Quantitative Research Analyst

About the role

Join Voya Investment Management’s Systematic Equities team, which manages approximately $23b in systematic and index assets and supports a broader equities platform. The Analyst will work within a team of quantitative researchers, machine learning engineers, and portfolio managers to support the data, research, and production infrastructure underlying our systematic investment process.

Our team sits at the intersection of data science and investment analysis, working closely with fundamental sector analysts for cross-fertilization of ideas. We develop investment insights through exploring datasets and analytical methods to systematically identify alpha opportunities in different segments of the equity market. Research areas for the team include identifying new alpha factors, model estimation (linear and nonlinear), portfolio construction, and risk management.

The Quantitative Research Analyst role is primarily focused on data engineering, quantitative infrastructure, model implementation and production support. They will be expected to help maintain and contribute to the shared codebase and toolkit of the research team. As a part of the Systematic Team, the Analyst will be given plentiful opportunities to participate in alpha generating research and the portfolio management process.

Responsibilities

• Build, maintain and monitor reliable data pipelines supporting quantitative research and production models.
• Help maintain and advance the team’s shared codebase, data repositories, and cloud-based technology stack that is the cornerstone of our research and production processes.
• Clean, validate and evaluate new data sets from a range of sources for their potential to generate alpha.
• Work on innovative research projects aimed at advancing our proprietary multi-factor and machine intelligence models through the addition of new alpha signals or better model estimation techniques, both linear and nonlinear.
• Collaborate with portfolio managers, quantitative researchers, technology partners and, over time, fundamental analysts.
• Contribute to new product development in collaboration with our client-facing and product teams.
• Contribute to thought leadership articles to enhance awareness of our team’s investment philosophy and capabilities.

Requirements

• Degree in a quantitative discipline such as Financial Engineering, Operations Research, Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, etc.
• Working towards a CFA is a plus.
• 0-5 years of relevant work experience in applied quantitative research, preferably investment management. Strong recent graduates are encouraged to apply.
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills.
• Excellent working knowledge of econometrics and statistics. Familiarity with financial statement analysis is a plus.
• Hands-on experience across a broad range of modern analytic and data tools, particularly Python (numpy/pandas, machine learning packages such as XGBoost and SKLearn) with a solid understanding of relational databases.
• Bonus points for experience with cloud services (e.g., Azure), financial datasets (e.g., FactSet, Bloomberg), and factor investing.
• Attention to detail, curious, and self-motivated. Ability to work independently and collaboratively within the broader research team, as well as prioritize tasks.
• Excellent problem solving, interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to translate quantitative insights into actionable process improvements.
• Passion for data science and financial markets, the curiosity to master new technologies and techniques, and a desire to drive transformational change.

Pay

The annual base salary range for this position is $120,000 - $140,000 USD. In addition to base salary, Voya offers incentive opportunities (i.e., annual cash incentives, sales incentives, and/or long-term incentives) based on the role to reward the achievement of annual performance objectives. Actual compensation offered may vary from the posted salary range based upon the candidate’s geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision and life insurance plans
• 401(k) Savings plan – with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%)
• Voya Retirement Plan – employer paid cash balance retirement plan (4%)
• Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
• Paid time off – including 20 days paid time off, nine paid company holidays and a flexible Diversity Celebration Day
• Paid volunteer time — 40 hours per calendar year

Critical Skills

• Customer Focused: Passionate drive to delight our customers and offer unique solutions that deliver on their expectations.
• Critical Thinking: Thoughtful process of analyzing data and problem solving data to reach a well-reasoned solution.
• Team Mentality: Partnering effectively to drive our culture and execute on our common goals.
• Business Acumen: Appreciation and understanding of the financial services industry in order to make sound business decisions.
• Learning Agility: Openness to new ways of thinking and acquiring new skills to retain a competitive advantage.