Global Stock Selection - Implementation Researcher

AQR is a global investment firm built at the intersection of financial theory and practical application. We strive to deliver concrete, long-term results by looking past market noise to identify and isolate the factors that matter most, and by developing ideas that stand up to rigorous testing. By putting theory into practice, we have become a leader in alternative strategies and an innovator in traditional portfolio management since 1998.

At AQR, our employees share a common spirit of academic excellence, intellectual honesty and an unwavering commitment to seeking the truth. We’re determined to know what makes financial markets tick – and we’ll ask every question and challenge every assumption. We recognize and respect the power of collaboration, and believe transparency and openness to new ideas leads to innovation.

The Global Stock Selection (GSS) group is responsible for the portfolio management and research of AQR's strategies relating to individual equities and equity related securities across all global liquid markets. GSS models are applied to market-neutral long/short portfolios in AQR hedge funds as well as to long-only, relaxed-constraint and low volatility portfolios for institutional equity mandates and mutual funds.

AQR Capital Management is seeking an exceptionally talented Senior Implementation Researcher to join our team of professionals and focus on our proprietary equity strategies. Candidates should be motivated and enthusiastic about implementing new ideas and are expected to be hands-on and self-sufficient in conducting all aspects of research projects. The role will involve collaboration with other researchers, portfolio managers, risk managers and traders to improve various aspects of the implementation of our investment strategies. Your responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Driving insights into and improving our machinery for translating stock characteristics into portfolios and allocating weights across signals in our alpha models

• Enhancing non-alpha inputs to our process, such as our risk and transaction cost models

• Improving our portfolio optimization process, including proposing and evaluating new objective functions and optimization frameworks

• Adding features to our proprietary research system to implement new research ideas

• B.S. degree from top institution in economics, finance, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or another quantitative discipline. PhD preferred; not required

• 8+ years’ experience working in a similar quantitative or technical environment. Experience in quantitative implementation / portfolio construction research at an asset manager or hedge fund preferred

• Research management experience preferred, not required

• Demonstrated problem solving ability

• Demonstrated ability to write code for analysis; proficiency in one or more object-oriented programming languages (e.g. Python, R, Perl, MATLAB)

• Strong quantitative skills with demonstrated understanding of mathematics, probability, statistics and linear algebra

• Strong understanding of economic and financial concepts and demonstrated intuition around applying these concepts in a quantitative environment

• Demonstrated ability to express and articulate ideas and thought processes in both verbal and written form

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

• Mature and thoughtful, with the ability to operate within a collaborative, team-oriented culture

• Committed to intellectual integrity, with a high degree of ethics

• Hard working and eager to learn in a highly