Quantitative Model Developer, Specialist
Vanguard is hiring a Quantitative Model Developer, Specialist. Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.
AI in this role
This role:
Designs, develops, and operates production quantitative investment systems
- Designs, engineers, tests, deploys, and supports software systems that directly influence investment decisions, portfolio construction, trading, risk management, and research workflows. Translates quantitative research into scalable, production-grade investment capabilities while maintaining the highest standards of reliability, reproducibility, and operational rigor.
Engineers research-to-production model delivery pipelines
- Builds and maintains the architecture required to move quantitative models, datasets, and analytical processes from research through validation, testing, sandbox environments, and ultimately production deployment using modern software engineering, CI/CD, MLOps, and governance practices.
Develops advanced machine learning and AI-enabled investment capabilities
- Designs and implements machine learning, statistical learning, optimization, and AI-based solutions to improve security selection, alpha research, portfolio construction, model monitoring, and investment decision support. Contributes throughout the model lifecycle including feature engineering, training, validation, deployment, observability, and ongoing performance evaluation.
Designs and implements GenAI, retrieval, and knowledge systems
- Designs enterprise-grade GenAI solutions including Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), semantic search, knowledge retrieval, embedding architectures, reranking systems, agentic workflows, context engineering strategies, evaluation frameworks, and LLM orchestration patterns to enhance quantitative research productivity and insight generation.
Establishes software engineering and quantitative development standards
- Develops reusable frameworks, libraries, services, and platform capabilities while establishing engineering standards for testing, validation, code review, performance optimization, reproducibility, data lineage, and operational excellence within quantitative investment environments.
Advances quantitative investing through emerging technology
- Evaluates and applies new technologies including machine learning, deep learning, agentic AI systems, LLMs, knowledge graphs, cloud-native architectures, distributed computing, model observability tools, and software engineering best practices to improve investment outcomes and research efficiency.
Qualifications
Required Skills & Experience:
- 2+ years of experience in quantitative software development, financial engineering, machine learning/AI engineering, quantitative research technology, or a related quantitative technology field.
- Python: Demonstrated experience developing production-quality software using Python and modern software engineering practices.
- Machine Learning / Statistical Modeling: Experience developing, testing, and deploying machine learning, statistical learning, or optimization models.
- Production Model Deployment: Experience translating quantitative models, research, or analytical solutions into production environments.
- Cloud Technologies: Experience developing or deploying applications in cloud-based environments.
- Software Engineering: Working knowledge of system design, automated testing, version control, CI/CD, monitoring/observability, and production support.
- Quantitative Analysis: Strong quantitative, statistical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Quantitative Finance, Economics, or a related quantitative discipline.
Preferred Skills & Experience
- Investment Management / Financial Markets: Experience working in asset management, quantitative investing, systematic investing, factor investing, portfolio construction, trading systems, or financial markets.
- Quantitative Investment Research: Experience translating quantitative investment research into production systematic investment capabilities.
- MLOps: Experience with machine learning operations, including model deployment, monitoring, validation, and governance.
- Generative AI: Experience designing or building applications using generative AI or large language models (LLMs).
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): Experience developing RAG architectures, semantic search, knowledge retrieval, or related retrieval systems.
- LLM Technologies: Experience with vector databases, embeddings, context engineering, prompt engineering, LLM orchestration, agentic AI frameworks, or LLM evaluation.
- Advanced AI/ML: Experience with deep learning, knowledge graphs, agentic AI systems, or other emerging AI technologies.
- Cloud / Distributed Systems: Experience with cloud-native architectures or distributed computing.
- Advanced Degree: Master's degree or PhD in a quantitative or technical discipline preferred.
Special Factors
Sponsorship
Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.About Vanguard
At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.
To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
How we rate this
Quantitative Model Developer, Specialist at Vanguard rates 99 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Open the description and count.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- How do you structure and test a prompt to get consistent output from a language model?
- How would you design a retrieval step so the model answers from real data instead of guessing?
- How do you decide when an AI agent can act on its own versus asking for approval first?
- How do you monitor a model once it's live, and how do you know it needs retraining?
- How do you decide that one model's output is better than another's for a given task?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Prompt engineering, RAG, AI agents, ML Ops, and AI Evaluation. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.
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