Associate, Data Scientist / Machine Learning Engineer

About this role

About this role

Alternatives is one of the fastest growing asset classes in global financial markets, covering all investments asset classes like real estate, commodities, private equity, hedge funds, and private credit, that are not traded on public exchanges. Our group work within the Aladdin engineering department building machine learning solutions to facilitate alternative investing at BlackRock, and for Aladdin clients.

Alts differs from other major asset classes as investment data generally comes in documents in semi or unstructured formats. Our job in the Data Science and Machine Learning group within Alternative Systems, is to build the systems we need to gather data and generate investment insights from these documents.

Our team was founded three years ago and forms a core component of BlackRock's strategy for expanding into Alts. Our remit covers both building out the foundational platforms and services we need to do ML at scale and building the models we need to derive investment insight from unstructured data. We are looking for people who are interested in working on the full ML technology stack, in one of the fastest growing groups at BlackRock.

Things you will work on:

Build foundational infrastructure services for applied ML at BlackRock.

• Write and deliver code to production standards

• Work with cutting edge opensource technologies

Build production standard ML models to solve real world financial problems.

• Build and run models in production

• Deep learning

• Machine learning

• Natural language processing

• Question answering systems

• Search

• Datapoint extraction

Develop novel methods to facilitate financial research from unstructured data.

• We are a research engineering group and you will have the chance to develop and apply your own research ideas

• You will have the chance to build novel systems based on cutting edge research.

What we expect from you

This is a varied role and we encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds who have a deep understanding or experience in at least some of the following;

• Programming skills (python and java highly desirable)

• Stats, maths, ML or deep learning

• Natural language Processing

• Working in a development group, dev ops, git etc.

• Working with Linux systems

• Service architectures, Docker, Kubernetes

• Familiarity or experience with ElasticSearch/RESTful APIs

• Experience in a research environment

• A good degree in a quantitative discipline

For an Associate hire we will expect to see demonstrable workplace or academic experience.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s current hybrid work model is designed to enable in-person connections and collaboration that is core to our culture, while supporting increased flexibility for all employees. In line with local health guidance and regulations, employees are required to work at least 3 days in the office each week, with the flexibility to work from home up to 2 days a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. The health, safety and well-being of our people will always be our top priorities; we will continue to monitor local conditions and health advisories in making decisions about our work environments.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being. Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.