Director of Institutional Research & Insights

Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 196,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match

Stock ownership

Health benefits

Wellness program

Tuition reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

Morningstar is seeking a senior research professional to lead and set the research agenda for the Morningstar Index business in a hybrid Chicago environment. You will craft insights and commentary for strategic priorities, and collaborate with product, quant researchers, and strategists to produce high-impact papers that differentiate our brand and engage clients.

The role requires 8-10 years in investment research, strong capital markets knowledge, and comfort presenting to stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years experience in investment research, multi-asset analysis, or index research.
• Proven ability to write clear, accessible, and commercially relevant research.
• Experience influencing research direction or guiding project teams in a matrix environment.
• Strategic thinker who can translate insights into actionable commercial outcomes.
• Strong capital markets knowledge and proficiency with financial data tools (FactSet, Bloomberg, Morningstar Direct), Excel, and/or Python.
• Excellent communication skills and comfort presenting to stakeholders.
• Comfortable being a public voice of the business.
• Some travel will be required.

Responsibilities

• Set research agenda for the Morningstar Index business with input from product, sales and executive leadership.
• Create compelling insights, commentary, and thought leadership content for internal and external audiences in support of strategic priorities.
• Work with various content creators within Indexes to produce high-impact white papers, market commentaries, and deep-dive research that drives brand differentiation and client engagement.
• Set research standards and mentor research associates.
• Lead collaboration with Morningstar's broader research ecosystem to identify compelling IP and content for product objectives.
• Support the creation of new IP that could be used to drive product development or enhance index methodology.
• Present research at industry conferences, client meetings, media interviews, and webinars.
• Work cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, Research, and Sales to amplify insights and ensure research aligns with business priorities.
• Ensure research output meets Morningstar standards of analytical rigor, transparency, and neutrality.

Skills

Investment research

Multi-asset analysis

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Public speaking

Education

CFA candidate

Graduate degree

Tools

FactSet

Bloomberg

Morningstar Direct

Excel

Python

Job description

Morningstar is seeking a senior research professional to lead and set the research agenda for the Morningstar Index business in a hybrid Chicago environment. You will craft insights and commentary for strategic priorities, and collaborate with product, quant researchers, and strategists to produce high-impact papers that differentiate our brand and engage clients.

The role requires 8-10 years in investment research, strong capital markets knowledge, and comfort presenting to stakeholders.