The Group: 

Morningstar Indexes is one of the fastest-growing business units at Morningstar, delivering innovative indexing solutions that measure and benchmark global markets and asset classes. Our comprehensive suite spans equities, fixed income, and multi-asset strategies, supporting investors across the full investment lifecyclefrom market monitoring and benchmarking to asset allocation and portfolio construction.

Our indexes underpin a wide range of investment products, including strategic beta solutions built on proprietary research, as well as broad market benchmarks widely used by global asset managers and product providers.

The Role:

The Morningstar Indexes Global Operations team seeks a dynamic, results-driven, analytical and experienced leader for our Index Management & Analytics (IMA) team.

The team is responsible to maintain the integrity and accuracy of our indexes, through index reconstitution, rebalance and ongoing maintenance across all asset classes and business lines. The team also plays a critical role in methodology evolution, analytics development, and market classification frameworks.

This is a player-coach role combining hands-on quantitative expertise with team leadership. You will help shape the strategic roadmap, enhance operational infrastructure, and drive automation and AI adoption to support future scale. You will work cross-functionally with Product, Technology, New Product Development, and global Operations teams, while engaging directly with clients and stakeholders.

A successful Associate Director of Quant Research, Index Management & Analytics will have strong leadership and quantitative finance skills, a focus on operational excellence, a general understanding of financial markets and indexing. As part of this role, you will join a global team and will work with colleagues based in the US, Europe and Asia. The position is based in Vashi, Navi Mumbai (India)

Key Responsibilities

• Index Management & Methodology Ownership

       Lead end-to-end execution of index reconstitution and rebalancing across asset classes

       Ensure methodologies are implemented consistently, accurately, and at scale

       Provide subject matter expertise on index maintenance

• Innovation & Strategy

       Proactively identify and drive methodology enhancements aligned with market evolution

       Contribute to the IMA strategic roadmap, including infrastructure modernization and AI-enabled capabilities

• Team Leadership

       Manage and mentor a team of quantitative managers and analysts

       Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture with strong accountability and continuous learning

• Data Governance & Index Quality

       Oversee quality checks for data inputs critical to index construction (e.g., fundamentals, shares outstanding, float, classifications)

       Strengthen data quality frameworks and controls to minimize operational risk

       Oversee validation of index levels, portfolios, and restatement activities when required

• Client & Stakeholder Engagement

       Serve as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders

       Communicate index methodology, analytics, and reconstitution outcomes to clients and partners

       Support commercial and client engagement efforts with data-driven insights

• Operational Excellence & Automation

       Drive process improvements and automation to enhance efficiency and reduce manual dependencies

       Improve scalability and resilience of index operations

Qualifications & Experience

       Bachelors or Masters degree in Finance, Engineering, Economics, or a related field

       CFA (completed or in progress) strongly preferred

       1215 years of relevant experience in index management, quantitative research, or financial data operations

       Proven experience leading teams and managing global stakeholders

Skills & Competencies

       Strong understanding of financial markets, index construction, and portfolio analytics

       Advanced proficiency in Python, SQL, and data analytics; experience with financial modeling preferred

       General proficiency and practical experience in applying AI/ML to financial data, operations or analytics workflows; and familiarity with generative AI tools

       Excellent problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail and control mindset

       Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under tight timelines

       Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex concepts for diverse audiences

       Passion for innovation, automation, and continuous improvement

Morningstar is an equal opportunity employer.

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office 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.