About the role:

As the Director of Research for Lifetime Financial Advice, you will help lead our research around lifetime investment & consumption models by applying your skills in econometrics, utility theory and mathematical optimization. You will be expected to continuously improve the advice and financial planning inventory of methodologies.

This position requires a Ph.D. in Economics or a closely related field with a keen interest in lifecycle finance, lifetime investment & consumption modeling, and financial economics that leads to investment advice. You will report to the Head of Advice and Financial Planning.

The position is based in Chicago.

Job responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of our research agenda in the areas of lifetime investment & consumption modeling, utility theory, econometrics, and optimization.
• Collaborate with a team of research professionals in conducting research and development in the topics of portfolio construction, retirement planning, wealth forecasting, cash flow, risk management, tax planning, and estate planning.
• Work with our product and commercial teams to translate our research findings into actionable insights for investors and advisors.
• Communicate research findings and recommendations to senior management, investors, and other stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.
• Act as an expert spokesman through publications, media engagements, and conference presentations.

Qualifications:

• At least 7 years of experience
• Candidates should have a Ph.D. in Economics or Econometrics.
• Candidates should have some research publications on lifetime planning and advice.
• Candidates should have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and be able to communicate complex financial information to a variety of stakeholders. They should be able to build relationships with other researchers and work collaboratively.

Nice to have:

• Experience in acting as an expert spokesman for media and journals is a nice-to-have.
• Some knowledge of Morningstar's existing advice and financial planning methodologies is highly desirable.
• Professional certification such as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) would be preferred.
• Experience with portfolio management and financial planning is a nice-to-have.

If you receive and accept an offer from us, we require that personal and any related investments be disclosed confidentiality to our Compliance team (days vary by region). These investments will be reviewed to ensure they meet Code of Ethics requirements. If any conflicts of interest are identified, then you will be required to liquidate those holdings immediately. In addition, dependent on your department and location of work certain employee accounts must be held with an approved broker (for example all, U.S. employee accounts). If this applies and your account(s) are not with an approved broker, you will be required to move your holdings to an approved broker.

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.