Job description

About this role Team Overview BlackRock SMA Solutions helps clients customize portfolios for unique tax, values-alignment, or investment exposures across direct indexing, fixed income, active equity, and multi-asset. We deliver world-class service to all of our clients, from wealth advisors to family offices to endowments and foundations. About this role With over $230B in client assets across direct index and active investment strategies, SMA Solutions is a rapidly growing business within Blackrock’s US Wealth Advisory group (~10% org growth rate). Our personalized portfolios utilize individual securities, BlackRock Mutual Funds, and iShares ETFs to customize, diversify, and tailor investment solutions to high net worth/ultra-high net worth, mass affluent, and institutional clients. We are seeking a highly experienced, senior leader with deep expertise in the Wealth Management space (ideally with Separately Managed Account (SMA) vehicles) to lead the organization towards the next generation of BlackRock’s SMA platform. The role requires deep knowledge of technology with a broad knowledge of investment management and SMA products and business processes. This role will partner closely with product, engineering, operations, and compliance teams to define business architecture, connect workflows to technical epics, and ensure scalable execution across investment, trading, and servicing domains. The role combines: - Platform strategy and architecture - Cross-functional program leadership - Operating model design and process transformation The successful candidate will play a critical role in modernizing and scaling SMA capabilities across portfolio management, trading, and operations. Responsibilities: - Platform & Architecture Leadership: • Define and evolve the end-to-end SMA platform’s business architecture across portfolio management, trading, compliance, and operations workflows. • Identify integration points across the SMA platform, and dependent systems (e.g., accounting, UMA, data platforms). • Ensure platform design supports scale, resiliency, and operational efficiency. - Strategy-to-Execution Translation •Translate SMA business strategy into clear product roadmaps, architectural blueprints, and delivery plans. • Break down initiatives into epics, features, and measurable outcomes. • Balance tradeoffs across business value, risk, and delivery constraints. - Cross-Functional Leadership • Lead alignment across product, engineering, operations, data, and risk teams. • Drive program-level execution, including planning, prioritization, and dependency management. • Partner with stakeholders to manage scope, sequencing, and delivery commitments. • Support development and implementation of new investment products together with Business Development, Product, Quantitative Research, and Platform Integrations teams. - Operating Model and Process Transformation • Design and implement scalable workflows across the investment lifecycle. • Define ownership boundaries across product, engineering, and operations. • Introduce standards, playbooks, and governance for execution at scale. -Change Management and Adoption • Drive adoption of new platform capabilities across portfolio managers, traders, and operations teams. • Ensure readiness across process, tooling, and controls. • Establish feedback loops to continuously improve platform usability and outcomes. - Continuous Improvement and Innovation • Identify opportunities to improve automation, data quality, and workflow efficiency. • Leverage emerging technologies to enhance scale and productivity. Qualifications: • 10-15 years in investment management, leading cross functional programs at scale (product engineering), with direct experience in SMA technology, and portfolio lifecycle (portfolio construction, trading, compliance, post trade workflows). • Strong knowledge of an existing SMA investment platform. • Demonstrated ability to deliver large-scale, cross-functional initiatives. • Ability to translate business vision into architecture strategy, roadmaps, and structured objectives. • Strong commercial intuition—able to prioritize based on business value, risk, scale, and industry/regulatory trends. • Mastery of agile approach to SDLC (PI planning, metrics driven delivery, release planning, scaled frameworks) • Executive presence with excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills; comfortable influencing at all levels (from technical teams to commercial groups to senior executives) • Success in building and delivering complex platform products in a matrixed organization • Experience leveraging AI tools to improve SDLC delivery and to enhance product capabilities • Bachelor s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, CFA, etc.) a plus For San Francisco, CA Only the salary range for this position is USD$215,000.00 - USD$275,000.00 . Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, and benefits including healthcare, leave benefits, and retirement benefits. BlackRock operates a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy and your total compensation may vary based on role, location, and firm, department and individual performance. For Princeton, NJ Only the salary range for this position is USD$195,000.00 - USD$245,000.00 . Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, and benefits including healthcare, leave benefits, and retirement benefits. BlackRock operates a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy and your total compensation may vary based on role, location, and firm, department and individual performance. Our benefits To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about. Our hybrid work model BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock. Guidance on AI use for candidates At BlackRock, AI has long been part of how we work – enhancing decision-making, improving operations, and helping us deliver better outcomes for clients. We encourage candidates to use AI thoughtfully to learn, prepare, and work more effectively; but during our interview process, we want to focus on getting to know you through your own experiences, thinking, and judgment. To support you, we’ve provided guidance on when and how to use AI during our hiring process so you can approach each step with confidence and showcase your best self. About BlackRock At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being. Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress. This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive. To learn more about BlackRock, please visit Careers.BlackRock.com . We also encourage you to get to know us on LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube , X , and TikTok . BlackRock is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity to all applicants and existing employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity/expression), sexual orientation, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religion, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. View the EEOC’s Know Your Rights poster and its supplement and the pay transparency statement . BlackRock is committed to full inclusion of all qualified individuals and to providing reasonable accommodations or job modifications for individuals with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation/adjustments are needed throughout the employment process, please email Disability.Assistance blackrock.com . All requests are treated in line with our privacy policy . We recruit, hire, train, promote, pay, and administer all personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), sex stereotyping (including assumptions about a person’s appearance or behavior, gender roles, gender expression, or gender identity), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, ancestry, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law. We interpret these protected statuses broadly to include both the actual status and also any perceptions and assumptions made regarding these statuses.BlackRock will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance law.

Requirements

Must-haves

Platform strategy and architecture
Cross-functional program leadership
Operating model design and process transformation
The successful candidate will play a critical role in modernizing and scaling SMA capabilities across portfolio management, trading, and operations.
Define and evolve the end-to-end SMA platform’s business architecture across portfolio management, trading, compliance, and operations workflows.
Identify integration points across the SMA platform, and dependent systems (e.g., accounting, UMA, data platforms).
Ensure platform design supports scale, resiliency, and operational efficiency.
Strategy-to-Execution Translation
Translate SMA business strategy into clear product roadmaps, architectural blueprints, and delivery plans.
Break down initiatives into epics, features, and measurable outcomes.
Balance tradeoffs across business value, risk, and delivery constraints.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Lead alignment across product, engineering, operations, data, and risk teams.
Drive program-level execution, including planning, prioritization, and dependency management.
Partner with stakeholders to manage scope, sequencing, and delivery commitments.
Support development and implementation of new investment products together with Business Development, Product, Quantitative Research, and Platform Integrations teams.
Operating Model and Process Transformation
Design and implement scalable workflows across the investment lifecycle.
Define ownership boundaries across product, engineering, and operations.
Introduce standards, playbooks, and governance for execution at scale.
-Change Management and Adoption
Drive adoption of new platform capabilities across portfolio managers, traders, and operations teams.
Ensure readiness across process, tooling, and controls.

Nice-to-haves

Bachelor s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, CFA, etc.) a plus

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

agileai

Platform: workday
Effort: long

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Vision