The Group: Morningstar’s Research group provides independent analysis on individual securities, funds, markets, and portfolios. The Research group also provides data on hundreds of thousands of investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on millions of equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. Morningstar is one of the largest independent sources of fund, equity, and credit data and research in the world, and our advocacy for investors’ interests is the foundation of our company.
The Role: As an Associate Analyst on the Equity Strategies team in Manager Research, you will play a key role in delivering objective, independent research on funds and other investment vehicles to help individuals, intermediaries, and institutional investors make better investment decisions. The position requires a passion for investing along with strong analytical, presentational and writing skills. In this role, you will research and rate funds and other investment vehicles such as separately managed accounts, while also developing broader investment expertise that contributes to the team’s thought leadership. The position is based in our Chicago office. We are in-office 4 days per week.
Responsibilities
- Conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis using our databases, monitor regulatory information, interview portfolio managers, and perform on-site due diligence visits of asset-management firms.
- Develop clear opinions to support forward-looking ratings on funds and other investment vehicles based on research that focuses on the funds’ management, strategy, parent company, performance and expenses.
- Author analytical research reports, articles, and industry studies.
- Discuss ratings and reports with external institutional clients and internal investment management group.
- Monitor important developments in the fund industry and global markets.
- Develop expertise in various asset classes, asset management firms, and the overall industry.
- Capably navigate Morningstar’s database, document data errors, and surface ideas for database and methodology enhancements.
Requirements
- A bachelor's degree is required; a graduate degree and/or Chartered Financial Analyst® designation (or progress toward one or the other) is preferred.
- Passion for investing and for helping investors make better investment decisions.
- Excellent time management, analytical, writing and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work at times independently, and at other times within a collaborative environment.
- Familiarity with programming languages (i.e. Python, R, MATLAB) a plus.
To be considered for this role, please submit a resume. A cover letter is strongly recommended.
Compensation and Benefits
At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:
Financial Health
100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
Stock Ownership Potential
Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
Physical Health
Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance
Emotional Health
Trust-Based Time Off
6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Leave
Adoption Assistance
Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well-being expenses
Tuition Reimbursement
Social Health
Charitable Matching Gifts program
Dollars for Doers volunteer program
Paid volunteering days
15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups
Total Cash Compensation Range
$70,825.00-103,891.66Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive
Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.
036_MstarResearchLLC Morningstar Research Services LLC Legal EntitySkills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- Graduate degree and/or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation (or progress toward)
- Passion for investing and helping investors
- Excellent time management, analytical, writing, and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Familiarity with programming languages (Python, R, MATLAB)
- Ability to navigate Morningstar's database and document data errors
What the Team is Saying
Morningstar Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Policies include a paid sabbatical every four years and flexible PTO covering vacation, sick, and personal days, alongside paid volunteer time. Feedback suggests these features create meaningful flexibility and rest opportunities beyond standard leave plans.
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Parental & Family Support — A global minimum of 16 weeks paid parental leave for primary caregivers (up to 8 weeks for secondary) and at least six weeks of paid caregiving leave are publicly stated, with adoption assistance also available. These provisions indicate robust support for families during key life events.
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Retirement Support — U.S. materials document a 401(k) match of $0.75 per $1 up to 7% of pay and no‑cost access to Morningstar retirement tools. This combination strengthens long‑term savings and planning for employees.
Morningstar Insights
What We Do
We are a global investment research and financial data company with 40-plus offices across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Our products and services are used daily by individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, retirement plan providers, and institutional investors. We provide data, research, and analysis across managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. The financial system can have real barriers—hidden information, friction that can slow decisions, and forces that can limit transparency and access. We work to remove them, bringing independent research, connected data, and investor-first tools to a system that needs more clarity. The people doing this work span research, technology, design, product, sales, and functional areas. We build many of our products in-house, so the work can connect directly to the tools investors use to make real financial decisions.
Why Work With Us
Imagining big things is in our blood -- it's transformed us from a company with just a few employees in 1984 to a leading independent investment research company with a worldwide presence today. As of April 2020, we acquired Sustainalytics to drive long-term meaningful outcomes for investors in the ESG space. Join us on this exciting journey!
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Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
