About the position
Morningstar Direct’s Analytics Department is hiring for its quantitative research team and looking for a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, creative, and results-driven individual with 5+ years of experience in equity research or quantitative finance to join us. The team’s mandate is rooted in equity research excellence: to develop and enhance the rigorous financial methodologies that underpin Morningstar’s equity ratings and investment analytics. Its work is fundamentally finance-first — devising valuation frameworks and factor models, strengthening our equity research process, and building tools that empower our 100+ equity analysts and the institutional clients who rely on their insights. The role will report to the Director of Quantitative Research, Equities, situated within Morningstar Direct’s Analytics department.
Responsibilities
• Pursue a deep understanding of Morningstar’s equity methodologies, analyst workflows, data requirements, and client needs.
• Partner with equity research, equity data, and clients globally to identify areas where we might apply quantitative methods to benefit our analyst teams and customers.
• Independently develop and refine quantitative valuation frameworks, factor models, and screening methodologies that strengthen Morningstar’s equity research process and analyst capabilities.
• Rigorously back-test and validate quantitative investment models, evaluating their predictive power, financial relevance, and robustness across market cycles.
• Partner with model validation and engineering teams to productionize research outputs; programming proficiency (Python preferred) is expected, but serves the research, not the other way around.
• Create detailed specification documents and client-facing white papers.
• Communicate clear and concise project status information to key stakeholders, including the Morningstar product teams and clients.
Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree is required; Finance, Economics, or Accounting strongly preferred; Computer Science or Statistics considered when paired with demonstrable investment knowledge.
• CFA charter holder or active CFA candidate strongly preferred; demonstrated commitment to investment excellence is a key differentiator.
• Working proficiency in Python or equivalent quantitative tools; financial domain expertise and investment intuition take priority over pure programming depth.
• Familiarity with quantitative research tools and openness to applying emerging analytical techniques — including AI-assisted research — to investment problems.
• Deep understanding of equity valuation, fundamental analysis, and the investment research process; genuine passion for markets and the interplay between quantitative signals and financial judgment.
• More than 5 years of experience in investment research, equity analysis, or quantitative finance within an asset management, sell-side, or financial data context.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and succinctly.
• Strong analytical and logical reasoning skills.
• Effective time management skills.
• Comfortable taking the initiative and working without detailed guidance or supervision.
• Proactive and positive attitude, and a team player.
Benefits
• 100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
• Stock Ownership Potential
• Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
• 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
• 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
• Charitable Matching Gifts program
• Dollars for Doers volunteer program
• Paid volunteering days
• 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups