery of new indices by collaborating across the technology, operations, research and governance functions within BIS by creating project plans and road maps, identifying and problem-solving around roadblocks, developing and driving product-specific testing plans, and contributing to authoring the official index methodology.

Index Implementation and Support

• Be a key member of the index implementation team for new indices with responsibility for the execution of IQE's deliverables.
• Participate in client discussions and presentations.
• Be a point of contact for client inquiries and collaborate with the wider BIS team to ensure timely responses.
• Perform ad-hoc analyses as required.

Business Analysis

Proactively seek opportunities to improve index delivery workflows by:

• Conducting post-mortem reviews of index launches.
• Establishing feedback mechanism with stakeholders.
• Analyzing client inquiries to identify root causes and common themes.
• Work with BIS leadership to transform business analyses into actionable steps for improvement of our indices and index delivery platform.

Act as a steward of the quality of BIS index products by reviewing and improving BIS’:

• Index Factsheet content and related processes.
• Annual Scorecard Methodology content and related processes.

Experience and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in business admin, finance, economics, operations research.
• Demonstrable knowledge and passion for financial markets, asset classes, and investment products is required; fixed income background/expertise is a big plus
• Experience (5+ years) working in a cross-functional team within the investment/finance industry; experience within investment banking or asset management translating business requirements into technical design requirements for developers is ideal.
• In-depth understanding of Terms and Conditions, Market & Corporate actions data for Fixed Income and Equity instruments
• Strong proficiency in Python for data and statistical analysis as well as for process automation.
• Strong proficiency in SQL, experience with Snowflake, and a working knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) are major pluses.
• Excellent analytical skills with ability to think critically, problem solve, and effectively communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Highly motivated, collaborative, detail-oriented individual who is a self-starter and enjoys using technology to solve problems.
• Familiarity with investment analytics and software (e.g., Aladdin, Eikon, FactSet, Morningstar, Bloomberg).
• Professional certifications (or progress towards them) like CFA or FRM are beneficial.

Our benefits
To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, family status, gender identity, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected attributes at law.