Quantitative Model Developer, Specialist

The Vanguard Group; Malvern (Chester County); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

The Vanguard Group in Malvern, PA is seeking a quantitative software developer to design, build, and operate production investment systems. You will translate research into scalable, production-grade capabilities, with a focus on reliability, reproducibility, and governance.

This role emphasizes ML/AI-enabled investment solutions, GenAI, and knowledge systems, plus building end-to-end pipelines from research to production in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in quantitative software development or related field.
• Python demonstrated in production-quality software.
• Experience with ML/Statistical modeling and production deployment.
• Cloud-based development or deployment experience.
• Strong system design, testing, version control, CI/CD, observability.
• Strong quantitative and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in a quantitative discipline.

Responsibilities

• Designs, develops, and operates production quantitative investment systems.
• Designs, engineers, tests, deploys, and supports software affecting investment decisions.
• Translates research into scalable, production-grade investment capabilities with reliability.
• Engineers research-to-production model delivery pipelines.
• Builds architecture to move models and data from research to production with CI/CD, MLOps, governance.
• Develops advanced machine learning and AI-enabled investment capabilities.
• Designs and implements GenAI, retrieval, and knowledge systems for research productivity.
• Establishes software engineering and quantitative development standards.
• Develops reusable frameworks, libraries, and platforms with data lineage and observability.
• Advances investing through emerging AI/ML technologies.

Skills

Python

ML/AI

Cloud Technologies

Software Engineering

Quantitative Analysis

Bachelor's degree

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in CS/ML/Statistics/Math/Engineering

Job description

This role

• Designs, develops, and operates production quantitative investment systems
• Designs, engineers, tests, deploys, and supports software systems that directly influence investment decisions, portfolio construction, trading, risk management, and research workflows.
• Translates quantitative research into scalable, production-grade investment capabilities while maintaining the highest standards of reliability, reproducibility, and operational rigor.
• Engineers research-to-production model delivery pipelines
• Builds and maintains the architecture required to move quantitative models, datasets, and analytical processes from research through validation, testing, sandbox environments, and ultimately production deployment using modern software engineering, CI/CD, MLOps, and governance practices.
• Develops advanced machine learning and AI-enabled investment capabilities
• Designs and implements machine learning, statistical learning, optimization, and AI-based solutions to improve security selection, alpha research, portfolio construction, model monitoring, and investment decision support.
• Contributes throughout the model lifecycle including feature engineering, training, validation, deployment, observability, and ongoing performance evaluation.
• Designs and implements GenAI, retrieval, and knowledge systems
• Designs enterprise-grade GenAI solutions including Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), semantic search, knowledge retrieval, embedding architectures, reranking systems, agentic workflows, context engineering strategies, evaluation frameworks, and LLM orchestration patterns to enhance quantitative research productivity and insight generation.
• Establishes software engineering and quantitative development standards
• Develops reusable frameworks, libraries, services, and platform capabilities while establishing engineering standards for testing, validation, code review, performance optimization, reproducibility, data lineage, and operational excellence within quantitative investment environments.
• Advances quantitative investing through emerging technology
• Evaluates and applies new technologies including machine learning, deep learning, agentic AI systems, LLMs, knowledge graphs, cloud-native architectures, distributed computing, model observability tools, and software engineering best practices to improve investment outcomes and research efficiency.

Qualifications Required Skills & Experience

• 2+ years of experience in quantitative software development, financial engineering, machine learning/AI engineering, quantitative research technology, or a related quantitative technology field.
• Python: Demonstrated experience developing production-quality software using Python and modern software engineering practices.
• Machine Learning / Statistical Modeling: Experience developing, testing, and deploying machine learning, statistical learning, or optimization models.
• Production Model Deployment: Experience translating quantitative models, research, or analytical solutions into production environments.
• Cloud Technologies: Experience developing or deploying applications in cloud-based environments.
• Software Engineering: Working knowledge of system design, automated testing, version control, CI/CD, monitoring/observability, and production support.
• Quantitative Analysis: Strong quantitative, statistical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Quantitative Finance, Economics, or a related quantitative discipline.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Investment Management / Financial Markets: Experience working in asset management, quantitative investing, systematic investing, factor investing, portfolio construction, trading systems, or financial markets.
• Quantitative Investment Research: Experience translating quantitative investment research into production systematic investment capabilities.
• MLOps: Experience with machine learning operations, including model deployment, monitoring, validation, and governance.
• Generative AI: Experience designing or building applications using generative AI or large language models (LLMs).
• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): Experience developing RAG architectures, semantic search, knowledge retrieval, or related retrieval systems.
• LLM Technologies: Experience with vector databases, embeddings, context engineering, prompt engineering, LLM orchestration, agentic AI frameworks, or LLM evaluation.
• Advanced AI/ML: Experience with deep learning, knowledge graphs, agentic AI systems, or other emerging AI technologies.
• Cloud / Distributed Systems: Experience with cloud-native architectures or distributed computing.
• Advanced Degree: Master's degree or PhD in a quantitative or technical discipline preferred.

Special Factors Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission. To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.

Vanguard, one of the world's leading investment management companies, serves individual investors, institutions, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and financial professionals. We have a diverse and talented crew with a culture that promotes teamwork, along with an unwavering focus on serving our clients' best interests.