BlackRock’s business is investing on behalf of our clients, from large institutions to parents and grandparents, doctors and teachers who entrust their savings to us. We are committed to our clients—period. Our promise is to offer them the clearest thinking about what to do with their money and the products and services they need to secure a better financial future.
That’s why investors of all kinds have made us the world’s largest asset manager, entrusting us with trillions of dollars, and its why companies, institutions and global governments come to us for help meeting their biggest financial challenges.
BlackRock runs on Aladdin. It has always been at the core of BlackRock. Aladdin® is an operating system for investment managers that seek to connect the information, people, and technology needed to manage money in real time. Our investment software combines risk analytics with portfolio management, trading, compliance, and operations tools on a single platform to power informed decision-making, effective risk management, efficient trading, and operational scale. Through Aladdin, the firm offers to clients the same technology and intellectual capital that BlackRock uses to manage investments day-to-day.
About this role:
The Aladdin Business is growing rapidly, with the volume and complexity of new client deals and strategic partnerships growing each year. We are at the next phase of our growth and are evolving into a platform focused business with multiple new product launches and external partnerships. Successful candidates will join in our efforts to help sophisticated investors onboard the world’s leading end-to-end operating system for investment portfolios to see their whole portfolio, understand risk exposures, and act with precision.
We are looking for a candidate to join us in the Director role within the team’s Front Office practice.
Your team:
The Aladdin Client Transformation (“ACT”) is responsible for the installation and deployment of Aladdin and related products and services, globally. Aladdin implementations, including both institutional and retail assignments, are high profile initiatives that require team members to have senior level exposure and play an active role in the redefinition of investment organizations.
A typical implementation is at least as much about processes and implementing change as it is about investments & technology. We help clients achieve ambitious strategic objectives, which range from streamlining investment operations to integrating teams, to unifying their investment analytics & risk reporting framework, to modernizing their overall investment process. BlackRock’s implementation model is unique in the sense that we take full responsibility for the Client going live on our solution. It also means that we develop true partnerships with our clients at the most senior levels.
Your responsibilities:
• Collaborate closely with the Clients senior management team (e.g. Chief Investment Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Head Portfolio Managers, Head of Investment Operations, Chief Technology Officer) and provide strong leadership throughout the Aladdin implementation
• Engage the Client’s key leaders to understand, redesign, and deploy strategic business workflows across the full spectrum of the investment cycle, including pre-trade decisioning, order management, trading, investment operations, risk management/compliance/oversight, closed-book accounting, or performance measurement & attribution
• Lead and document investment and operational workflow design sessions for various asset classes, including equities, fixed income, alternatives, derivatives, and related workflows
• Gain an in-depth knowledge of Aladdin functionality and workflows, as well as industry expertise (e.g., pensions, insurers, asset managers) to ensure clients take full advantage of the suite of Aladdin products and workflows
• Lead, coordinate, and assist in client-specific Aladdin configuration, testing and user training
• Influence Client and Aladdin Product Managers to support client development needs
• Work closely with the Client and key internal functional teams to ensure the full range of capabilities are considered during an Aladdin implementation to ensure standard methodologies are achieved
• Participate in Aladdin business development activities, assisting in platform demonstrations, implementation pre-planning, or client due diligence, as a product/workflow subject matter authority
• Actively manage client communications regarding Aladdin product changes and configurations, as related to Aladdin onboarding
• Comfort with periodic travel across the Americas
Your qualifications:
• Deep understanding of portfolio management workflows, investment analytics performance analytics as a buy-side technology provider or as a front office practitioner, with at least 12 years of relevant industry experience
• Strong familiarity with capital markets instruments (equities, fixed income, private markets, derivatives), either analytically or via strong knowledge of investment life cycle
• Experience implementing scalable and repeatable business processes, inclusive of program management
• Excellent interpersonal skills with proven ability to build relationships with internal and client senior management
• Excellent creative, analytical and technology skills with an entrepreneurial approach to large, complex projects, and ability to execute autonomously
• Enjoys a fast paced, high-intensity and complex environment, troubleshooting time critical issues and working with people
• Strong attention to detail; willing to take proactive action, and desire to roll up sleeves
Nice if you have:
• Track record of leading successful implementations of investment technology solutions (order/trading systems, risk platforms, operations tools)
• Programming background or experience with query languages desired
• Experience with order management systems, electronic trading platforms, or derivative platforms
• Understanding of investment risk (e.g., market risk analytics)
• Experience with platform integrations (e.g., interfaces, APIs)
• People leadership experience
• Program management experience
• Relevant professional certifications (e.g., CFA, FRM, CAIA) are highly desirable