Investor Behavior Research, Vice President

Who are we looking for

State Street Associates (SSA) is looking for a researcher to join the Investor Behavior Research Team.

The Investor Behavior Research Team produces cutting edge research and proprietary measures of investor behavior that are used by some of the most sophisticated asset managers in the world. We are looking for quantitative researchers who will play a key role in providing client service and who can contribute to the advancement of our research agenda. The individual will be involved in a variety of tasks, including writing market-focused insights and academic papers, development of information products and indicators, contributing to quality assurance processes for existing products, developing investable strategies, and ad hoc advisory engagements.

Why this role is important to us

State Street Associates (SSA) is a unique partnership of industry and academia dedicated to delivering preeminent research in investor behavior, global asset allocation, risk management, and foreign exchange to investment managers and asset owners. State Street Associates’ staff work in a collegiate environment just off Harvard Square, Cambridge, designed to foster creative and groundbreaking thought. Our work is extensively peer reviewed and published in academic and practitioner journals. Our business objectives are to promote State Street’s brand as the leading provider of knowledge resources, decision support and advisory services to global investors and provide valuable, proprietary research to clients in support of our sell-side business, State Street Markets. Research direction is provided by leading academics from Harvard, Boston College, and MIT.

What you will be responsible for:

As Investor Behavior Research, Vice President you will -

• Develop and apply proprietary behavioral measures to forecast market risk and return, and evaluate their relationship with traditional investment factors such as value, momentum, and carry. Analyze and integrate proprietary behavioral indicators with external datasets, including institutional positioning and flow data (e.g., CFTC positioning and central bank activity), to generate differentiated market insights. (30%)
• Drive the development of new research concepts and design innovative proprietary indicators that translate behavioral and market hypotheses into actionable investment signals. (40%)
• Perform ongoing quality assurance, validation, and enhancement of existing indicators to ensure accuracy, robustness, and consistency of outputs. (10%)
• Support client engagement activities through ad hoc research projects, presentation of findings, stakeholder meetings, and occasional travel. (20%)

Education & Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required (graduate degree preferred) in a quantitative field such as finance, economics, mathematics, physics, or similar fields. CFA and FRM certifications also desirable.
• Experience in sell-side research desirable but not essential.
• Exceptional written skills are essential; oral communication ability and experience in public speaking is desirable.
• Strong working knowledge of financial and statistical concepts including modern portfolio theory and asset pricing theory.
• Knowledge of market mechanics and datasets (e.g. MSCI, QAD, Bloomberg, Reuters) strongly preferred.
• Ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• Computer programming experience; Python, MATLAB, SQL, Oracle PL/SQL, and experience working with large data sets.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining strict attention to detail.
• Ability to mentor junior quantitative researchers and collaborate across teams.

Salary Range:

$200,000 - $200,000 Annual

The range quoted above applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location above, the applicable range could differ.

Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.

For a full overview, visit https://hrportal.ehr.com/statestreet/Home.

About State Street

Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.

We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.

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Job Application Disclosure:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.