Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries.
Morgan Stanley’s Quantitative Research Client Analytics team partners directly with institutional investors as execution consultants, helping clients optimize how they trade across global markets
The team sits at the intersection of clients, trading and technology, acting as a strategic advisor on execution decisions. This includes diagnosing trading challenges, recommending tailored execution approaches, and delivering data-driven insights that improve outcomes across futures products (ex: index, rates, commodities and currencies)
Key Responsibilities
Client Advisor and Execution Consulting (Primary Focus): Partner with MSET Sales to support strategic client engagements, delivering bespoke TCA analyses and leading quarterly execution reviews. Provide actionable recommendations to clients on execution strategies to minimize market impact and improve performance. Design and implement custom data analyses and experiments tailored to client trading behavior and objectives
Data Quality & Platform Oversight: Own and maintain trade cost data quality across futures products globally, Lead plant-wide data reviews across asset classes to ensure consistency, accuracy, and usability of TCA metrics, Collaborate with internal governance frameworks (e.g., MSET) to validate and approve metrics for external client marketing
Thought Leadership and Content Creation: Develop client-facing materials that articulate best practices in futures execution (ex: roll strategy frameworks, liquidity analysis, market structure insights)
Quant Research & Model Development: Develop and enhance cost models for futures execution, including volume curve construction and execution scheduling for benchmark strategies, Drive enhancements to execution engines using deep understanding of futures market structure and empirical data, Contribute to broader firm initiatives around electronic trading innovation and analytics, Continuously assess and improve algorithmic performance through rigorous data analysis and feedback loops
Candidate Qualifications
Advanced degree (PhD, MS, or equivalent) in a quantitative field such as Finance, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or Engineering
6+ years of experience in quantitative research, electronic trading, or execution analytics, with a strong focus on listed derivatives/futures
Deep understanding of futures market structure, including spreads, liquidity dynamics, and matching mechanisms
Proven experience in transaction cost analysis (TCA) and execution strategy optimization
Strong programming skills (Python required; experience with C++/Java a plus) and ability to work with large datasets
Experience partnering with technology teams to deliver production trading systems
Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate quantitative insights into actionable client recommendations
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:
At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.
To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.
Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $150,000 - $200,000 per year for Associate and $225,000-$300,000 per year for Executive Director. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.
Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.
Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.
For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.
Skills Required
- Advanced degree in a quantitative field
- 6+ years of experience in quantitative research
- Deep understanding of futures market structure
- Proven experience in transaction cost analysis
- Strong programming skills in Python
- Experience working with large datasets
- Strong communication skills
Morgan Stanley Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Morgan Stanley and has not been reviewed or approved by Morgan Stanley.
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Parental & Family Support — Family support is extensive, with paid parental leave for all parents, adoption and fertility assistance, backup childcare, and eldercare resources. Feedback suggests these programs meaningfully enhance the overall package and help with retention.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage spans medical, dental, vision, mental‑health access, care navigation, and expert second opinions. Convenient primary care access and condition‑specific support reinforce the depth of healthcare coverage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity compensation and stock ownership are positioned as core motivators that encourage commitment and retention. Feedback suggests education and support are provided to help participants manage equity and related financial benefits.
Morgan Stanley Insights
What We Do
Morgan Stanley mobilizes capital to help governments, corporations, institutions and individuals around the world achieve their financial goals. For over 85 years, the firm’s reputation for using innovative thinking to solve complex problems has been well earned and rarely matched. A consistent industry leader throughout decades of dramatic change in modern finance, Morgan Stanley will continue to break new ground in advising, serving and providing new opportunities for its clients. Morgan Stanley is committed to maintaining the first-class service and high standard of excellence that have always defined the firm. At its foundation are five core values — putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back — that guide its more than 60,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 41 countries.
