Client Investment Research Associate

About Bridgewater 

Bridgewater Associates is a premier asset management firm, focused on delivering unique insight and partnership for the most sophisticated global institutional investors. 

Our investment process is driven by a tireless pursuit to understand how the world’s markets and economies work — using cutting-edge technology to validate and execute on timeless and universal investment principles. 

Founded in 1975, we are a community of independent thinkers who share a commitment for excellence. By fostering a culture of openness, transparency, and inclusion, we strive to unlock the most complex questions in investment strategy, management, and corporate culture. 

Explore more information about Bridgewater on our website here. 

Our Culture 

Our culture is anchored in excellence, meaning constant improvement, and it is deeply tied to our mission. Because markets are objective, competitive, and getting smarter everyday, we need to keep rapidly improving to have any chance of beating them. Truth is our most essential tool for engaging with the markets and constantly improving because once you know what's true about your problems and opportunities, you can determine how to get better. Valuing truth means being transparent about your decision-making and mistakes, giving and receiving feedback with humility, and fighting for the best answers over hierarchy, ego, or self-interest. Operating this way is hard – it's only possible because we build meaning in our work and relationships. This meaning comes from the audacity of the mission, and the joy of working alongside people who make you a better version of yourself. The culture, like Bridgewater itself, is always evolving. In 1997 our founder Ray Dalio wrote down his lessons, starting with a Philosophy Statement which remains our foundation. This later evolved into a set of 300+ Principles. In 2022, when Ray transitioned the company, we re-underwrote several of those principles and evolved others, with a specific focus on Meritocracy. Today the culture sits, alongside our people, as our most important edge. When we get it right, it’s the engine that powers everything else. 

About Your Role 

Client Investment Research Analysts play a vital role in service of Bridgewater’s overall client service strategy across our front office departments – the Alpha Engine, Total Portfolio Strategies, and Client Service. Analysts act as the primary support to Bridgewater’s Strategists, a small group of senior investors appointed by Bridgewater’s co-CIOs to partner directly with our clients on their most important Research priorities. Day-to-day work includes collaborating with Strategists, Client Advisors, asset class teams, and our CIOs to define approaches on how to handle different client-focused research projects and execute on them through research, analysis, and project management, culminating in novel investment insights that informs out clients’ thinking. From their unique position at the heart of Bridgewater’s client-focused research activity, these individuals have an aerial view into our ever-evolving perspectives on world markets, high-impact company-wide projects and our investment philosophy and processes.  

Bridgewater’s market-driven approach to client service requires our Client Investment Research Analysts to continually expand their understanding and knowledge of the markets. Through formal training and informal on-the-job instruction, Client Investment Research Analysts become well-versed in our investment approach, process and different strategies, our book of business, and our production systems.  

Client Investment Research Analysts are embedded across several departments in the Front Office, helping drive critical projects and engagements in our Alpha Engine, Total Portfolio Strategies, and Client Service functions. Roles across departments are focused in the following areas:  

• Within the Alpha Engine, Client Investment Research Analysts work on projects that cover a range of areas, including but not limited to our outlook on markets, our thinking on portfolio construction, and Bridgewater’s investment process and flagship Pure Alpha strategy. 

• Total Portfolio Strategies: Client Investment Research Analysts within Total Portfolio Solutions partner directly with our Pillar Heads and Strategists, a small group of senior investors appointed by Bridgewater’s co-CIOs to partner directly with our clients on their most important Research priorities. Day-to-day work includes collaborating with Pillar Heads, Strategists, Client Advisors, research teams, and our CIOs to define approaches on how to handle different client-focused research projects and execute on them through research, analysis, and project management, culminating in novel investment insights that informs out clients’ thinking.  
• Client Service: The Client Investment Research Analysts in CS act as Bridgewater’s in-house investment advisory arm partnering with Client Advisors to provide clients with tailored insights and advice to address their day-to-day questions about Bridgewater’s strategies, performance, and portfolio positions. 

Successful Client Investment Research Analysts will: 

• Develop a holistic understanding of portfolios and portfolio management principles 
• Understand the depth and breadth of Bridgewater’s market knowledge as well as its pioneering work in institutional asset management and alpha and beta separation 
• Contribute to Bridgewater’s world-class client service strategy through creative thinking about how to generate insights and convey key messages to our clients about our investment philosophy, strategies, performance and outlook in the markets. 

You will drive the following responsibilities:    

• Understand Bridgewater’s book of business, related commercial strategy and our investment thinking 
• Strategize with Client Advisors, other Research teams and investment professionals (at times including CIOs and other Sr. Researchers) and help develop best approach to handle client requests, enable high quality client engagements 
• Apply analytical skills, market knowledge, and an understanding of Bridgewater’s investment methodology to create insights to help shape clients’ investment thinking or deliver client-ready portfolio position and performance reports to allow our Client Advisors, Investment Strategists and Chief Investment Officers to tell the Bridgewater investment story in a rich and accurate way 
• Work creatively with existing methodologies and tools to identify and solve problems in how we serve clients by simultaneously contributing to the creation of new tools, models, and or “machines” to automate and streamline our processes 

Interested in learning more about working at Bridgewater? Hear about the experiences of our employees here. 

Position Requirements 

The Client Investment Research Analyst role is a great opportunity to transition into Bridgewater. While the position does not require deep experience in asset management, preferred candidates will have prior experience within a related and similarly fast-paced professional services environment. We are looking for intellectually curious, energetic individuals who can learn quickly and are aggressive problem-solvers. Candidates should meet the following criteria. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with a strong academic and extracurricular track record 
• Interest for and understanding of markets and investing 
• Ability to solve complex problems through analysis 
• Aptitude for creative quantitative work involving financial and economic data 

In addition, to succeed within our unique culture and work environment, individuals must demonstrate humility, innate curiosity, and openness to new ideas and approaches. Candidates must be driven, confident, and goal-oriented. All Bridgewater employees are expected to be honest, exceptionally direct, and eager to provide and receive objective feedback. Our employees constantly strive for self-improvement through feedback and self-reflection and are committed to the pursuit of excellence. 

Physical Requirements
The anticipated onsite requirement for this role is four days per week, primarily at our New York City campus. A subset of teams operates on a hybrid schedule alternating between our New York City and Westport campuses.     

Why Choose Bridgewater? 

It takes all types to make Bridgewater great. We seek a diverse group of innovative thinkers and push them to engage in rigorous and thoughtful inquiry. We develop people through an honest examination of their abilities and performance, enabling personal growth and professional development. We strive to provide you with opportunities that will challenge you and unlock your potential. 

You will grow with us by: 

• Participating in formal and informal on the job training 
• Developing a holistic understanding of portfolios and portfolio management principles 
• Becoming well-versed in our investment approach, process, strategies and book of business 

Compensation Band
The wage range for this role is $130,000 - $260,000 inclusive of base salary and discretionary target bonus. The expected base salary for this role is between 70% - 80% of this wage range. 

One of our core priorities at Bridgewater is to enable our employees to build a great life and career, and we believe our benefits are an important extension of that philosophy. As such, currently Bridgewater offers a competitive suite of benefits. Explore more information about Bridgewater’s benefits on our website here.  

Bridgewater reserves the right to change its current benefits program at any time, in a manner that is consistent with applicable federal and state regulations. 

This job description is not a contract and confers no contractual rights, privileges, or benefits on any applicant or potential applicant. Bridgewater has the right to change any and all terms of this job description, including, but not limited to, job responsibilities, qualifications and benefits. Nothing in this job description constitutes an offer or guarantee of employment. Please note that we do provide immigration sponsorship for this position. 

Bridgewater Associates, LP is an Equal Opportunity Employer