The Director of Research will lead systematic equity research, drive innovative investment ideas, mentor a research team, and engage in client collaboration.
Company Profile
Founded in 1977, GMO is a global investment manager committed to delivering superior long-term investment performance and advice to our clients. We offer investment strategies and solutions where we believe we are positioned to add the greatest value for our investors. These include multi-asset class, equity, fixed income and alternative offerings.
We manage approximately $78bn for a client base that includes many of the world’s most sophisticated institutions, financial intermediaries, and private clients. Industry-wide, we are well known for our focus on valuation-based investing, willingness to take bold positions when conditions warrant, and candid and academically rigorous thought leadership. Jeremy Grantham, GMO’s Co-Founder and Long-Term Investment Strategist, is renowned as an expert in identifying speculative investment bubbles and also as a leading climate investor and advocate.
GMO is privately owned and employs over 430 people worldwide. We are headquartered in Boston, with additional offices in Europe, Asia and Australia. Our company-wide culture emphasizes commitment to clients, intellectual curiosity, and open debate. We celebrate and respect our differences, while embracing and valuing what each of us brings to work, as we know that diverse teams in an inclusive, caring environment achieve higher engagement and better client results.
Please follow the prompts included in this job posting to apply. The application window for this role is anticipated to remain open until the job is filled, or as otherwise determined by GMO.
Position Overview:
GMO is seeking a Director of Research to join the Systematic Equity team. In this capacity, the individual will be responsible for leading and executing the end-to-end research agenda across alpha research, risk modeling, and portfolio construction for systematic equity strategies spanning long-only and long/short mandates.
The Director of Research will partner closely with the Head of Systematic Equity and Portfolio Management leadership within the team, to ensure that innovative research ideas are translated into robust, scalable, and production-ready investment models.
This position is based in Boston.
Key Responsibilities:
Research Strategy & Leadership
· Lead and execute Systematic Equity’s research agenda across the full investment cycle.
· Establish best-in-class research standards.
Investment Research & Innovation
· Drive innovative research initiatives using advanced techniques grounded in sound economic and behavioral principles.
· Generate new investment ideas aligned with GMO’s philosophy.
· Translate research into production-quality models.
Team Leadership & Talent Development
· Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing research team.
· Foster a culture of intellectual rigor and collaboration.
Collaboration & Thought Leadership
· Support client needs with actionable insights and customized solutions designs.
· Contribute to research publications and firm thought leadership.
· Engage with Technology and Investment Data Solutions teams to improve databases, automate workflows, and strengthen quantitative infrastructure.
Required Skills and Characteristics
- 15+ years of relevant experience in quantitative investing.
- An advanced degree in a quantitative field, Ph.D. preferred.
- Knowledge of machine learning techniques and LLM workflows a plus.
- Significant people management experience.
- Strong communication skills, and high integrity.
GMO is committed to the recruitment, employment, and promotion of all candidates equally, regardless of an individual's gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military or veteran status, genetic information, physical or mental disability (except where such disability is a bona fide occupational disqualification) or any other classification protected under federal, state or local law.
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