About this role
BlackRock is a global leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients! At January 1, 2022, BlackRock’s AUM was $10 trillion. BlackRock helps clients around the world meet their goals and overcome challenges with a range of products that include separate accounts, mutual funds, iShares® (exchange-traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions®. As of January 1, 2022, the firm had approximately 19,000 employees in 30 countries and a major presence in global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa!
Since our founding 30 years ago, BlackRock has brought together great minds to drive innovation. From the beginning, we have been demonstrating technology for insight and efficiency to make our business better and to help clients realize the objectives they desire. In 2018 BlackRock accelerated innovation and technology again with additional investment in artificial intelligence and data science and all the potential they represent.
The AI Labs was formed to act as a central hub with a firm-wide remit to solve strategic business challenges for the firm by bringing to bear our expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science and optimization. Our mission is to combine human and machine intelligence to revolutionize asset management.
We are a hybrid research and product team and have a responsibility to drive towards commercial impact in the form of alpha generation, operational efficiencies, and cost reduction. Building on the success of systematic investment teams with a history of demonstrating machine learning at BlackRock to create alpha, the goal was to apply these same techniques throughout the business.
Job Description
As a researcher, you will collaborate with a distributed team of world-class academics, engineers, and investment professionals to develop methodologies for products solving a corporate-wide set of client, investor, and operational problems. Products developed often demonstrate multiple disciplines, including statistics, machine learning, and optimization, and combine original methods with innovative solutions available in industry and academia. You will be responsible for the entire research lifecycle, from initial research and prototyping, to iterating on the system methodology, to detailing the final product and clearing internal review processes.
Responsibilities
Work with partners to translate business needs into well-scoped technical projects.
Efficiently interact with large and complex datasets to evaluate technical methodologies.
Rapidly prototype technical solutions implementing groundbreaking tools from optimization and machine learning.
Produce technical whitepapers and make clear technical presentations to senior management.
Work with engineers and partners to build product-ionized solutions that are reliable, scalable, and operate in compliance with firm-wide processes.
Qualifications
Either a PhD in a quantitative subject area (computer science, mathematics, statistics, economics, physics, engineering, or related field), or
An MS degree in a quantitative field plus 3+ years of professional experience in optimization, machine learning, statistics, exploratory data analysis, and other aspects of the data science process.
Strong theoretical background in and practical experience using optimization, statistical techniques, and machine learning, preferably proven through academic publications or open-source codebases.
Strong familiarity with programming languages such as Python, Julia, or R.
Experience with the analysis or application of data in finance, economics, sociology, or related fields 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.
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.Skills Required
- PhD in computer science, mathematics, statistics, economics, physics, engineering, or related quantitative field
- MS in a quantitative field plus 3+ years professional experience in optimization, machine learning, statistics, or exploratory data analysis
- Strong theoretical background and practical experience in optimization, statistical techniques, and machine learning
- Strong familiarity with programming languages such as Python, Julia, or R
- Proven work demonstrated via academic publications or open-source codebases
- Experience with analysis or application of data in finance, economics, sociology, or related fields
What We Do
As the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock partners with investors around the globe to help them (and those on whose behalf they invest) plan for life’s most important goals – like retirement, home ownership and their children’s education. Our clients range from governments, foundations and other large institutions to those investing on behalf of individuals, including firefighters, nurses, teachers and factory workers. BlackRock was founded with the idea of creating a better asset management firm — one that was purpose-driven, focused on clients and risk management, and propelled by data and technology. Our breakthrough Aladdin® platform is BlackRock’s technological backbone, helping investors see and manage their whole portfolios in one place – from constructing investments to monitoring risk and executing trades. Used by hundreds of external institutions around the world, Aladdin combines powerful analytics and a common language to help investment teams make faster, more informed decisions across public and private markets. It’s a key part of our business and one of the reasons we’re trusted to manage more assets than any other investment manager today. At BlackRock, we challenge conventions and raise the bar for what’s possible. We harness technology to unlock new solutions, simplify complexity, and deliver investment strategies that meet people where they are. Whether it’s retirement planning, wealth building or navigating market shifts, we’re here to help clients invest more easily, more affordably and with more choice as we chart a path toward financial well-being together. Learn more: Careers.BlackRock.com
Why Work With Us
Without our people, technology is irrelevant. When we combine the power of people with the power of technology, we amplify our ability to create better outcomes for our employees, clients, shareholders and society alike.
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BlackRock Teams
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
BlackRock has 25,000 employees across more than 100 offices in over 40 countries around the world.
