Portfolio Research Analyst, Quantitative Equities

Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group (CC&L); Vancouver; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

RRSP contribution matching

Year-end bonus

Family building benefits

Job summary

Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group (CC&L) is seeking a Portfolio Research Analyst for its Quantitative Equity Team in Vancouver. In this role, you will enhance portfolio optimization solutions, monitor portfolio performance, and collaborate with various teams. The position offers an annual base salary up to $200,000 and a comprehensive benefits package, including bonuses and health benefits. Ideal candidates have a degree in relevant fields and a strong analytical mindset, alongside excellent communication skills.

Qualifications

• Foundational understanding of optimization theory and portfolio management.
• Experience with quantitative research and critical thinking.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts effectively.

Responsibilities

• Conduct projects to enhance portfolio optimization solutions.
• Monitor portfolio characteristics and investment strategy consistency.
• Conduct in-depth portfolio performance attribution.

Skills

Optimization theory

Factor investing

Portfolio risk management

Communication skills

Statistical analysis

Education

Undergraduate degree in mathematics, optimization, statistics, physics, engineering, finance or related field

Job description

We are looking for a Portfolio Research Analyst to join our fast-paced and entrepreneurial Quantitative Equity Team! We are a high-performance team embedded in a top-performing quant fund that manages over $75 billion in financial assets. We combine quantitative research with leading‑edge technology to develop our unique algorithmic investment strategies. A culture of innovation, growth and success through collaboration and mutual respect has enabled us to deliver top tier performance for over two decades.

This is a role within the Portfolio Construction group responsible for the construction of optimal portfolios and desired trades for those portfolios.

You will be contributing to the ongoing advancement of our in‑house equity portfolio optimization framework that directly drives our daily investment decisions for delivering exceptional portfolio performance over the long term. You will possess an understanding of the key drivers of equity portfolio construction, including equity forecasts, risk management, and transaction cost management.

We are based in beautiful Vancouver, Canada; our team embraces the lifestyle and activities that life in Vancouver awards.

What you will do

• Research and development – Conduct projects to enhance the portfolio optimization solutions by applying a variety of skills and techniques in finance, mathematical optimization, and statistics.
• Portfolio oversight – Monitor portfolio characteristics and ensure consistency with investment strategy and guidelines.
• Performance analysis – Conduct in-depth portfolio performance attribution to support decision making, performance evaluation, idea generation, and client understanding.
• Research infrastructure improvements – Identify, propose and collaborate on enhancements to the research infrastructure and workflow processes underlying the portfolio optimization research and development efforts.
• Cross‑team support – Collaborate with portfolio managers, traders, model research analysts and investment process/data analysts to ensure seamless integration of portfolio optimization objectives, inputs and parameters.

With growth and development over time supported by the team leaders, you will eventually bring forward ideas and contribute to the long‑term strategic improvements to our portfolio optimization capabilities.

What you bring

• Domain expertise – You have a foundational understanding of optimization theory, factor investing, portfolio risk management, and transaction cost management. You can effectively understand and identify methodologies to solve portfolio optimization problems.
• Systematic and analytical mindset – Passionate about bringing systematization and a disciplined structure together with investment intuition. You have experience with producing quantitative research and think critically and intuitively with a balance of fundamental theory and empirical validation.
• Creativity / innovation – You have demonstrated an ability to contribute new ideas and challenge the status quo.
• Demonstrated learner – You love to learn new things and will have the ability to develop a sufficient understanding of the Quantitative Equity Team’s quantitative investment models and systematic investment process.
• Strong communication skills – You excel at communicating complex and technical concepts and proactively solicit and provide feedback.
• Academic and work experience – At a minimum, an undergraduate degree in mathematics, optimization, statistics, physics, engineering, finance or a related field. Graduate studies or work experience (in quantitative research, optimization research, portfolio management, or equity investment analysis) considered valuable but not a requirement.

The annual base salary for this position is up to $200,000 for new graduates. Our compensation and benefits package includes substantial variable compensation in the form of a year‑end bonus, RRSP contribution matching, health benefits, and family building benefits. Compensation will be determined based on experience and qualifications.

CC&L Financial Group is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or expression, disability, or age.