Associate – Quant Research

About this role

BlackRock is one of the world’s preeminent asset management firms and a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors around the world. BlackRock offers a range of solutions — from meticulous fundamental and quantitative active management approaches aimed at maximizing outperformance to highly efficient indexing strategies designed to gain broad exposure to the world’s capital markets. Our clients can access our investment solutions through a variety of product structures, including individual and institutional separate accounts, mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles, and the industry-leading iShares® ETFs.

Your team

Systematic Active Equity (SAE) is the quantitative equity group within BlackRock’s Systematic investment group. We invest client assets using a systematic investment approach and have pursued client investment goals across global equity markets for more than 30 years. Research and innovation are central to our approach, bringing together finance and economics with data and computer science.

The team manages more than $200 billion in assets and brings together quantitative finance researchers and portfolio managers, with access across BlackRock to investors and specialists in statistics, machine learning, and optimization.

Your role and impact

As a Systems Researcher, you will join our investment and quantitative research teams, focusing on computer science, data management, mathematical models, and computer simulations. You will apply algorithmic development and software engineering capabilities to help translate quantitative research and investment ideas into robust technology solutions.

This role offers the opportunity to work across disciplines, collaborating with computer scientists, data scientists, quantitative researchers, and investors on complex problems that support systematic investing.

Your responsibilities

In every role at BlackRock, you'll be expected to apply sound judgement and critical thinking to solve complex problems, adapt as the business evolves, and combine the curiosity to explore new approaches and technologies with the rigor to challenge the results. The scope of this role also includes the following responsibilities:

• Develop and implement algorithms and software that support systematic equity investment and quantitative research.
• Build and maintain data-management and computational solutions used by investment and quantitative research teams.
• Design and evaluate mathematical models and computer simulations to support research and investment applications.
• Collaborate with computer scientists, data scientists, quantitative researchers, and investors to translate research ideas into robust software solutions.
• Contribute to distributed-computing and high-performance computing solutions, with a focus on reliability, scalability, and research effectiveness.

Your experience

• The desire to work in a team environment with computer scientists, data scientists, and quantitative investors of many different backgrounds.
• A passion for algorithmic development and implementation, and a keen attention to detail.
• A fascination for some aspects of computer science: distributed computing, cryptography, and machine learning.
• Working knowledge of serverless architecture, ideally having developed or contributed to projects in that space.
• A Bachelors, Masters, or Ph.D. in computer science with 2+ years of applied experience.
• A proven track record of delivering awesome software.
• Excellent knowledge of Python / Pandas, as well as Java or C/C++.
• Well-rounded proficiency with Linux and UNIX systems.
• Experience in distributed computing and the use of GPUs.


For San Francisco, CA Only the salary range for this position is USD$132,500.00 - USD$162,000.00 . 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.

We recruit, hire, train, promote, pay, and administer all personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), sex stereotyping (including assumptions about a person’s appearance or behavior, gender roles, gender expression, or gender identity), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, ancestry, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law. We interpret these protected statuses broadly to include both the actual status and also any perceptions and assumptions made regarding these statuses.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.