Assistant Vice President, Quantitative Analyst

Assistant Vice President, Quantitative Analyst

The Organization: Morningstar DBRS is a global credit ratings business, currently with 700 employees in eight offices globally. Formed through the July 2019 acquisition of DBRS by Morningstar, Inc., the ratings business is the fourth-largest provider of credit ratings in the world. DBRS Morningstar is committed to empowering investor success, serving the market through leading-edge technology, and raising the bar for the industry. DBRS Morningstar is a market leader in Canada, the U.S. and Europe in multiple asset classes. DBRS Morningstar is driven to bringing more clarity, diversity of opinion, and responsiveness to the ratings process. DBRS Morningstar’s approach and size provide the agility to respond to customers’ needs, while being large enough to provide the necessary expertise and resources.

The Team: North American Quantitative Analytics team comprises credit and quantitative analysts, tasked with the design, implementation, maintenance and periodic review of predictive models and analytical tools that are predominantly used by U.S. and Canadian asset classes within Global Structured Finance.
 

The role:

• Building, validating, testing, and reviewing of quantitative models (default models, cashflow models, capital models, regression models, time series models) that support our ratings across asset classes of ABS, CMBS, Covered Bond, RMBS, Structured Credit, Corporates.
• Evaluating and enhancing stability, conceptual soundness, assumptions, and mathematical logic of existing models
• Implementing models in an industrial strength language (Python, Spark, DASK, Metaflow etc.) as needed.
• Developing insights on large scale data, performing ad-hoc data cleaning and statistical analysis as needed
• Communicating results to rating analysts, senior management, and other key stakeholders
• Developing reports for regulators and other external parties
• Mentoring and managing the focus of quantitative modelers 

Desired Skills and Experience

Minimum Requirements:

• BS/MS/PhD in a quantitative discipline (econometrics, statistics, mathematics, physics, computer science etc.) with strong project portfolio
• Minimum 5 years of industry experience (2 years with PhD and 3 years with MS) in quantitative modeling of credit risk
• Strong quantitative/statistical skills in the field of predictive analytics with broad knowledge of regression analysis, time series analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, artificial intelligence, and data mining algorithms
• Experience with modeling financial products and/or securitization, preferably mortgage-backed securities.
• Strong coding skills, with preference for Python and SQL
• Excellent aptitude for application of mathematical and quantitative methods to business problems 
• Ability to explain, defend, garner support for and communicate technical and statistical components of models to both internal and external business stakeholders. 
• Familiarity with Agile software engineering practices 
• Intellectual curiosity for the world of quantitative research and attention to details

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Python/SQL/R/SAS/C#
• Experience with distributed data processing ecosystems (Spark, DASK etc.)
• Experience developing using Git or other collaborate workflow systems.
• Experience with AWS or any progress towards AWS certifications
• CFA Qualification or progress towards CFA.
• Experience in working on loan level mortgage data.

Base Salary Compensation Range:

$95,000 - $150,000

Annual Bonus Target:

20%

Compensation and Benefits

At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide-range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:

• Financial Health 
  • 75% 401k match up to 7% 
  • Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission

• Physical Health 
  • 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

• Emotional Health 
  • Trust-Based Time Off
  • 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program 
  • 6-Week Paid Family Leave & Paternity Leave 
  • Adoption Assistance 
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Education Stipend 
  • Tuition Reimbursement

• Social Health 
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups 

Bonus Target %

Morningstar’s hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to work remotely and collaborate in-person each week. While some positions are available as fully remote, we’ve found that we’re at our best when we’re purposely together on a regular basis, typically three days each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you’ll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.