BlackRock Global Markets (BGM) - Associate, Index Fixed Income Portfolio Manager

About this role

Position Summary:

The Index Fixed Income (IFI) team is responsible for managing Blackrock’s Indexed Fixed Income portfolios, including Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), commingled vehicles, and mutual funds. The team works closely with many areas of the firm and is responsible for ensuring that portfolios are managed efficiently, in a consistent and risk-controlled manner.

BlackRock’s IFI business is the leading index investment group in the world. We help investors build better portfolios with the industry’s leading suite of index investment tools. We manage over $1.5 trillion in global index fixed income assets across Developed and Emerging Markets. Our clients include corporate and public pension plans, central banks, sovereign wealth funds and retail investors.

Your role and impact:

You will be a member of the Optimized Outcome Portfolio Management team, supporting portfolio construction and index research initiatives by building and supporting critical technology used by the IFI team globally.

The Optimized Outcome Portfolio Management team is responsible for partnering globally with IFI sector teams to build, implement, and monitor portfolio solutions that incorporate additional factors beyond traditional fixed income risk metrics (sustainability targets, tax-loss optimization, etc.).  Members of this team are experts in dual-objective index fixed income portfolio optimization, back-testing, third-party data implementation and monitoring, and have built solutions for PMs across Global Investment Grade Corporates, US High Yield, Euro High Yield, and Emerging Markets portfolios.

You will actively contribute to the tools used to manage portfolios, as well as the development and implementation of new products by providing your insights and data expertise. You will have the best in portfolio management technology and a team of colleagues working with you to achieve BlackRock’s mission to provide superior investment products to our clients. Portfolio managers are relied upon to collaborate with client facing teams, execution traders, ETF Capital Markets, technology, compliance, and risk management teams to share knowledge to improve the investment ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the development of portfolio surveillance tools to capture changes in third party datasets
• Serve as the internal expert on sustainable datasets, liaising with third party providers, portfolio managers, and data teams to ensure accuracy and desired outcomes for our clients
• Leverage the team’s optimization platform to produce optimized reference benchmarks and conduct back-testing for dual-objective product development
• Systematically perform daily and monthly quality-control for optimized and screened benchmarks
• Partner with Aladdin Data teams to onboard new datasets for new products
• Utilize Aladdin, vendor technology, and other analytical tools to enhance and scale processes.
• Monitor both market and operational risk at scale and ensure adherence to regulatory compliance.
• Produce daily, periodic, and ad hoc analysis and reporting required by the PM team.
• Contribute to and take ownership of continuous process improvement, strategic projects, and ad hoc analysis related to our platform.
• Facilitate the expansion of the optimization platform to new applications (basket shaping, scoring metrics)

Skills:

• Positive Attitude and Engineering Mindset: Takes initiative, has a strong curiosity for learning, has a "can do" attitude, and seeks ways to improve processes and automate repetitive tasks.
• Detail-oriented and Risk-minded: Ensures precision in all tasks and continuously refines processes for optimal efficiency.
• Stress Resilient and Adaptive: Thrives in high-pressure environments, making sound decisions and swiftly adapting to changing situations and new challenges.
• Multitasking Expert: Proficient at prioritizing tasks and managing multiple responsibilities with shifting priorities, all while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Markets and Quantitative Skills: Strong interest in the global macro environment and its impact on financial markets, with a strong background in quantitative analysis and model development.
• Excellent Communication: Simplifies advanced concepts for the relevant audience and maintains meticulous attention to detail.
• Team Player: Works effectively with team members and develops relationships with partner groups across BlackRock.

Qualifications:

• Education: Minimum BSc in a highly quantitative subject such as Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, or a related field. MSc in Financial Engineering, Financial Mathematics, or a related field preferred.
• Industry Experience: Approximately 1-3 years of relevant experience and a strong desire to learn required.
• Markets: Understanding of fixed income markets and risk in general, and the ability to apply insights to portfolio management.
• Programming Proficiency: Advanced knowledge of Python and pandas applied to financial modeling and ability to write scalable production level code. Experience with using APIs, quantlib, git, and unit testing is a plus.
• Quantitative skills: Strong bond math, probability theory, and applied portfolio theory required. Portfolio optimization skills is a plus.
• Database Proficiency: Skilled at writing efficient SQL queries to interact with databases.
• Excel: Skilled at creating efficient and user-friendly excel worksheets. VBA skills is plus.
• Bloomberg Terminal: Bloomberg proficiency including extracting data both programmatically and through excel is a plus.
• Aladdin: Experience with Aladdin tools and datasets is a plus.

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 and Affirmative Action Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.