Senior Associate, Index Finance

The Senior Associate will be part of a global finance team, with team members largely based out of New York and Mumbai, collectively responsible for the financial management and financial leadership of MSCI’s award-winning Index business.

The Senior Associate will be responsible for advancing key initiatives as part of the Index finance team:

• In this role, the Senior Associate will generate commercial insights for global leaders regarding opportunities and challenges via the use of performance metrics and analysis which will help inform critical business decisions

• This role will also contribute heavily to the overall financial management of the Index business. The Senior Associate will help measure and drive execution of our operating plan initiatives as well as optimize our spending and investments by analyzing the data for key trends and actionable insights

• The role requires the Senior Associate to deliver on day-to-day responsibilities with minimal oversight while also being able to execute on longer-term projects both individually and as a part of a team. The Senior Associate is responsible for the execution and quality of their book of work from start to finish including any preparation, follow-ups, reviews, and escalation to management.

This role will partner closely with senior Index finance team members to drive our deliverables, with a specific focus on supporting and progressing mission-critical priorities and enhancements for the Index business.

The Index finance team also works closely with the Index Product organization on all strategic initiatives. The Senior Associate will contribute to this effort through advanced modeling and data analysis while helping effectively communicate through presentations and materials for senior management, and C-suite level stakeholders.

Detailed responsibilities 

• Work closely with senior Index finance team members to drive proactive financial management and better insights into the economics of our business to facilitate ongoing growth and operating efficiencies

• Create and maintain models to assist in strategic and financial planning including annual operating plan for both our subscription & asset-based fees business as well as manage expenses and investments

• Prepare strategic materials, product P&Ls, and scorecard reports for internal distribution as well as presentations for C-suite and Board of Directors

• Develop analyses and frameworks to provide commercial and business insights using Salesforce & BI tools to better identify and execute financial management initiatives, on an ongoing basis

• Handle large amounts of data, establish processes, and build recurring analyses to improve forecasting, performance tracking, and business decision making

• Track investment costs, identify benefits, and report on key investments leveraging MSCI’s triple crown framework

• Be comfortable owning multiple, concurrent workstreams with the expectation of being able to individually execute on assignments.

• Provide data-driven analytical observations, summaries, and recommendations using various internal and external sources.

• Assist in strategic planning and quarterly forecast-related activities and processes.

• Build and manage close working relationships with Index Product leaders and stakeholders across other business lines and functional areas

• Contribute to an inclusive work environment and act as strong team player

Desired Experience and Qualifications

The ideal candidate should have 5+ years’ experience in business finance, investment banking, or other high velocity, high complexity, client-facing roles.

• Strategic mindset with an ability to think broadly, refine questions, develop analytical frameworks and drive analyses to completion; outstanding quantitative and problem-solving skills

• Experience working in finance progressing & delivering on multiple, concurrent priorities with varied timelines and stakeholders. Financial modeling experience required, knowledge of FP&A best practices and/or P&L management preferred

• Familiarity with artificial intelligence (AI), and AI-related tools is highly desirable

• Technical acumen - comfortable handling large amounts of data and leveraging financial systems, databases, and third parties to source information

• Strong communication skills (verbal and written), including ability to translate complex technical issues into strategic, fundamental concepts, create compelling presentations, and present to Index Product leaders with confidence and credibility

• Strong relationship-building skills to build effective working relationships within the division and across the firm. Client- or commercial-facing experience a plus

• Highly motivated, personable and capable of managing multiple tasks in a demanding and dynamic, global and hybrid work environment

• Exceptional proficiency in Microsoft Office

• Experience creating and running Salesforce reports

• Experience with/interest in any of the following a plus: MSCI competitive environment, capital markets and investment management industry trends, finance automation initiatives, and subscription- and/or AUM-based businesses

• An advanced degree in finance, business administration, or data analytics is preferred but is not required