Lead Finance Director for Technology, Data and Research

Your Team Responsibilities

MSCI is seeking a senior business leader to serve as a key Finance leadership member, trusted advisor and strategic business partner to the Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Research Officer. This Lead Finance Director will be partnering closely with the CFO, the CTO and the CRO and will oversee a team of professionals managing all aspects of the financial management and financial operations of the firm’s production processes across technology infrastructure, software development and data process throughput. The individual will play key role in driving operational excellence and efficiency across MSCI.

MSCI is an independent provider of research-driven insights and tools for institutional investors.  The company offers deep expertise in the areas of risk and performance measurement that is based on more than 40 years of academic research, real-world experience and collaboration with our clients. MSCI’s broad product line supports clients’ needs across all major asset classes and provides them with a consistent way of looking at risk and performance from front to middle office.  The company has a highly flexible business model that enables clients to select the individual products and services they need and integrate them into their own investment processes and methodologies.

Asset owners use MSCI research, data, benchmarks and multi-asset class risk management tools to determine whether the managers they hire are delivering appropriate risk-adjusted returns. Chief investment officers use MSCI’s extensive, high-quality data to develop and test investment strategies.  They also use MSCI models and performance attribution tools to understand the drivers of return in their portfolios. Active managers rely on MSCI factor models, data and portfolio construction and optimization tools to build portfolios and keep them aligned with their investment objectives. Passive managers use MSCI’s index data, equity factor models and optimizer to construct their index funds and ETFs. Chief risk officers choose MSCI’s risk management systems to understand, monitor and control risk in the portfolios they are safeguarding.

For more than 40 years, MSCI’s research-based indexes and analytics have helped the world’s leading investors build and manage better portfolios.  Clients rely on our offerings for deeper insights into the drivers of performance and risk in their portfolios, broad asset class coverage and innovative research. Our line of products and services includes indexes, analytical models, data, real estate benchmarks and ESG research.  MSCI serves 98 of the top 100 largest money managers, according to the most recent P&I ranking.

Your Key Ressponsibilities

Scope of Responsibility

The Finance Director will report to the CFO and will partner closely with the CTO and the CRO and the leaders of the Technology & Data and Research organizations. As Finance Director, s/he will play a critical role in driving the strategic roadmap across our production processes, improve business performance and decision making, drive cross product/function coordination to ensure close alignment with product roadmaps and commercial agendas, and establish a strategic approach to the management of the firm’s resources and more than 6,000 global employees. As a leadership position, the individual will provide coordination and direction to a team of Finance professionals that drive the day-to-day financial management of each product/function as well as establish segment strategy and drive operational execution to support sustainable growth. 

Your skills and experience that will help you excel

Specific Knowledge:

• Strong financial acumen, with proven track record in Financial and/or Operational leadership roles
• Experience with IT Finance and Operations and driving process improvement, reengineering and efficiency initiatives
• Strong leadership, partnership, communication and influencing skills
• Experience developing and leading strategic initiatives and investments through understanding the competitive landscape, industry trends, market structure and the potential business impact
• Proven expertise in articulating and presenting the Tech/Data and Research strategy to executive leadership
• Demonstrated ability to translate data into actionable insight
• Strong collaboration skills and comfortable providing indirect leadership
• Comfortable working in a global, high intensity and high energy environment
• Experience in capital budgeting, resource planning, risk management, P&L analysis, customer profitability, business development, competitor analysis, pricing strategy, product development
• Experience in developing and using metrics on profitability and growth
• Experience with product pricing and profitability review, large deal review & partnering with product & sales management
• The ideal candidate will provide a unique perspective, will question the status quo and challenge effectively and will drive change through innovation and strong commercial knowledge
• Helpful to have an understanding of a subscription-based business models as well as an understanding of SaaS frameworks

Desired Experience

The ideal candidate should have at least 10 to 15 years minimum in leadership positions in Finance industry, preferably with experience as a business CFO, COO, IT Ops Leader or equivalent role with a focus on Technology. The candidate should have experience establishing strategy, driving execution and driving process improvement.

Desired Qualifications

Core financial competencies are a requirement along with strong leadership and business development skills.

About MSCI

What we offer you

• Salary range: $304,000 - $395,000 / year plus eligible for annual bonus
• Transparent compensation schemes and comprehensive employee benefits, tailored to your location, ensuring your financial security, health, and overall wellbeing.

• Flexible working arrangements, advanced technology, and collaborative workspaces.

• A culture of high performance and innovation where we experiment with new ideas and take responsibility for achieving results.

• A global network of talented colleagues, who inspire, support, and share their expertise to innovate and deliver for our clients.

• Global Orientation program to kickstart your journey, followed by access to our Learning@MSCI platform, LinkedIn Learning Pro and tailored learning opportunities for ongoing skills development.

• Multi-directional career paths that offer professional growth and development through new challenges, internal mobility and expanded roles.

• We actively nurture an environment that builds a sense of inclusion belonging and connection, including eight Employee Resource Groups. All Abilities, Asian Support Network, Black Leadership Network, Climate Action Network, Hola! MSCI, Pride & Allies, Women in Tech, and Women’s Leadership Forum.

At MSCI we are passionate about what we do, and we are inspired by our purpose – to power better investment decisions. You’ll be part of an industry-leading network of creative, curious, and entrepreneurial pioneers. This is a space where you can challenge yourself, set new standards and perform beyond expectations for yourself, our clients, and our industry.

MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 50 years of expertise in research, data, and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process.

MSCI Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce. It is the policy of the firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy (including unlawful discrimination on the basis of a legally protected parental leave), veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. MSCI is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please email Disability.Assistance@msci.com and indicate the specifics of the assistance needed. Please note, this e-mail is intended only for individuals who are requesting a reasonable workplace accommodation; it is not intended for other inquiries.

To all recruitment agencies

MSCI does not accept unsolicited CVs/Resumes. Please do not forward CVs/Resumes to any MSCI employee, location, or website. MSCI is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs/Resumes.

Note on recruitment scams

We are aware of recruitment scams where fraudsters impersonating MSCI personnel may try and elicit personal information from job seekers. Read our full note on careers.msci.com

Salary : $304,000 - $395,000