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Associate Research Analyst

AT Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab

Associate Research Analyst

San Francisco, CA

Salary: USD $73,100 - $149,400 / Year

Your opportunity

At Schwab, you're empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us "challenge the status quo" and transform the finance industry together.

We are looking for a Quantitative Research Associate to join Schwab Asset Management's (SAM) multi-asset investment research team, which is responsible for strategic asset allocation research, model portfolio design, and multi-asset advice used throughout the firm - across retail B/D, wealth, advisor, and institutional channels. The team develops and maintains cutting-edge, quantitative processes and models that set capital market assumptions and strategic asset allocation policies, contributes towards research and thought leadership on portfolio construction topics, and aids with the development of new multi-asset product (e.g., model portfolios, ETFs, SMAs).

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The Multi-Asset Research team is part of SAM's Quantitative Innovation team, which provides similar research support for SAM equity and fixed-income offerings, including Schwab Personalized Indexing (the firm's direct indexing offer) and Thematic Investing. Working closely with portfolio managers, technology partners, and product and sales teams, the research team is an integral part developing and delivering top-quality research and investment product. This is a great opportunity for moving to a front office role on the buy-side.

Key Responsibilities Include:

  • Conducting investment and portfolio construction research across a wide range of asset classes including equities, fixed income, real assets, and alternatives.
  • Developing and maintaining quantitative investment processes and models: from researching and exploring large financial and market data sets, to developing mathematical models and writing clean, maintainable, robust code.
  • Balancing quantitative rigor with academic theory and qualitative input.
  • Assisting with the formulation and development of research point-of-views, thought leadership, and timely articles and whitepapers on multi-asset portfolio construction topics.
  • Collaborating closely with team members within the Multi-Asset and Quantitative Innovation team, as well as portfolio managers and colleagues on product, technology, and sales teams.
  • Performing complex quantitative investment research and then communicating to a less technical audience.

What you have

  • Advanced training in Economics, Financial Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or another highly quantitative field; Bachelor's required, Masters or PhD preferred; CFA designation or progress towards designation.
  • 0-2 years investment research or investment management experience; understanding of investment modeling, capital market assumptions, and portfolio optimization theory; familiarity with different asset classes, investment styles, and investment vehicles.
  • Excellent analytical and technical programming skills (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB); comfortable querying, transforming, and analyzing large complex market datasets; ability to think outside of box and make good decisions when faced with complex or ambiguous data.
  • Intellectual curiosity and strong problem solving and critical thinking skills.
  • Familiarity with market data vendors (e.g., Bloomberg, Morningstar, FactSet) and portfolio analysis, risk, and optimization tools and platforms (e.g., Barra, Aladdin, Axioma, Gurobi).
  • High degree of accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to self-audit own work.
  • Strong teamwork, organization, and time management skills.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills

In addition to the salary range, this role is also eligible for bonus or incentive opportunities.

What's in it for you

At Schwab, we're committed to empowering our employees' personal and professional success. Our purpose-driven, supportive culture, and focus on your development means you'll get the tools you need to make a positive difference in the finance industry. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.

We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you - both today and in the future:

  • 401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
  • Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and 28-day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
  • Paid parental leave and family building benefits
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance

Client-provided location(s): San Francisco, CA, USA
Job ID: CharlesSchwab-2024-105626
Employment Type: Other

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • FSA
    • FSA With Employer Contribution
    • HSA
    • HSA With Employer Contribution
    • Pet Insurance
    • Mental Health Benefits
  • Parental Benefits

    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
    • Fertility Benefits
    • Adoption Assistance Program
    • Family Support Resources
    • Adoption Leave
  • Work Flexibility

    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Commuter Benefits Program
    • Snacks
    • Company Outings
    • On-Site Cafeteria
    • Holiday Events
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Paid Holidays
    • Personal/Sick Days
    • Sabbatical
    • Leave of Absence
    • Volunteer Time Off
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Stock Purchase Program
    • Performance Bonus
    • Financial Counseling
  • Professional Development

    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Promote From Within
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Access to Online Courses
    • Internship Program
    • Work Visa Sponsorship
    • Leadership Training Program
    • Associate or Rotational Training Program
  • Diversity and Inclusion

    • Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program