Vice President Quantitative Investment Lead - SMA Solutions

About this role

Team Overview BlackRock SMA Solutions helps clients customize portfolios for unique tax, values-alignment, or investment exposures across direct indexing, fixed income, active equity, and multi-asset. We deliver world-class service to all of our clients, from wealth advisors to family offices to endowments and foundations.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Quantitative Investment Lead to join the Investment Process Innovation team. The team is a key contributor to scale and product development across SMA Solutions investment ecosystem, continuously seeking ways to enhance our investment process and discipline across our platforms. The ideal candidate will manage and enhance our research infrastructure, develop new fixed income investment processes and serve as a key contributor to the development of new investment strategies. This position is situated in a fast-paced environment and will provide significant contribution required for enhancing the productivity and scalability of the SMA Solutions’ business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and maintenance of internal backtesting and sample testing infrastructure.
• Design and develop optimization-based portfolio management processes for Fixed Income strategies.
• Perform quantitative analyses to refine various investment approaches.
• Communicate recommendations with key stakeholders and senior leadership as a subject matter expert.
• Work in a collaborative environment to develop portfolio optimization solutions utilizing BlackRock’s Aladdin APIs /platform.
• Develop software solutions primarily in Python and SQL.
• Interact with portfolio managers to understand investment objectives and processes.
• Interact with SMA Solutions technology teams to ensure proper rollout of new functionality.
• Identify areas of improvement across the entire investment process, including order generation, trading and workflow management.
• Provide and maintain clear and accurate documentation on optimization solutions and services.
• Provide ongoing support on solutions and services as the project matter expert.

Required Knowledge/Experience:

• Undergraduate degree is required, and an advanced degree (Masters) is a plus within a technical field (Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics).
• At least 7 years of experience in optimization, quantitative investing, and/or data engineering.
• Experience in Python Programming with a deep understanding of core libraries and concepts.
• Knowledge and experience addressing data quality, scalability and reliability.
• Self-starter and self-directed orientation required.
• Ability to work efficiently and multi-task in a fast-paced and collaborative environment.
• Strong attention to detail. Strong interpersonal skills (both written and verbal) to work with, train, and support users of platform tools and processes.
• Proven problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot software issues.

Helpful Knowledge/Experience:

• Experience working with relational/non-relational and cloud databases and understanding of storage technologies.
• An interest in and general understanding of financial markets especially the fixed income markets, including drivers of return and risk. Work experience with financial and markets preferred.
• Familiarity with BlackRock Aladdin toolset is helpful.


For Princeton, NJ Only the salary range for this position is USD$140,000.00 - USD$200,000.00 . Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, and benefits including healthcare, leave benefits, and retirement benefits. BlackRock operates a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy and your total compensation may vary based on role, location, and firm, department and individual performance.


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.

Guidance on AI use for candidates

At BlackRock, AI has long been part of how we work – enhancing decision-making, improving operations, and helping us deliver better outcomes for clients. We encourage candidates to use AI thoughtfully to learn, prepare, and work more effectively; but during our interview process, we want to focus on getting to know you through your own experiences, thinking, and judgment. To support you, we’ve provided guidance on when and how to use AI during our hiring process so you can approach each step with confidence and showcase your best self.

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.

To learn more about BlackRock, please visit Careers.BlackRock.com. We also encourage you to get to know us on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, X, and TikTok.

BlackRock is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity to all applicants and existing employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity/expression), sexual orientation, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religion, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. View the EEOC’s Know Your Rights poster and its supplement and the pay transparency statement.

BlackRock is committed to full inclusion of all qualified individuals and to providing reasonable accommodations or job modifications for individuals with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation/adjustments are needed throughout the employment process, please email [email protected]. All requests are treated in line with our privacy policy.

BlackRock will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance law.