Trade Operations Associate

Bridgewater Associates is a premier asset management firm, focused on delivering unique insight and partnership for the most sophisticated global institutional investors.

Our investment process is driven by a tireless pursuit to understand how the world’s markets and economies work — using cutting edge technology to validate and execute on timeless and universal investment principles.

Founded in 1975, we are a community of independent thinkers who share a commitment for excellence. By fostering a culture of openness, transparency, and inclusion, we strive to unlock the most complex questions in investment strategy, management, and corporate culture.

Explore more information about Bridgewater on our website here.

Bridgewater’s unique success is the direct result of our unique way of being. We want an idea meritocracy in which meaningful work and meaningful relationships are pursued through radical truth and radical transparency. We require people to be extremely open, air disagreements, test each other’s logic, and view discovering mistakes and weaknesses as a good thing that leads to improvement and innovation. It is by continually striving together for the highest levels of truth and excellence that we create meaningful work and meaningful relationships. Within this culture, Diversity and Inclusion is a top priority because it is essential to finding the best talent in the world, enabling our idea meritocracy, and creating an environment where all types of people can thrive. We have a full-time team as well as affinity networks that work on these issues - If you would like to learn more, please let your Bridgewater recruiter know.

Explore more information about Bridgewater’s culture on our website here.

About the Investment Engine Implementation Department 

The Investment Engine Implementation teams are responsible for accuracy, reliability and efficiency across signal generation, portfolio construction, and trading execution. The Signals team is responsible for deeply understanding the data that flows from the outside world into Bridgewater's trading systems. Portfolio Generation is responsible for translating our market view into optimal portfolios, while focusing on risk and diversification. Trading Execution is responsible for implementing BW's views of the world, while minimizing transaction costs and information leakage. Collectively, these teams are responsible for the day-to-day operations of Bridgewater's front office. 

We are responsible for implementing the investment views of the world’s largest hedge fund while minimizing transaction costs and information leakage. We do this by constantly deepening our understanding of liquidity and market dynamics to develop systematic, non-discretionary trade execution strategies.

The Trade Operations Associate role is part of a dynamic team directly involved with the day-to-day trading that is part of Bridgewater’s investment engine. This role is focused on supporting the daily trading activities on the desk, working directly with traders and trading managers. It is a role that will both allow and demand very fast learning and evolution. It will provide a fundamental knowledge of how to actively minimize risks and liaise with departments and counterparties to be accountable for sustaining a minimum level of risk. Further, the role involves dealing with a fast paced, detail-oriented environment, where accuracy and control are vital, and excellent communication and escalation is paramount. This position also requires flexibility to support different markets across many asset classes throughout the Global trading day, and as such, it will provide a uniquely wide foundation of understanding.

As part of the Trading Execution team, this role represents an exciting opportunity to generate substantial impact, test your limitations, and engage with top level thinkers as part of a group that seeks to systematically understand the markets. With focus on discipline, control and risk management, you will support the trading teams to ensure they are fulfilling their responsibilities to trade accurately and efficiently in the market. You will learn how to interpret risks, how to minimize those risks and how to contribute to ensuring repeatable, high quality outcomes.

Interested in learning more about working at Bridgewater? Hear about the experiences of our employees here.

You will drive the following responsibilities:

• Affirmation of trades, minimizing risk and ensuring straight through processing for our back office
• Support daily trading activities on desk, working closely with traders, strategists, technologists, and vendors
• Investigate and Resolve Trade Breaks raised by trading desks, other departments, and counterparties
• Run specific processes and lockdown daily activities associated with our trading department
• Owning and resolving specific inquiries and ensure timely resolution
• Reporting metrics and statistics that enable the team to make decisions and constantly improve the department
• Enabling and maintaining our trading systems with up to date reference data, including securities and counterparties

You will be a click for the role if you:

• Hold a high degree of personal responsibility and ownership
• Are able to consistently step back and improve your way of operating.
• Have a sense of pride, ownership and accountability in the work that you own.
• Weigh what they know and understand in determining confidence. Open to other perspectives than your own, without accepting illogical/irrational ones.
• Are able to reflect objectively on one's own behavior; step above oneself and see things from a higher level with a good understanding of their strengths/weaknesses in a particular situation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possess a BA/BS in numerical or business-based discipline, with a quality academic record, from an accredited undergraduate institution.

Physical Requirements:

This is a fully on-site role, and this employee will work from our offices in Westport, CT. 

It takes all types to make Bridgewater great. We seek a diverse group of innovative thinkers and push them to engage in rigorous and thoughtful inquiry. We develop people through an honest examination of their abilities and performance, enabling personal growth and professional development. We strive to provide you opportunities that will challenge you and unlock your potential.

In this role, you will grow with us by:

• Undergoing a training program of structured classes and on-the-job apprenticeship.
• Taking ownership of increasingly complex systems and processes.
• Taking on oversight and mentorship responsibilities to grow talent as you gain experience.
• Opportunities to grow your career across Bridgewater depending on your strengths, weaknesses, and experience.

Compensation Band:

• The wage range for this role is $110,000 - $175,000 inclusive of base salary and discretionary target bonus. The expected base salary for this role is between 70% - 85% of this wage range.

One of our core priorities at Bridgewater is to enable our employees to build a great life and career, and we believe our benefits are an important extension of that philosophy. As such, currently Bridgewater offers a competitive suite of benefits including:

• Health insurance with 100% premium covered and access to additional concierge medical services
• 401(k) plan with generous employer match
• Paid time off, including fully paid parental leave and a competitive PTO package
• Workplace flexibility and access to back up childcare
• Financial assistance for family building support, including adoption and egg freezing
• Workplace wellness, including on-site gyms, free meals and healthy snacks , and meditation rooms
• An engaged and active community that includes many company events, affinity networks, and extracurricular interest groups
• For a full list of Bridgewater benefits, click here.

Bridgewater reserves the right to change its current benefits program at any time, in a manner that is consistent with applicable federal and state regulations

This job description is not a contract and confers no contractual rights, privileges, or benefits on any applicant or potential applicant. Bridgewater has the right to change any and all terms of this job description, including, but not limited to, job responsibilities, qualifications and benefits. Nothing in this job description constitutes an offer or guarantee of employment. Please note that we do not provide immigration sponsorship for this position.

Bridgewater Associates, LP is an Equal Opportunity Employer