Job Description

Morningstar is looking for a Quantitative Analyst to join its Indexes New Product Development team in London. This junior-level role focuses on the end-to-end creation of next-generation investment solutions, particularly thematic and smart beta indexes. You will be responsible for taking innovative index concepts from initial ideation through design, rigorous validation, and final market launch.

The team leverages Morningstar’s proprietary intellectual property (IP) and research—including equity, sustainability (ESG), and fixed income insights—to empower investors with better benchmarking and asset allocation tools. You will work in a high-bandwidth, collaborative environment, building analytical tools and exploring advanced technologies like Machine Learning and AI to enhance portfolio construction and market research.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development: Lead the full product lifecycle for novel indexes, including strategy design, rules-based methodology development, and performance validation.
Research Collaboration: Partner with global research teams (Equity, Quantitative, Sustainability, etc.) and product management to integrate Morningstar IP into new index products.
Tool Creation: Develop and maintain sophisticated tools for portfolio construction and risk analytics using statistical methods and machine learning techniques.
Go-to-Market Support: Author technical white papers, factsheets, and presentations to communicate complex index methodologies and value propositions to clients and stakeholders.
Operational Integration: Collaborate with internal index operations teams to ensure new methodologies are successfully operationalized and rebalanced.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field (Mathematics, Statistics, Finance, or Engineering); an MBA from a top-tier institute is highly preferred.
Experience: Up to 2 years of experience in quantitative research, financial services, or an engineering-related field.
Domain Knowledge: Understanding of institutional investing, Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), and rules-based quantitative investment strategies (e.g., ESG or Factor-based indexes).
Technical Stack: Proficiency in at least one statistical programming language (Python, R, or MATLAB) and SQL for handling large financial datasets.
Professional Certifications: Progress toward the CFA charter (Level I passed) is strongly preferred.

Job Data Table

Category	Details
Company Name	Morningstar
Location	London, United Kingdom
Locality	Greater London
Country	United Kingdom
City	London
Region	London
Job Type	Full-time
Salaries	Competitive (Market rates for 0-2 years exp.)
Experience Level	Junior (0-2 Years)
Travel	Minimal (Primary focus on London hub)
Language	English
Benefits	Hybrid work model (4 days in-office), Flexible benefits, Global team exposure

Skills & Competency Table

Key Skill	Proficiency Level
Python / R / MATLAB	Advanced
SQL (Postgres / SQL Server)	Advanced
Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT)	Advanced
Statistical & Machine Learning	Intermediate
Index Methodology Design	Intermediate
Technical Documentation	Expert

Salaries Pay Calculator Table

Annual Base Salary	Est. Bonus (10–15%)	Total Compensation	Notes
£55,000	£5,500	£60,500	Entry-level graduate from top-tier STEM program.
£68,000	£10,200	£78,200	Mid-point for 2 years experience + CFA L1.
£75,000	£11,250	£86,250	High-end for candidates with MBA and ESG index exp.

Job Summary

This London-based role involves designing thematic and smart beta indexes for Morningstar’s global team. You will handle the full development lifecycle—from ideation and Python/R modeling to publishing white papers. Requires a quantitative degree, 0-2 years of experience, and strong analytical skills to transform research into rules-based investment solutions.

5 FAQs

What is the office attendance policy? Morningstar uses a hybrid model, typically requiring four days in-office per week in London.
What are “Thematic” and “Smart Beta” indexes? Thematic indexes target specific trends (e.g., Clean Energy), while Smart Beta uses “factors” like Value or Low Volatility to weight stocks instead of market cap.
Is the CFA required? It is not mandatory, but candidacy (having passed at least Level I) is highly preferred and beneficial for career progression.
Will I work with clients? Yes, you will help create presentations and collateral to support go-to-market plans and participate in presentations to global clients.
Is there room for AI work? Yes, the role explicitly encourages exploring AI and machine learning implementations for research and portfolio analysis.

Expert Analysis

In 2026, the Index Development space is shifting from “broad market” benchmarks to highly customized Factor-based and ESG-tilted solutions. This role is a premier entry point because it combines pure quantitative modeling with product strategy. Success here depends on the ability to translate “unstructured” research insights into “structured,” rules-based methodologies that can scale globally.

Location & Logistics Guide

The role is based in London, likely in Morningstar’s offices near The City or Spitalfields. This area is a global finance hub with excellent connectivity via Liverpool Street Station (Elizabeth Line). The four-day in-office requirement emphasizes Morningstar’s belief in high-bandwidth, face-to-face collaboration for innovation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London

Career Path

A Quantitative Analyst in New Product Development typically progresses to a Senior Quantitative Analyst or Index Product Manager within 3–5 years. Because you are involved in the full lifecycle, you can also pivot into Quantitative Research or Sustainability Strategy roles as you master Morningstar’s proprietary IP.

To apply for this job please visit uk.talent.com.