Job Description

BMI is currently seeking a Political (Social) Scientist (PhD)/Data Scientist based out of our  New York office s

BMI's systematic, independent and data-driven market insights, analysis and forecasts enable customers to recognize and assess risks and opportunities across markets and industries. For almost 40 years, we have provided impartial views to support our customers’ strategic plans and investment decisions. 

At BMI, we’re proud of the work we do to help our clients manage risks and opportunities in global markets, which began in 1984 and continues to this day. By stepping into a role here, you will help shape the strategic decisions of the world’s leading organizations. As a member of our team, your role will go beyond conventional boundaries. You will collaborate with industry experts, thought leaders, and visionary executives, collectively working towards shaping the future of businesses that span a multitude of sectors. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we continuously strive to offer our colleagues a great place to work, with opportunities to learn, innovate, develop their careers, and serve the community.

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About the Team 

BMI's GeoQuant team produces AI-driven Politics data, which integrates politics and computer science to create high-frequency, systematic country risk analytics that are transparent and can be validated . We build and maintain robust models that our customers use to identify and manage political risks to generate investment returns. 

Joining as a Political Scientist (PhD)/Data Scientist with a strong background in quantitative social science and political economy to support country-risk research and analysis , you will help shape the strategic decisions of the world’s leading organizations.  Candidates will have the opportunity to explore, analyze, and write about our proprietary political risk dataset for different use cases and aid in product development. As a member of our team, your role will go beyond conventional boundaries. You will collaborate with experts across political risk and other domains. 

As a Political Scientist /Data Scientist, you will design, build, and deploy quantitative models that power advanced analytics and insights for our clients. You will work closely with political scientists, data scientists, and backend developers to deliver interpretable, scalable solutions. Your expertise will help us innovate and adapt our modeling frameworks to address diverse customer needs in a fast-paced, collaborative environment . 

How You’ll Make an Impact:

• Design, build, and optimize risk models for analytics and generative AI applications using our proprietary NLP data generation process .

• Develop and maintain robust ML and data pipelines for experimentation and deployment.

• Prototype and test new approaches for extracting insights from unstructured data for corporate or financial markets.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with political scientists, data scientists, and backend developers.

• Explain ML/NLP model outputs and methodologies to non-technical stakeholders.

You May be a Good Fit if :

• Proven experience developing, refining, and monitoring NLP models.

• Substantial experience querying, cleaning, compiling, and analyzing big data.

• Familiarity applying various computational social science methods including data mining, data visualization, natural language processing, text analysis, and basic time series forecasting and machine learning models.

• Familiarity with scenario analysis/stress-testing, simulation analysis, rare event modeling, and stochastic modeling preferred but not required .

• Substantial experience with Python, R, and relevant libraries (e.g., numpy , pandas, scikit, pytorch , tidyverse , caret , ggplot , etc.).

• Familiarity with database management tools and techniques (e.g., SQL, Selenium, S3, Sagemaker , API protocols) preferred but not required .

• Understanding of model evaluation methods and metrics.

• Ability to operationalize non-technical ideas into relevant research designs, features, and model outputs.

• Familiarity with experiment tracking and model management tools (e.g., DVC, Weights & Biases).

• Demonstrated experience with interpretable AI techniques.

What Would Make You Stand Out:

• Exposure to different cloud-based data and analytics platforms (e.g. AWS, DataBricks, Snowflake).

• Advanced degree or certification in NLP, ML, or related fields.

• Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools.

• Hands-on experience with experimentation and model tracking tools (e.g., MLFlow, Weights & Biases).

• Demonstrable impact of technical solutions or projects on decision-making

• Experience working in fast-paced, agile environments.

• Customer-facing experience, notably in understanding end user needs and building collaborative relationships.

• Subject matter experience with political science, geopolitics, or country risk.

Why Choose Fitch:

• Hybrid Work Environment: 3 days a week in office required based on your line of business and location 

• A Culture of Learning & Mobility: Dedicated trainings, leadership development and mentorship programs designed to ensure that your time at Fitch will be a continuous learning opportunity

• Investing in Your Future: Retirement planning and tuition reimbursement programs that empower you to achieve your short and long-term goals

• Promoting Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive healthcare offerings that enable physical, mental, financial, social, and occupational wellbeing

• Supportive Parenting Policies: Family-friendly policies, including a generous global parental leave plan, designed to help you balance career and family life effectively

• Inclusive Work Environment : A collaborative workplace where all voices are valued, with Employee Resource Groups that unite and empower our colleagues around the globe

• Dedication to Giving Back: Paid volunteer days, matched funding for donations and ample opportunities to volunteer in your community

Fitch is committed to providing global securities markets with objective , timely , independent and forward-looking credit opinions. To protect Fitch’s credibility and reputation, our employees must take every precaution to avoid conflicts of interest or any appearance of a conflict of interest. Should you be successful in the recruitment process at Fitch Ratings you will be asked to declare any securities holdings and other potential conflicts prior to commencing employment. If you, or your immediate family, have any holdings that may conflict with your work responsibilities, you may be asked to divest yourself of them before beginning work. 

Fitch is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.

FOR NEW YORK AND CHICAGO ROLES ONLY: Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $115,000  and $120,000 per year. Actual salaries will be determined on an individualized basis and may vary based on factors including but not limited to education, training, experience, past performance, and other job-related factors. Base pay is one part of Fitch’s total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, discretionary bonuses, long-term incentives, and other benefits sponsored by Fitch. 

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