Associate, Investment & Portfolio Solutions (IPS) - Germany

Your group 

Investment & Portfolio Solutions (IPS) is a key part of BlackRock’s Global Product Solutions. We partner with clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), including wealth and asset managers, pension funds and insurance companies, to support their whole-portfolio needs. For clients that manage their own portfolios, we provide market and portfolio insights to support decisions relating to asset allocation, portfolio construction and implementation. For clients seeking to outsource portfolio management, we support the development and delivery of model portfolio solutions across the region. 

Your team 

The EMEA Portfolio Consulting team works closely with clients to help them achieve their desired portfolio outcomes using the full range of BlackRock products and solutions across liquid and illiquid investment vehicles. Our team brings together expertise in portfolio construction and financial markets, powered by BlackRock’s risk platform, Aladdin®. We help investors understand the risks and distinctive characteristics of their existing portfolios and provide insights designed to support better investment decisions and build stronger, more resilient portfolios over time. We also collaborate with clients to develop new investment strategies and solutions. 

Alongside bespoke client consulting, the team contributes to broader portfolio insight generation across EMEA. This includes scalable content, thematic research and portfolio insights used in commercial campaigns, product innovation discussions, and strategic initiatives across wealth and institutional channels. 

We celebrate accomplishments collectively and prioritise the success of the broader team. We value collaboration, intellectual curiosity and a strong team-first culture. Individuals are encouraged to support one another, share ideas openly and contribute beyond their immediate responsibilities. Diverse perspectives are welcomed, contributions are recognised, and colleagues are empowered to learn from one another and grow together. 

Your role and impact 

We are seeking a quantitatively minded Portfolio Strategist at Associate level to join the IPS Consulting team in Germany. You will work closely with senior portfolio strategists across EMEA to analyse and consult on client investment propositions while contributing to broader portfolio insights and commercial initiatives across the business. 

The role is primarily focused on portfolio analysis and portfolio construction, while also supporting insight generation and thematic research across the platform. You will interpret quantitative analysis, articulate technical concepts clearly and present insights to a broad range of stakeholders. 

Operating in a fast-paced environment, you will gain significant exposure to BlackRock’s client and investment businesses and have opportunities to deepen your knowledge of portfolio analytics, construction techniques and investment strategy. You will be encouraged to engage directly with clients and contribute more broadly to insight generation across the platform. 

Your responsibilities 

In every role at BlackRock, you'll be expected to apply sound judgement and critical thinking to solve complex problems, adapt as the business evolves, and combine the curiosity to explore new approaches and technologies with the rigor to challenge the results. The scope of this role also includes the following responsibilities: 

• Work with the Consulting and Sales teams to evaluate, evolve or construct portfolios tailored to each client, running portfolio analytics and interpreting results in the context of market conditions and client objectives. 

• Present portfolio analytics, investment insights and strategic views to clients and prospects, helping to strengthen client relationships and support commercial outcomes 

• Support the generation of scalable portfolio insights, thematic research and investment content for internal and external stakeholders, including materials used in commercial campaigns and strategic initiatives. 

• Stay up to date with macroeconomic developments and investment management industry trends. 

• Partner with teams across the organisation, including Investment Strategy, the BlackRock Investment Institute and Product teams, to execute joint research and insight-generation initiatives. 

• Analyse portfolio and market trends to identify commercial opportunities, investment themes and areas of strategic focus. 

• Develop short-term and long-term innovations that support the evolving needs of the business and its technology capabilities. 

• Work closely with the in-business technology group to enhance the technology platform and improve the scalability of portfolio analytics and insight generation. 

Your experience 

We are looking for candidates who bring: 

• Strong understanding of financial markets, including drivers of return, risk and portfolio construction techniques. 

• Relevant experience at Associate level, typically three to five years, in an analytical, research, strategy or consulting role, including experience working with or analysing portfolios and using data to generate clear, actionable insights. 

• Ability to interpret quantitative analysis and communicate technical concepts clearly and in a commercially relevant manner. 

• Proven ability to engage confidently with clients and communicate portfolio analytics, investment strategy and market insights in a client-facing environment. 

• Flexibility and openness to new challenges, with the ability to work effectively across multiple projects in a dynamic and evolving environment while maintaining strong attention to detail. 

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative mindset and team-first approach. You will contribute positively to team culture and work effectively across a broad range of stakeholders. 

• Exposure to financial data platforms such as Aladdin, Bloomberg, Morningstar or FactSet, or experience with similar analytical tools. 

• Fluency in English and German. 

Additionally, you may bring 

• Prior experience with risk management or portfolio construction systems such as Barra, Axioma or Aladdin. 

• Strong understanding of investment management data and experience accessing and analysing data to support research and portfolio insights. 

• Prior experience in macroeconomics, investment strategy or portfolio management. 

• Programming skills in Python, R, MATLAB or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). 

• Experience producing investment research, thematic content or portfolio insight materials. 

• Additional language skills, such as French or Italian 

• An Investment Management Certificate (IMC), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) qualification, or progress towards one of these qualifications.