Quant jobs / Morgan Stanley

Executive Director – Investment and Wealth Management Model Validation

A senior model risk role overseeing independent validation of portfolio construction, risk and wealth planning models used across investment and wealth management. The holder leads a small global team and challenges vendor platforms.

What you’d work on

Our reading of the posting: what a new hire in this role would most likely spend their first months on.

Lead reviews of portfolio construction, optimisation, factor risk and asset allocation models
Challenge vendor methodologies such as factor risk platforms and scenario tools
Check Monte Carlo and retirement planning models for sound design and use
Write validation conclusions and committee material for senior management
Review AI/ML and GenAI-enabled tools as they arrive

What they ask for

Required

8-10 years building, using or validating asset management models
Portfolio and fund construction experience
Optimisation and Monte Carlo frameworks
Factor models, covariance estimation and capital market assumptions
Experience challenging vendors such as Aladdin or Barra
Master's or doctorate in a quantitative field
Strong presentation skills

Preferred

Second-line model validation experience
Python, R, MATLAB or SQL
GenAI workflow tools
CFA or FRM

Education: Master's or doctorate, or equivalent experience, in finance, economics, maths, statistics, computer science, engineering or financial engineering.
Experience: About 8-10 years in asset or wealth management modelling or validation
Languages and tools: Python
R
MATLAB
SQL
Markets: multi-asset, equities

How to prepare

Build a mean-variance and a risk-budgeting optimiser and compare how sensitive each is to inputs
Study covariance estimation methods such as shrinkage and factor models
Build a Monte Carlo retirement projection and write down its main limitations
Learn how Barra-style factor risk models decompose portfolio risk

What to study

The Model Validation Quant roadmap sets out the stages for this kind of role, with free resources for each.

Open the roadmap

Apply

Read the full posting on Morgan Stanley’s site before applying: requirements, location and pay can change after we check them.

View the posting on Morgan Stanley’s site ↗

SelfMadeQuant wrote this summary from the employer’s public posting, last checked 6 November 2026. SelfMadeQuant isn’t affiliated with Morgan Stanley and doesn’t handle applications.